Mobile sheep handling systems

[blacksheepcontracting]

When you know what you’re doing it shouldn’t take longer than 15-20 minutes really. I’ve only tried to fit in 250 so far but they claim to hold 500 or even 750 depending on the number of gates you have on it and the size of your ewes

 

[beefandsleep]

I have the standard rappa. I can pen 300 fat lambs but you need extra hurdles to draft into. I take hurdles off the catch pen and put them on the drafting pen as I go which is a faff but they are very light and easy to put together.

 

[Downton_shep]

How long would it take to set up and how many ewes would it hold?

Done a competition once at a sheep event. Two of us setup & packed away in 12 mins. Won £50 each!

 

[beefandsleep]

The border weigh crate rappa sell is an excellent piece of kit and makes drafting (3 ways) effortless.

 

[aled1590]

Thanks- the weighing floor in the Romney ranger has the shedding gate in front and a gate behind them plus a shedding gate to the side - we slightly modified ours so the little sods couldn’t put a foot on the side rail - all in all it works well. How does the weigh unit work on the others?
Just disappointed that contemplating a step to a rappa/prattley involves even more expense with buying an additional unit to be able to weigh

What modification did you do on the race? as we have the same problem on our romney ranger

 

[ploughman1963]

What modification did you do on the race? as we have the same problem on our romney ranger

Added a strip along the bottom of the side shedding door so the feet couldn’t go under it onto the side bar - worked a treat

 

[ploughman1963]

having put in a grant application for a mobile sheep handling yard - and a weighing unit - as Prattley Rappa dont incorporate one in their race like the GSF does, I am now considering amending the application to take out the weigh unit as I can get weigh bars, tray and computer for far less than the nett cost of a seperate weigh unit. I know @neilo expressed concern at being able to weigh accurately by this means but it seems many do. Is it a problem?
I am really not keen on having a seperate weigh unit as I know that when it is integral measurements are far more likely to be made than if the weigh unit is a seperate item to haul about and set up - when in a rush, the shepherd is likely not to bother!
Thoughts please

 

[neilo]

having put in a grant application for a mobile sheep handling yard - and a weighing unit - as Prattley Rappa dont incorporate one in their race like the GSF does, I am now considering amending the application to take out the weigh unit as I can get weigh bars, tray and computer for far less than the nett cost of a seperate weigh unit. I know @neilo expressed concern at being able to weigh accurately by this means but it seems many do. Is it a problem?
I am really not keen on having a seperate weigh unit as I know that when it is integral measurements are far more likely to be made than if the weigh unit is a seperate item to haul about and set up - when in a rush, the shepherd is likely not to bother!
Thoughts please

The Welsh scheme management told us that we could claim on the components/steel to build a cattle handling system, as long as it met spec and we had invoices for the new steel etc. Would it be worth asking if the English scheme management would accept similar in regards to components to your proposed weighing system?

 

[ploughman1963]

Interesting thought.
What were your thoughts on incorporating the weighing unit in the race? Works well in the GSF but you were concerned about such a set up? How does the separate weigh unit differ?

 

[exmoor dave]

Interesting thought.
What were your thoughts on incorporating the weighing unit in the race? Works well in the GSF but you were concerned about such a set up? How does the separate weigh unit differ?

If the integrated weigh system is just a tray in the bottom of the race, you'll find that weights won't always be accurate (under weighing) because the sheep will often push against the race sides & in particularly any rear gate, thus transferring weight off the tray.

A separate crate won't do this.

We used to have a integrated tray for the sheep and currently have a tray for the cattle, both work fine, but the job is slowed down considerably by watching that the animals are not transferring weight to the race sides/back gate.

 

[ploughman1963]

Please can you explain why this doesn’t happen with a dedicated weigh crate? Is it that the whole unit is weighed rather than just the floor.

I still mainly worry that if I have a separate weigh unit it won’t get used as often because it will be extra carriage and faff.

 

[neilo]

If the integrated weigh system is just a tray in the bottom of the race, you'll find that weights won't always be accurate (under weighing) because the sheep will often push against the race sides & in particularly any rear gate, thus transferring weight off the tray.

A separate crate won't do this.

We used to have a integrated tray for the sheep and currently have a tray for the cattle, both work fine, but the job is slowed down considerably by watching that the animals are not transferring weight to the race sides/back gate.

That would be my main concern, but would certainly be easier than lugging a crate around if on away blocks much.

 

[exmoor dave]

That would be my main concern, but would certainly be easier than lugging a crate around if on away blocks much.

Completely agree, as a secondary system it would be great.
A tray we put in our various cattle crushes works fine, just got to watch that the beasts don't sit on the rump bar and because it's never a case of weighing many cattle at once it doesn't matter if it takes a few more seconds to check the position of the animal

 

[exmoor dave]

Please can you explain why this doesn’t happen with a dedicated weigh crate? Is it that the whole unit is weighed rather than just the floor.

I still mainly worry that if I have a separate weigh unit it won’t get used as often because it will be extra carriage and faff.

In a weigh crate the design is such that the crate is weighed as well, sides doors everything.
The bit that attaches the crate to the race is designed so it doesn't effect the weights.

Tray will be fine but you've just got to know what to watch for when weighing

 

[David.]

I made a tray to go in the Scotpen and it will not be 100% until the backing gate is modified and incorporated into the weigh-tray, for the reasons outlined above.
It does quicken the job considerably when you are weighing a run of lambs though if all you have to do is keep raising the header and backing gates in turn, and the sheep keep flowing as a result.

 

[ploughman1963]

Thanks for the clarification.

Following on from what @neilo suggested above, I have read the specification for the 'electronic weigh scales' on the small farm grant and as far as I can see, with weigh bars, weigh head, compatability with eid, and drafting - a set of weigh bars in the race meets the spec. To be on the safe side I think I would buy a very cheap crate that all the weigh bars etc can go in just for any inspection.

 

[Nithsdale]

having put in a grant application for a mobile sheep handling yard - and a weighing unit - as Prattley Rappa dont incorporate one in their race like the GSF does, I am now considering amending the application to take out the weigh unit as I can get weigh bars, tray and computer for far less than the nett cost of a seperate weigh unit. I know @neilo expressed concern at being able to weigh accurately by this means but it seems many do. Is it a problem?
I am really not keen on having a seperate weigh unit as I know that when it is integral measurements are far more likely to be made than if the weigh unit is a seperate item to haul about and set up - when in a rush, the shepherd is likely not to bother!
Thoughts please

What grant is this?

Does anybody know if there's same/similar running in Scotland?

 

[ploughman1963]

small farms grant - sorry not sure

 

[ploughman1963]

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/new-small-grant-scheme-launched-today.211316/

 

[Nithsdale]

small farms grant - sorry not sure

How did the grant affect the price of the mobile yard you bought? (Things usually cost more as soon as you talk of grants)...

The small farm grant in Scotland is restricted to a holding no bigger than 30ha