Sheep Scanning

unlacedgecko

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Fife
It’s usually the non farming background students/helpers that get treated worst from what students have told me the horror stories of where their friends are etc.

I'm non farming background. But I'm ugly enough to tell people where to go if I don't like their attitude.

Happily everyone for the last decade has been excellent. Prior to that I walked off an age job once because the manager thought he was a demi god, and could speak to us mere mortals like sh!t.

I've had more problems in other industries.
 

Optimus

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North of Perth
It really is one of the most impossible industries too get in... not many farmers would risk next years lamb crop on a lad who’s in they’re first year... I know I’d not book somebody if I knew it was there first year doing it too much risk for me I’m afraid... it’s one of those jobs you can only really get into if somebody is giving up and they train you up for it
We never used to scan until my brother met a lad wanting to get into it.he was struggling for decent numbers.as like you say no one would give him a chance in his first year.
 

roseshep

Member
Sorry to jump on this thread but i'm looking for a sheep scanner in the west midlands, if anyone has any recommendations i'd be very grateful.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Sorry to jump on this thread but i'm looking for a sheep scanner in the west midlands, if anyone has any recommendations i'd be very grateful.

Whereabouts in the West Midlands?

We used to use John Evans from Tenbury Wells when we were in Glos. Always very accurate and a nice fella too.
I know he covers/covered a lot through Hereford and Worcestershire. Number is 07778 558676.
 

Purli R

Member
Aye we"ve had all that using the same scanning man for over 30 yrs,was really good but one packet of ewes that go away get scanned when they come home about a fortnight later than the "Ideal" time & he makes a thing about he cant see em. Well thats fair enough, but if he took about 5 seconds more I"m sure he would do better!
 

Tomo23

Member
Livestock Farmer
I did see this on Facebook yesterday. 🤣

🚨 SCANNING RANT ALERT 🚨
Think of it like the 12 days of Christmas however it’s the 12 do’s and don’ts of scanning!
1️⃣ do NOT message me with your details, your last name and farm name because trust me, most of your farm names appear more than once in Aberdeenshire. I need FULL addresses and POSTCODES
2️⃣ the date your tup came out is irrelevant if you left him in for 4 months. It’s the date you introduced the tup to the ewes I need.
3️⃣ you may tell me I was at your farm last year but that was along with another 300 farms
4️⃣ you don’t need to call me to to discuss the weather or how it will ‘be dark at that time in the morning’ I know this but to get through everyone I need to scan in the dark every morning and evening, so if this means you need to feed your cattle a hour earlier than usual for one day a year then please do, sure your tractors have lights. I need to be scanning 1000+ a day to get through everyone.
5️⃣ I’m not travelling ‘just two miles down the road’ for another 20. As mentioned before I’ve big numbers to get through a day so it’s at all possible please group them up.
6️⃣ if we don’t need to scan in 6 inches of skitter then let’s not, it’s amazing what half a hour with a brush and shovel can do!
7️⃣ water waiting to wash down at the end please, you wouldn’t appreciate it if I turned up with somebody else’s skitter to your farm.
8️⃣ empty sheep out it at all possible because when ‘one I scanned two had three’ it’s because it was tucked up behind a full bladder and bowel. It’s in your own interest folks, get them emptied out.
9️⃣ don’t tell me to use red and blue to mark them if there is red and blue already on them!
🔟 sorry if I’m late... it’s because one of the people prior to you that day didn’t adhere to any the above 😳🤯
1️⃣1️⃣ sorry I know some people hate messages or texts but when I’m receiving 6 new bookings that day, confirming tomorrow’s 6 bookings and planning wednesdays 6 bookings I don’t have time to hear about the rain, sorry but I don’t have time, wish I could come in for a quick fly with you all.
1️⃣2️⃣ boris has f**ked the job and next year we will all be out of sheep but hey 🎅 let’s enjoy this year if we can. If I don’t already have your details this year then send me the following please and let’s get your pin on the map
Full name
Full address
Number of ewes
Date the ram went in
If they are at different farms in big groups unfeasible to move let me know when booking
I will NOT scan sheep with scab
I will aim to scan all sheep between 70 and 90
days of the ram getting entered so please help out where you can to avoid disappointment 🤗

PLEASE SHARE 🤓
 

hill shepherd

Member
Livestock Farmer
I did see this on Facebook yesterday. 🤣

🚨 SCANNING RANT ALERT 🚨
Think of it like the 12 days of Christmas however it’s the 12 do’s and don’ts of scanning!
1️⃣ do NOT message me with your details, your last name and farm name because trust me, most of your farm names appear more than once in Aberdeenshire. I need FULL addresses and POSTCODES
2️⃣ the date your tup came out is irrelevant if you left him in for 4 months. It’s the date you introduced the tup to the ewes I need.
3️⃣ you may tell me I was at your farm last year but that was along with another 300 farms
4️⃣ you don’t need to call me to to discuss the weather or how it will ‘be dark at that time in the morning’ I know this but to get through everyone I need to scan in the dark every morning and evening, so if this means you need to feed your cattle a hour earlier than usual for one day a year then please do, sure your tractors have lights. I need to be scanning 1000+ a day to get through everyone.
5️⃣ I’m not travelling ‘just two miles down the road’ for another 20. As mentioned before I’ve big numbers to get through a day so it’s at all possible please group them up.
6️⃣ if we don’t need to scan in 6 inches of skitter then let’s not, it’s amazing what half a hour with a brush and shovel can do!
7️⃣ water waiting to wash down at the end please, you wouldn’t appreciate it if I turned up with somebody else’s skitter to your farm.
8️⃣ empty sheep out it at all possible because when ‘one I scanned two had three’ it’s because it was tucked up behind a full bladder and bowel. It’s in your own interest folks, get them emptied out.
9️⃣ don’t tell me to use red and blue to mark them if there is red and blue already on them!
🔟 sorry if I’m late... it’s because one of the people prior to you that day didn’t adhere to any the above 😳🤯
1️⃣1️⃣ sorry I know some people hate messages or texts but when I’m receiving 6 new bookings that day, confirming tomorrow’s 6 bookings and planning wednesdays 6 bookings I don’t have time to hear about the rain, sorry but I don’t have time, wish I could come in for a quick fly with you all.
1️⃣2️⃣ boris has f**ked the job and next year we will all be out of sheep but hey 🎅 let’s enjoy this year if we can. If I don’t already have your details this year then send me the following please and let’s get your pin on the map
Full name
Full address
Number of ewes
Date the ram went in
If they are at different farms in big groups unfeasible to move let me know when booking
I will NOT scan sheep with scab
I will aim to scan all sheep between 70 and 90
days of the ram getting entered so please help out where you can to avoid disappointment 🤗

PLEASE SHARE 🤓
He sounds like a right happy chap
 

Mc115reed

Member
Livestock Farmer
He sounds like a right happy chap
tbf I can imagine it’s annoying turning up at places too chaos but… in my opinion if my sheep are in 3 batches around the countryside I want the f**kers scanning get over it and bill me appropriately… I don’t have a shed too house sheep over night too empty out so just spend 5 seconds longer looking and you’ll see what is there and bill me appropriately…. I’d rather pay for A service than pay for somebody who wants too rattle through as many as humanly possible as fast as possible
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
tbf I can imagine it’s annoying turning up at places too chaos but… in my opinion if my sheep are in 3 batches around the countryside I want the f**kers scanning get over it and bill me appropriately… I don’t have a shed too house sheep over night too empty out so just spend 5 seconds longer looking and you’ll see what is there and bill me appropriately…. I’d rather pay for A service than pay for somebody who wants too rattle through as many as humanly possible as fast as possible

I think the issue is more the not telling them about several moves before they turn up, when they have booked other groups in at specific times.

Maybe not so much of an issue when you're scanning early like yourself, but the scanners are working flat out for a couple of months from mid-December, with no time to piddle about with moving for a handful down the road because the owner couldn't be arsed to move them.

If I took the job on I reckon I'd have a very small scanning round, as I'd be unable to stop myself telling a few home truths, particularly when I was cold, wet and knackered from weeks of long scanning days and faced with someone that couldn't be arsed to get themselves sorted out.
 

Longlowdog

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Aberdeenshire
I know a guy who put a rant on F.B, perhaps that one. He is a really nice guy but gets messed around with on an almost daily basis. I've seen scanners absolutely shattered when their 12hour winter day turned into 16. I'd be in jail for gbh if I had to put up with the 'couldn't give a f'k' attitude I've heard them discuss.
If you have spread out groups worth scanning let them know and mention paying for travelling time between groups or book them separately. Courtesy cost nothing and can bring massive rewards. As I mentioned in my previous post scanning is a mentally taxing and physically traumatic job. If you aren't a part of the solution to making the scanners day easier you are his problem client for that day.
 

roseshep

Member
Whereabouts in the West Midlands?

We used to use John Evans from Tenbury Wells when we were in Glos. Always very accurate and a nice fella too.
I know he covers/covered a lot through Hereford and Worcestershire. Number is 07778 558676.
We're just outside of Melton Mowbray, not long moved here so still trying to find contractors for scanning and shearing. I've not really made it off farm yet so not met any of the locals to ask.
 

Mc115reed

Member
Livestock Farmer
I think the issue is more the not telling them about several moves before they turn up, when they have booked other groups in at specific times.

Maybe not so much of an issue when you're scanning early like yourself, but the scanners are working flat out for a couple of months from mid-December, with no time to piddle about with moving for a handful down the road because the owner couldn't be arsed to move them.

If I took the job on I reckon I'd have a very small scanning round, as I'd be unable to stop myself telling a few home truths, particularly when I was cold, wet and knackered from weeks of long scanning days and faced with someone that couldn't be arsed to get themselves sorted out.
Iv just bunched all my ewes together yesterday too make my scanners life easier when she comes but if I hadn’t I’d of just told her about the moves and said charge me a set up fee if you need too… she’s pretty professional tbh pressure washer and ibc of water in her van too so is clean too…
I just think if your offering a service like scanning and shearing youv got too take the good with the bad… money talks charge what you need too
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Iv just bunched all my ewes together yesterday too make my scanners life easier when she comes but if I hadn’t I’d of just told her about the moves and said charge me a set up fee if you need too… she’s pretty professional tbh pressure washer and ibc of water in her van too so is clean too…
I just think if your offering a service like scanning and shearing youv got too take the good with the bad… money talks charge what you need too

That’s all very well if you’re scanning in October, but in peak season there just aren’t enough hours in the day to be messing about.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
We're just outside of Melton Mowbray, not long moved here so still trying to find contractors for scanning and shearing. I've not really made it off farm yet so not met any of the locals to ask.

In that case, does anyone know if Andy Eadon (by Warwick) or Bob Towfield (Northampton?) are still at it?
Both good scanners.👍
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
That’s all very well if you’re scanning in October, but in peak season there just aren’t enough hours in the day to be messing about.
Yeah mines the same, doesn’t mind setting up for 3-400 at a farm 3 mile away but doing under 300’s have to wait until late January, does 1200 with us by lunchtime then comes back 2 weeks later for the small groups of ewe lambs etc but still 600 to scan that day in 3 moves 🤷🏻‍♂️
 

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