Need:
- Detection common parasites/manage external parasites/and treatment
- Dosing/vaccinating sheep
Aim:
Restrain sheep while enabling the operator to administer vaccines, drenches etc. with minimal physical strain
Description:
The sheep conveyor moves and restrains sheep along a race at a speed pre-determined by the operator. The sheep are held upright and cannot move forward or backward in the conveyor. This allows the farmer to stay in one position on either side of the conveyor and administer treatments without moving. The conveyor speed can be adjusted and the sheep can be moved forward, held in one position, reversed or held on their back as required.
How to implement:
The sheep need to be loaded/walked onto the conveyor as it is moving, some sheep will walk on themselves but others may need to be physically pushed forward. The farmer can pre-determine and adjust the speed of the conveyor, and position themselves as the sheep to move towards them.
Expected benefits:
- Time saving
- Reduced physical strain on farmer
- Can complete multiple treatments at once
Prerequisites and/or limits:
- Some sheep may need to be pushed onto the conveyor
- Not suitable for heavily pregnant ewes
- Unable to carry out body condition scoring while animals are in the conveyor
Cost / Benefit Analysis
Social, environmental and welfare assessments: –
Country:
Ireland
Production system (Dairy or/and meat sheep/goat):
Dairy and meat sheep
Category of Animal (ewe, goat, replacement, lamb, kid):
Ewe, replacement, lamb
Source of information:
Attachment/links:
