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SHEEP-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 57
approach to barn hygiene that is called "deep bedding". Deep bedding is a build up of an 8 inch (20 cm) thick layer of bedding that can consist of straw, wood shavings, sawdust, shredded paper, or dry leaves. Every day or so the dirtiest spots of the surface of the bed are removed and fresh bedding is added to create a clean, dry environment. This arrangement need only be replaced once a year. An advantage of this method is that the bedding you remove is already partly composted, and if you pile it up outdoors and let it compost for a year or a little bit longer, you have an excellent fertilizer for your garden. This method is in use in Sweden where it has become mandatory for farmers who keep their animals indoors.
When a ewe lambs outside in a pasture, it is not too difficult to get her to come into the lambing pen, just gently pick up the lamb and slowly, staying relatively close to the ground about one foot (third of a meter) so she can see it and she will follow. Staying relatively close to the ground is important because that is where the ewe expects her lamb to be and will instinctively look for it there. If she can't see her lamb, then instinctively she will run back to where she lambed to look for it.
HANDLING FACILITIES
A well designed handling facility consists of a gathering pen, a forcing pen, chutes, and sorting pens. Although they are not an absolutely necessity for small flocks, they are for large ones.
These types of pens should have neither sharp corners nor right angles. They should have at least one gate wide enough to drive a vehicle or tractor into. Design your pens to be long, and rectangular with curved ends rather than circular pens, however, both types do the job.
You have a choice of which handling facilities to select, there are connecting prefabricated panels, which you can purchase or you can opt for one that is a permanent construction. The advantage of prefabricated panels is that they are portable, relatively light to move around, and flexible to suit your changing needs. These panels can be added too as your flock increases. The advantage of a permanent structure is less cash outlay.
Gathering pen:
A home made gathering pen can be made out of woven wire, seven strands of smooth wire, or rails. It should be a good size, i.e. 5 to 6 square feet (about 0.5m sq) for mature sheep and 3 to 4 square feet (about 0.3 m sq) per feeder lamb. If you make one that is 12 feet wide (3.6m) or narrower, you can reach the sheep on either side of you with your crook (a shepherds stick with a hook) while standing in the center.
When a ewe lambs outside in a pasture, it is not too difficult to get her to come into the lambing pen, just gently pick up the lamb and slowly, staying relatively close to the ground about one foot (third of a meter) so she can see it and she will follow. Staying relatively close to the ground is important because that is where the ewe expects her lamb to be and will instinctively look for it there. If she can't see her lamb, then instinctively she will run back to where she lambed to look for it.
HANDLING FACILITIES
A well designed handling facility consists of a gathering pen, a forcing pen, chutes, and sorting pens. Although they are not an absolutely necessity for small flocks, they are for large ones.
These types of pens should have neither sharp corners nor right angles. They should have at least one gate wide enough to drive a vehicle or tractor into. Design your pens to be long, and rectangular with curved ends rather than circular pens, however, both types do the job.
You have a choice of which handling facilities to select, there are connecting prefabricated panels, which you can purchase or you can opt for one that is a permanent construction. The advantage of prefabricated panels is that they are portable, relatively light to move around, and flexible to suit your changing needs. These panels can be added too as your flock increases. The advantage of a permanent structure is less cash outlay.
Gathering pen:
A home made gathering pen can be made out of woven wire, seven strands of smooth wire, or rails. It should be a good size, i.e. 5 to 6 square feet (about 0.5m sq) for mature sheep and 3 to 4 square feet (about 0.3 m sq) per feeder lamb. If you make one that is 12 feet wide (3.6m) or narrower, you can reach the sheep on either side of you with your crook (a shepherds stick with a hook) while standing in the center.