-
SHEEP-fed-barely-sprouting-fodders, page : 58
All pens, no matter whether they are gathering pens, forcing pens, sorting pens should have an outer wall of 3.5 to 4 feet (1-1.3m) high. A gathering pen must be large enough to accommodate all the sheep you have at one time, with lots of room to spare. It is a good idea to keep water tanks and salt blocks in these pens, and feed treats, in this way the sheep will go straight in without much of a problem and when they are busy enjoying their treats close the gate!
Forcing pen:
This type of pen is used to confine smaller groups, and when necessary, to force them to go into chutes. If you have a small flock, your forcing pen can also be used to collect sheep in them for shearing or, placing them in "sheep chairs" where you can trim their hooves.
A forcing pen should have solid sides. The home-made pen should have solid sides and made out of either plywood, metal or boards. It is necessary for the pen to be heavy duty because of the pressure of the sheep against the side walls could otherwise break.
Chutes:
The purpose of chutes is for medical treatment and sorting. It should have solid walls, and be narrow enough to ensure that the sheep enter in a single file. Gates can control the entrance and exit from the chutes.
If you have a small flock a 15 – 20 foot (4.5-6.1 m) long chute is sufficient.
If you have a large flock i.e. more than 150, you can benefit from increasing the chute length to 15 feet (4.5 m) per hundred animals.
Chutes should be solid sided and have a 4 inch (10cm) gap at the bottom to allow air to circulate through the chute. Sidewalls can be 3 feet (0.9 m) high for most sheep, however, if your sheep are of the tall breed variety increase the height of the walls a little.
Sorting gates:
These are designed to make the job of dividing sheep into groups easy. They are handy for running the flock through the system when its time to wean the lambs, and make for quick separation of the ewes from the lambs. These gates should be lightweight and easy to use, but they must be strong enough to stop oncoming animals. Gates can be made from wood but bear in mind wooden gates are heavier and slower than steel or aluminum gates.
Forcing pen:
This type of pen is used to confine smaller groups, and when necessary, to force them to go into chutes. If you have a small flock, your forcing pen can also be used to collect sheep in them for shearing or, placing them in "sheep chairs" where you can trim their hooves.
A forcing pen should have solid sides. The home-made pen should have solid sides and made out of either plywood, metal or boards. It is necessary for the pen to be heavy duty because of the pressure of the sheep against the side walls could otherwise break.
Chutes:
The purpose of chutes is for medical treatment and sorting. It should have solid walls, and be narrow enough to ensure that the sheep enter in a single file. Gates can control the entrance and exit from the chutes.
If you have a small flock a 15 – 20 foot (4.5-6.1 m) long chute is sufficient.
If you have a large flock i.e. more than 150, you can benefit from increasing the chute length to 15 feet (4.5 m) per hundred animals.
Chutes should be solid sided and have a 4 inch (10cm) gap at the bottom to allow air to circulate through the chute. Sidewalls can be 3 feet (0.9 m) high for most sheep, however, if your sheep are of the tall breed variety increase the height of the walls a little.
Sorting gates:
These are designed to make the job of dividing sheep into groups easy. They are handy for running the flock through the system when its time to wean the lambs, and make for quick separation of the ewes from the lambs. These gates should be lightweight and easy to use, but they must be strong enough to stop oncoming animals. Gates can be made from wood but bear in mind wooden gates are heavier and slower than steel or aluminum gates.