A new version of a livestock handling system is designed to combine efficiency with technology for use in sheep operations.
The Racewell HD4 Chute is offered by Te Pari Products, a New Zealand based livestock equipment company.
“The whole idea is minimizing stress on the farmer, the sheep, and maximizing your labour units,” said Jake Sloan, Te Pari’s Canadian dealer, during a Sept. 11 demonstration at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock, Ont.
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Why it matters: The automated sheep management system provides a range of diagnostic capabilities for sheep and goats, limits animal and operator stress, and addresses labour challenges.
The portable pneumatic system can be run by one person using a combination of pre-programmed sorting draft gates, sensor technology and remote control, said Sloan.
Within the chute are two front and rear adjustable “magic eye” optical sensors that trigger the air-operated clamp-catching mechanism once the animal enters. It simultaneously closes the entry gate. Activation of the front and rear sensors is required to close the squeeze.
The lead-up to the entry gate has an auto-backing hook and tapered sides to limit turning and improve animal flow.
For optimal performance, Sloan advises producers to adjust the sensors for the average size of the ewes, rams or lambs being handled.
The exit race has four drafting gates that can be pre-programmed and used as needed. Sloan said the unpanelled exit race provides a stress-free experience for the animals, particularly lambs, during the weaning process. He said they follow ewes through the system before the drafting panels redirect them to separate pens.
In quick succession, Sloan demonstrated how pre-programmed drafting gates can direct lambs into under-market, market, and above-market-weight ready pens or be overridden to divert an animal with signs of illness or lameness.
Bill McCutcheon, producer and lamb merchandiser for Ontario Lamb Marketing Inc., bought a low-tech Racewell sheep management system two decades ago and saw an immediate uptick in efficiency and welfare.
“We can process 350 lambs an hour in it,” he said, adding the crush allows for full access compared to the cage style of competitors. “You can vaccinate in there, body score, drench, pregnancy test, and crutch the back end out.”
The Racewell HD4’s adjustable squeeze chute flips horizontally. Front and rear panels can open for easy access to hoof trimming, hormone application and ultrasounds.
The latest version reads RFID tags, records weight and has auto-dose calibration for drenching and drug applications. It connects wirelessly to the Te Pari Revolution dosing gun for accurate dosage. It also works with Gallagher systems.
McCutcheon said the scale measures every tenth of a second for a combined weight, which provides precise market weights and eliminates potential over- or under-dosing.
“You don’t have to adjust that gun every time a lamb steps in the chute and do the math in your head or a chart you look at to figure out how many mils to give it. It just does it automatically. From a time standpoint, it’s a real saver.”
McCutcheon said the versatility of the system makes it the best on the market, especially for operations short of labour.
Sloan, who runs a mixed farm, said the automated Racewell system folds up and trailers for field-side use, so he can manage his flock without waiting for labour to be available.
“It’s very well balanced. I can wheel that around, no problem, myself,” he said. “I like it because I have multiple locations, but you can have this whole unit permanently leg bolted to the floor in your barn, too.”
