LAMB MARKING DOWN-UNDER.

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day ,firstly I would like to apologize for my good manners 'failing me' in the last post,I forgot that the systems you are using at the start usually stay with you for the rest of your life.Here is a better pic,I find that if I use the normal catching pen that I use for shearing I can undertake all the needed tasks at one time marking,drenching and ear tagging at a comfortable height.If you look at the photo of the Ram ,he is completely immobilized in spite of the banding pliers still being attached.The lamb is laid with the head on the high side of the cradle. The front legs fold down for easy storage and once the task is done you drop them down the shute on the right (the same as for shearing). I tried to find the company ,but with no success.Should anyone want to make one ,I can take some more pic's and supply measurements.BTW we raised goats for 25 years before we got the sheep and used this system then with the same success on Kids...T.O.R.

 

[Latestarter]

Gotta say I never noticed any lacking of manners what so ever. You've always been the ultimate of polite and I really enjoy reading your posts. Different perspectives are great!

 

[Goat Whisperer]

G'day ,firstly I would like to apologize for my good manners 'failing me' in the last post,I forgot that the systems you are using at the start usually stay with you for the rest of your life.Here is a better pic,I find that if I use the normal catching pen that I use for shearing I can undertake all the needed tasks at one time marking,drenching and ear tagging at a comfortable height.If you look at the photo of the Ram ,he is completely immobilized in spite of the banding pliers still being attached.The lamb is laid with the head on the high side of the cradle. The front legs fold down for easy storage and once the task is done you drop them down the shute on the right (the same as for shearing). I tried to find the company ,but with no success.Should anyone want to make one ,I can take some more pic's and supply measurements.BTW we raised goats for 25 years before we got the sheep and used this system then with the same success on Kids...T.O.R.
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I didn't see it as lacking manners either

Everyone does things differently. I think it is a great tool, and if I were to be banding/docking/tagging I would most definitely be building one! Perhaps my original post came off wrong, I also should have said I raise dairy goats. They don't have their tails docked, and don't get tagged either. With the breeds I raise, I tattoo the ears & disbud ("de-horn" with a hot iron). That is why I said I couldn't use it, but I really do like the idea. We actually use a box or headgate to do tattooing/disbudding.

I really like how yours has a pin to keep the lamb in place, I would think it would be faster to secure the lamb w/ the pin over the strap.

Here is a pic of what we use for the dairy goat kids:
(pic taken from the 'net, but this is the same type we use)

 

[Bossroo]

G'day TOR, you definately are NOT lacking for any manners. You DO have a very good grasp of sheep husbandry as well as the need to make a efficient living from sheep and what works for you. I didn't mean to upset you in any way. If I did, I apologize. I just posted my personal experiences on my working sheep ranch for profit and view of raising much more sheep per year than most here. I used the "V" shaped pen leading / next to the chute that I used to sort, mark,vaccinate, drench, etc. as an aid to not chase the ewes with lambs all over the pasture or dry lot for if I had help or by myself. Yes , that cradle will work just fine for those that mark a few lambs at a time or do not have extra help and are not concerned about the time factor.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

G'day TOR, you definately are NOT lacking for any manners. You DO have a very good grasp of sheep husbandry as well as the need to make a efficient living from sheep and what works for you. I didn't mean to upset you in any way. If I did, I apologize. I just posted my personal experiences on my working sheep ranch for profit and view of raising much more sheep per year than most here. I used the "V" shaped pen leading / next to the chute that I used to sort, mark,vaccinate, drench, etc. as an aid to not chase the ewes with lambs all over the pasture or dry lot for if I had help or by myself. Yes , that cradle will work just fine for those that mark a few lambs at a time or do not have extra help and are not concerned about the time factor.

 

[Baymule]

When @Bossroo and @The Old Ram-Australia have a "how to" discussion, it benefits all of us newbies immensely. I for one, deeply appreciate all the nuggets of wisdom each of you shares with us. I am expecting my second lambing in another month or two and I don't have as much as a fingernail's worth of experience next to you two.
Thank you!

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day,I thought you may be interested in a few factors at play down here which will in the 'long term'will IMO effect all livestock producers in 1st world countries
1.The animal rights people convinced the govt to direct science to produce a pain relief system for use in livestock operations such as ,tail docking and marking.They came up with a system called"Num Nuts" (Google Num Nuts pain relief for livestock) Use at this time is voluntary ,but I suspect it will be come mandatory in years to come if the animal rights people have their way.
2.One state Vic. is to introduce a law to require the use of EID's (Electronic Identification) on all stock(sheep and goats) sold in that state(its already national for cattle).Now apart from the cost of these tags (about 5 times that of what we use now)Each farmer will need a 'reader' about $700.00 ea.It is claimed that our overseas customers are 'driving' it for tractability reasons.
Now there are only a few large company's that supply tags for livestock,they must be 'cheering' the govt on.We already have property ID tags which must stay on the animal for its whole life.When we sell or move stock the owner is required 'by law' to provide documents which the purchaser must keep and lodge and the seller must keep copies for 5 years.
For those of you who provided details for me on your animal sales recently I will get back to it ,but at the moment I have to limit 'screen time' due to my "new" eyes....T.O.R.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I googled it and look what I found:



That's a great looking critter container. It is similar in theory to what T.O.R first posted, but looks like something the unskilled worker (me) could create a reasonable facsimile of.

 

[Baymule]

Regulation Nation. Too many regulations, don't these idiots realize the more regulations they vote for and impose, the fewer farmers/ranchers there will be? Then they will be left to the mercy of the mega food companies. Those of us that are able will quietly be raising our own meat/food.

 

[Bossroo]

I googled it and look what I found:



That's a great looking critter container. It is similar in theory to what T.O.R first posted, but looks like something the unskilled worker (me) could create a reasonable facsimile of.

Hey, it now takes 3 people to operate that device properly ! Enough is Enough
Time to STAND UP to these animal rights people by offering them the opportunity to PAY for their forced increase in operating costs on us that served mankind as well as their animal charges for time immemorial.