Sheep tunnel

Cran

Hi anyone here have a sheep tunnel, and would recommend or not a company to supply? Also best way to put it up and any pit falls to avoid. Have priced a few vs UK and seem expensive but want it put up as well so UK ones bit awkward.

This will be a small one beside the house as yard is couple of miles away, and have considered a shed but don't really need one and its just for bit of comfort for small pedigree flock.

razor8

rancher should be able to help you there, think they got one recently

rancher

Cran wrote: »

Hi anyone here have a sheep tunnel, and would recommend or not a company to supply? Also best way to put it up and any pit falls to avoid. Have priced a few vs UK and seem expensive but want it put up as well so UK ones bit awkward.

This will be a small one beside the house as yard is couple of miles away, and have considered a shed but don't really need one and its just for bit of comfort for small pedigree flock.

Just finished a tunnel, needed something in a hurry, but if you have the time you'd be better building a shed, it wouldn't be much dearer.
I put mine on two foot walls as the surrounding ground was higher, also its better for pushing against when cleaning out, anyway here's some pics, you might get some ideas from them


IMG_20121204_103635_0.jpg

IMG_20121204_103559_0.jpg

IMG_20121204_103529_0.jpg

IMG_20121204_103607_0.jpg

Cran

Rancher thanks that is some job, superb.
To be honest I am looking for something cheap an chearful beside the house that I can put directly onto a clay base for max 40 ewes. If I was putting something of this scale it would be in the yard... But thanks for the pics brillant to see excellent set-up

supersean1999

thats a great set up rancher, id give my left ball for that shed, in the second pic with the sheep , how many will eat out through the gate at one time, including the small gate,is that cormacs gate?? how much roughly?, thanks, ps the sheep are in good shape,

rancher

supersean1999 wrote: »

thats a great set up rancher, id give my left ball for that shed, in the second pic with the sheep , how many will eat out through the gate at one time, including the small gate,is that cormacs gate?? how much roughly?, thanks, ps the sheep are in good shape,

Those barriers are fourteen ft, about ten ewes will eat comfortably, there's eighteen barriers there, nine with little gates in them and nine without and they cost €270 average, I put troughs as pen dividers and put 25 in a pen

rancher

Cran wrote: »

Rancher thanks that is some job, superb.
To be honest I am looking for something cheap an chearful beside the house that I can put directly onto a clay base for max 40 ewes. If I was putting something of this scale it would be in the yard... But thanks for the pics brillant to see excellent set-up

That's a Colm Warren tunnel, PJ LEAVY in Tullamore does cheaper tunnels, its one of his tunnels that the sheep breeds use at the ploughing, I'm sure you were often in it.

Richk2012

Fantastic job Rancher .

A friend of mine had one but it wasnt finished near as well as yours .

There was no concrete used .
It was on clay , and they covered the sheep pens with a layer of wood chip for soakage and then a bed straw over it .
The heavy snow a couple of years ago took care of it though .
The hollow tubular bars just buckled under the heavy weight .
Having said that , they are up very high, on mountain side ,and there was a very thick covering on it at the time.
The crows caused a bit of a problem picking from time to time .
Your ewes look to be in great nick too , when are they due

rancher

Richk2012 wrote: »

Fantastic job Rancher .

A friend of mine had one but it wasnt finished near as well as yours .

There was no concrete used .
It was on clay , and they covered the sheep pens with a layer of wood chip for soakage and then a bed straw over it .
The heavy snow a couple of years ago took care of it though .
The hollow tubular bars just buckled under the heavy weight .
Having said that , they are up very high, on mountain side ,and there was a very thick covering on it at the time.
The crows caused a bit of a problem picking from time to time .
Your ewes look to be in great nick too , when are they due

A friend of mine also has one the same as mine on high ground in Wicklow, it's on the clay too, seems to work well, but there is a cross compliance rule now where you have to put concrete floors in new sheds for sheep, the tunnels would be great value if you didn't need concrete.
Ewes are due 20th feb

DMAXMAN

rancher wrote: »

Just finished a tunnel, needed something in a hurry, but if you have the time you'd be better building a shed, it wouldn't be much dearer.
I put mine on two foot walls as the surrounding ground was higher, also its better for pushing against when cleaning out, anyway here's some pics, you might get some ideas from them


IMG_20121204_103635_0.jpg

IMG_20121204_103559_0.jpg

IMG_20121204_103529_0.jpg

IMG_20121204_103607_0.jpg

thats a smashing bright airy shed there.

sea12

Excellent job rancher. Ewes look in great shape. Where did you get the gates from. I need to get a few myself for my own shed. You can pm if u want thanks

rancher

sea12 wrote: »

Excellent job rancher. Ewes look in great shape. Where did you get the gates from. I need to get a few myself for my own shed. You can pm if u want thanks

Cormac sheep equipment Tuam

sea12

rancher wrote: »

Cormac sheep equipment Tuam

Thanks they look the job.

razor8

cormac's in tuam or TH jenkinson in armagh do them both have websites

rancher

razor8 wrote: »

cormac's in tuam or TH jenkinson in armagh do them both have websites

Cormacs have one anyway

IrishLad2012

rancher wrote: »

Cormacs have one anyway

If you don't mind me asking.What size is the shed?How many sheep will it hold?What did it cost you all in?

rancher

IrishLad2012 wrote: »

If you don't mind me asking.What size is the shed?How many sheep will it hold?What did it cost you all in?

Haven't made it up yet, the tunnel is 120ft by 36ft and cost €15000 erected inc vat, the two ft walls took 12mtrs concrete at €65 inc vat, floor took 70mtrs and the barriers cost €5000, The site had 4ft clay under it so it cost a fair bit to dig out and replace but you should be able to work out your own figures for a different site
I have 200 in it now but it would hold 30 more

delaval

That looks like a fantastic job, bright and airy. Cost prob same as shed but it not often you see a finish like that. Who erected tunnel I am looking for something similar for calves

rancher

delaval wrote: »

That looks like a fantastic job, bright and airy. Cost prob same as shed but it not often you see a finish like that. Who erected tunnel I am looking for something similar for calves

I wrote in my first post here that if you had time that a shed was the way to go, but I wanted something in a hurry....
Got the tunnel from colm warren in trim

Ard_MC

rancher wrote: »

I wrote in my first post here that if you had time that a shed was the way to go, but I wanted something in a hurry....
Got the tunnel from colm warren in trim

Rangler, many thanks on sending me the link.

Do you think still a shed is the way to go? I know there is a Tams grant but i cant be arsed with all the hassle with it. So am looking at sheds not too grant spec hence a bit cheaper.

rangler1

Ard_MC wrote: »

Rangler, many thanks on sending me the link.

Do you think still a shed is the way to go? I know there is a Tams grant but i cant be arsed with all the hassle with it. So am looking at sheds not too grant spec hence a bit cheaper.

A shed is a more permanent structure but I can't fault the tunnel either the frame of my tunnel is all either galvanise or aluminium so is a lifetime job too, so it's only the polythene but I've seen tunnel polythene last 15 years, no maintenece necessary, The polythene on the tunnels in Teagsac in Athenry are a long time there too.
Colm warren uses a better type of galebreaker, it lets in enough air without water.....it's something you need to watch if you do buy a tunnel,..... another poster that got a tunnel somewhere else stated that the galebreaker on it was as useful ''as a chocolate teapot''.