Handy tools for sheep/Toolbox essentials for every sheep farmer

Connemara Farmer

MayoAreMagic wrote: »

But surely all that info is what you have entered yourself? I mean the software is, at the lowest level, just a database you enter tag numbers into via an electronic reader, it isn't doing anything special with the data. You could do the exact same thing with a notepad and Microsoft excel on a pc. The machine isn't reading the weight or the growth rate off the tag, you are writing it in. The only thing I see different is the reader recording the numbers or the notepad, and Im pretty sure a rainy day doesn't go well with electronic equipment either!

I take your point about the paint and shearing, but a similar point could be made about the reader and getting to each tag. What if the ewe was tagged in the left ear by mistake? Or there was a bit of dirt on the tag? Or the reader was malfunctioning after a bit of dose splashed on it? You could be halfway through before you realise you aren't getting many beeps. As I said earlier, Im all for using technology, but in the above instance, Id say the bit of spray in the middle of the back is actually the more reliable system.

Yeah I enter it into Excel myself, thing is I can click on birth, 40 day, 120 day, Date of Birth, etc. in Excel and it'll rank them highest to lowest or vice versa depending on what I'm looking at or for. That's handier than a paper record.

If I had a lot of sheep I'd look at the electronic gear, depending on price. At our first STAP meeting ever Sheep Ireland were at a farm and had the scales, tag reader etc. linked to computer, so everything was automatic, just run the sheep/lambs through the mobile race and it all got recorded. But you'd need big numbers to justify that outlay I'd imagine.

AnFeirmeoir

my van is a toolbox. everything is in there somewhere. and its always with me:)
I'd cry if i lost my crook though, specially this time of the year

davidk1394

Dosed all the single lambs today. A good dosing gun is a great job. Got a novaris zolvix dosing gun a few years back a great job. came with a back pack which is well secured to your body. So no more baling twine holding bottles again

davidk1394

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Yeah I enter it into Excel myself, thing is I can click on birth, 40 day, 120 day, Date of Birth, etc. in Excel and it'll rank them highest to lowest or vice versa depending on what I'm looking at or for. That's handier than a paper record.

If I had a lot of sheep I'd look at the electronic gear, depending on price. At our first STAP meeting ever Sheep Ireland were at a farm and had the scales, tag reader etc. linked to computer, so everything was automatic, just run the sheep/lambs through the mobile race and it all got recorded. But you'd need big numbers to justify that outlay I'd imagine.

A lot of an extra cost just for a few sheep. Were the lambs tagged at birth ?

fanadman1

A crook is something i have often thought about getting are they usefull or will it be another thing that is more hassle than its worth

Green farmer

fanadman1 wrote: »

A crook is something i have often thought about getting are they usefull or will it be another thing that is more hassle than its worth[/QUOte


I've one, made by a neighbour out of a ram's horn. It won't catch a full size sheep, but very handy for catching lambs. Also comes in handy for walking the fields and leaning against. This is a pic of it I put up last year.

Connemara Farmer

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Yeah I enter it into Excel myself, thing is I can click on birth, 40 day, 120 day, Date of Birth, etc. in Excel and it'll rank them highest to lowest or vice versa depending on what I'm looking at or for. That's handier than a paper record.

If I had a lot of sheep I'd look at the electronic gear, depending on price. At our first STAP meeting ever Sheep Ireland were at a farm and had the scales, tag reader etc. linked to computer, so everything was automatic, just run the sheep/lambs through the mobile race and it all got recorded. But you'd need big numbers to justify that outlay I'd imagine.

davidk1394 wrote: »

A lot of an extra cost just for a few sheep. Were the lambs tagged at birth ?

Yes, all lambs were EID tagged at birth with no issues. Same farm is a proper commercial hill farm (cos I know the farmer), but also involved in some research projects.

farawaygrass

davidk1394 wrote: »

Dosed all the single lambs today. A good dosing gun is a great job. Got a novaris zolvix dosing gun a few years back a great job. came with a back pack which is well secured to your body. So no more baling twine holding bottles again

You're on the tinder ya auld devil ya!!
Nice looking dosing gun, but is it able suction up a worming dose no problem? Bought a gun before, it was cheap though-around 30e, and from day 2 dosing it wouldn't pull all the dose in. Would with water no problem. How much was that one you have? Going with the jug and syringe now so it would make life handier

fanadman1

https://www.agridirect.ie/p/sheep_crook
bit the bullet and ordered this. i was wondering on a leg or neck crook when i seen this one thought it would be the best of both worlds anyway its not a big risk if it is terrible ha
hopefully it will help with catching lambs/ewes with bad feet at the trough or in the field

Username John

farawaygrass wrote: »

You're on the tinder ya auld devil ya!!
Nice looking dosing gun, but is it able suction up a worming dose no problem? Bought a gun before, it was cheap though-around 30e, and from day 2 dosing it wouldn't pull all the dose in. Would with water no problem. How much was that one you have? Going with the jug and syringe now so it would make life handier

I had the same issue with a dosing gun I got - grand for water, but if the dose was thick, it wouldn't work at all...

davidk1394 wrote: »

Dosed all the single lambs today. A good dosing gun is a great job. Got a novaris zolvix dosing gun a few years back a great job. came with a back pack which is well secured to your body. So no more baling twine holding bottles again

Where did you get that gun David?

ganmo

Username John wrote: »

I had the same issue with a dosing gun I got - grand for water, but if the dose was thick, it wouldn't work at all...



Where did you get that gun David?

A good clean every now and then helps prevent that

Username John

ganmo wrote: »

A good clean every now and then helps prevent that

Nah, I am sick of taking it all apart then, putting it bakc together, and the same issue.
We had a similar one that had the same issues, which was the seals going over time.

But the latest one I got a few years ago, is just poor I think...

razor8

The prima tech guns are great for the money IME, agridirect sell them

AntrimGlens

After I use the dosing gun and rinse it I suck a bit of vegtable oil through it just to kind of keep it lubricated and keep the chamber full. Seems to have kept the seals from leaking. At current lamb prices I can't afford to be putting virgin olive oil through it.

Username John

razor8 wrote: »

The prima tech guns are great for the money IME, agridirect sell them

This one?

ganmo

the one we have is a Phillips

Green farmer

Just as important knowing what guns to avoid

farawaygrass

AntrimGlens wrote: »

After I use the dosing gun and rinse it I suck a bit of vegtable oil through it just to kind of keep it lubricated and keep the chamber full. Seems to have kept the seals from leaking. At current lamb prices I can't afford to be putting virgin olive oil through it.

I put oil through mine, brought it back to shop and he checked seals and they were ok but still didn't pull through a dose. I would willingly pay for one that was up to the job

ganmo

the way i test mine is take the pipe off and put my finger over the hole and just pump the air out a few times, if your finger isn't sucked into the pipe its the front valve - take off the front wash the valve and try again

razor8

Username John wrote: »

This one?

That's the one, for larger doses than 12ml I just give 2 shots. It's always fills up instantly.

Have another old gun I got free that has lasted 6/7 years and it can handle growvite no problem, don't know the make as the writing is all gone from it but still going strong

Username John

razor8 wrote: »

That's the one, for larger doses than 12ml I just give 2 shots. It's always fills up instantly.

Have another old gun I got free that has lasted 6/7 years and it can handle growvite no problem, don't know the make as the writing is all gone from it but still going strong

Thanks Razor.

There was no way my gun was taking in the growvite last year....

IH784man

A sheep crook,every sheep farmer should have one IMO,I brought a ewe in 3 lambs back to the house in the garden today because one lamb wasn't doing as well as the other 2,if I didn't have a crook I'd still be running about after it to catch to give him a bit of a bottle.

fanadman1

Is it a leg crook or a neck crook you have ?

IH784man

Neck crook,don't really like the idea of a leg crook,they'd be harder to catch and you could do more damage in my opinion.

fanadman1

IH784man wrote: »

Neck crook,don't really like the idea of a leg crook,they'd be harder to catch and you could do more damage in my opinion.

Im waitin on delivery of a double ended one i was unsure of whice was better and thought i could have both for very little more and make up my own mind ha

jd06

fanadman1 wrote: »

Im waitin on delivery of a double ended one i was unsure of whice was better and thought i could have both for very little more and make up my own mind ha

Where did you order it iv been looking out for one but hard to get. What price. ?

fanadman1

Agridirit.com think it was around 35 or 36 euro delivered not sure of the top of my hand

fanadman1

Just took delivery of this agridirect.ie i got it of 32 euro delivered to the door

orm0nd

fanadman1 wrote: »

Just took delivery of this agridirect.ie i got it of 32 euro delivered to the door

nice couch, and very reasonable price as well






















only winding you,