Investing in a sheep handling unit, either fixed or mobile, can prove to be beneficial for reducing the workload for farmers and lowering their risk of injury.
Tasks such as checking body condition scoring, drenching, vaccinating, and footbathing can be completed safely and efficiently when good handling facilities are in place.
To invest in a unit for the farm, sheep farmers can avail of 60% grant aid under the Farm Safety Capital Investment Scheme (FSCIS) entry route of the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3).
Both fixed and mobile sheep-handling units are eligible for the grant aid, and there is an investment ceiling of €90,000 and a minimum spend of €2,000/application.
For fixed handling units, VAT can be reclaimed with the net investment in all cases being treated as a capital investment for income tax purposes.
A Teagasc study has found that good handling facilities can save farmers 75 minutes working time per ewe. For a 150-ewe flock, this is equal to 192 hours, or 24 working days per year.
Handling unit
A TAMS 3 application for mobile equipment, which may be more suitable for some farms, does not require sketches or planning permission.
A fixed unit will require planning permission or, at a minimum, a letter of exemption, so farmers must be careful as to where they would situate the unit.
The design for a fixed sheep-handling unit must be in compliance with Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) specification S.136.
Farmers should visit farms with efficient handling facilities, and bear in mind that their units should be located near the main block used for sheep, and be accessible for sheep in out-farms to be transported to.
“Using the race and two-way dividing gate for tasks such as weaning or drafting lambs takes a lot of pulling and dragging out of the job,” Ger Carey of Gurteen College said.
The circular forcing pen is another feature Carey likes as it delivers an even flow of sheep into the race with minimum stress on the farmer and the sheep.
“I generally use the batch footbath in tandem with other routine tasks and find it is central to lameness control in the flock,” Carey added.
Costs
Damian Costello and Francis Bligh of Teagasc calculated that an estimate of the DAFM costing (seen in the table below) for a unit similar to Gurteen College is as follows:
- Overall internal dimensions 22.8m x 7.2m = 164.2 m2
- Costing of unit (no dip tank) = €103.71/ m2
- Total DAFM costing 164.2 m2x €103.71/ m2= €17,029.18
- TAMS 3 funding 60% x €17,029.18= €10,217.51
Other items such as sheep weighing scales and rollover crate may be included and costed separately to the main unit.
Sheep weighing scales Item €826.89 Sheep rollover crate Item €1,023.86 Fixed sheep handling unit m2 €103.71 Fixed sheep handling unit with dip tank m2 €140.97
As can be seen from the table, the overall area of the unit is used to calculate DAFM costings with the higher rate applying if including a dip tank.
This includes all concrete, penning, gates etc. with weighing scales and rollover crate, if applicable, costed separately.
When the final layout is decided, it is important to do an estimate of the actual cost of the project.
This can be then compared to the DAFM costings, in the table, as it is the lesser figure that the 60% grant will be paid on.
Preventing injury
The HSA identifies the main risk factors associated with back pain and musculoskeletal disorders for farmers as:
- Lifting heavy loads;
- Awkward postures and repetitive movements;
- Lifting loads to a height or to ground level;
- Poor workplace set up.
Many of these risk factors can be present on sheep farms, and while a sheep handling unit can potentially avoid many of these issues, sheep handlers should avoid repetitive tasks and straining muscles, including:
- If possible, avoid lifting/turning over sheep;
- If you have to lift a lamb, use your legs not your back;
- Minimise straining the same muscles repeatedly;
- Ensure the level of work is below the level of your heart;
- Take regular breaks when shearing or other repetitive tasks.