Bud boxes for moving sheep into chutes and low stress handling tips.

[Beekissed]

Have been doing research on how to structure my sorting pens I'll be building in the spring and came upon videos on the bud box idea. After watching how easily livestock were moved through pens and into a loading chute, I'm going to incorporate that style of pen into my design.

Was wondering if anyone else were using them for sheep...or any of their livestock...and how they've increased ease of handling?

Also was watching vids on just sheep moving and handling in the pens and found a few helpful vids....I'd been picking up on some of this on my own with the sheep but found vids on it even more helpful. I'll add more vids as I find them...currently collecting helpful vids on sheep handling, sorting models, etc.

 

[secuono]

Had to google "bud box." Its just a group of pens in a spiral getting smaller, box on end before long shoot.

Easy to move sheep like a horse, just stand in the right area and give just the right amount of "pressure".

I have fencing around my barn that each paddock attaches to. Sheep are herded in or just go in on their own when gate is open. Then a gate at barn to herd them into. Lastly, a moveable panel to "squeeze" them as needed. I halter and lead out each individually and move the panel closer as I go.
A shoot would be nice, but no room for it in the barn.

 

[Beekissed]

 

[Beekissed]

Had to google "bud box." Its just a group of pens in a spiral getting smaller, box on end before long shoot.

Easy to move sheep like a horse, just stand in the right area and give just the right amount of "pressure".

I have fencing around my barn that each paddock attaches to. Sheep are herded in or just go in on their own when gate is open. Then a gate at barn to herd them into. Lastly, a moveable panel to "squeeze" them as needed. I halter and lead out each individually and move the panel closer as I go.
A shoot would be nice, but no room for it in the barn.

That's one style of bud box....there are different styles, though.

Basic bud box design.....

Maybe you could have a narrow chute outside your barn but attached to the pens inside?

After this summer's forays into buying sheep, the one thing brought home to me over and over was there were very few people set up for moving, sorting, or even loading sheep. If it's something that is done more than a few times a year, it would seem the wise thing to do to make it a priority if one intends to continue in that activity.

I'll be working alone most of the time on mine and I've already found it very frustrating to not have the right setup for doing that...and I only have a handful of sheep right now. Imagine what it will be like when I have more?

So then, having the unique and enviable position of starting from scratch and building it from the ground up, I am researching every possible design in the search for the most efficient for a single person to operate, while still being able to keep it very small scale. I won't have a very large setup, so it needs to be very versatile and get the job done without too much fuss.

 

[Beekissed]

 

[Sheepshape]

Seems like there are lots of variations on the theme in order to fit in with each person's circumstances.

My sheep handling system includes....clapping hands and shouting Come on girlies' to get them to come down from the hills into one of four interconnected quadrangular areas around the sheep shed. I then lead them around to one of two entrances to the sheep shed.

The big doors of the sheep shed shown in the pic are open at the end beyond the race. The race gate at the far end is open and shut as needed, and, at the near end, the swing gate is opened to let them out on the chosen side. I attach sheep hurdles by metal rods to direct sheep into one of 3 areas within the sheep shed at the near end (no hurdles in place in the pic.).

The system was designed and built for us by a Polish shepherd who really knew his sheep!

 

[Beekissed]

Looks like you HAVE a bud box of sorts! Nice setup! Love that lane setup and am tossing around similar ideas....I like the Premier 1 style of setup/gating and yours is similar.

 

[Sheepshape]

Love that lane setup and am tossing around similar ideas

Many thanks......all down to the skill of the Polish shepherd. If you want any further pics.or close-ups of anything, just let me know. I have NO problem in the 'good bits' being copied.
The sheep are funnelled in at the far end, and we have attached a horizontal light at the near end such that we can work on sheep feet etc.The two black vertical posts at each end of the race have a wire attached and then a crude 'shouldered 'device over which we can attach a bottle of drench with the drench gun and can run the bottle and gun on the wire along the length of the race. The race holds about 5 adult sheep at a time.
A box about 4 feet long hooks over the side of the race and holds bottles, syringes, clippers etc etc. The lamb weighing scale fits onto the end of the race with a metal rod. etc.

 

[Beekissed]

The lamb weighing scale fits onto the end of the race with a metal rod. etc.

Do you have a hanging scale with a sling? That's what I hope to devise here, using a game scale.

 

[Sheepshape]

Do you have a hanging scale with a sling?

I have a little hanging scale for newborns, but the scale which fits on the end of the race is like a small cage which weighs older lambs (up to about 80kg).