Circular Sheep Yard Design and Construction PDF
Circular Sheep Yard Design and Construction PDF
Circular Sheep Yard Design and Construction PDF
Good sheep yards confine and control the ease of access from all parts of the property;
movement of sheep. They achieve a high quality position of the shearing shed, dip and truck
work rate with a minimum of physical effort by access;
enabling a free flow of sheep along movement
pathways from the holding to the handling areas. slope of land to assure good drainage;
This should be done in a pleasant and safe ease of building yards materials, natural slope,
working environment for humans and animals alike and soil texture;
so that a high standard of work can be maintained
throughout the mob. effect of prevailing winds on working conditions
and dust control;
Well designed sheep yards can incorporate the
tools for precision sheep management that allow situation of the yards in relation to existing trees
increasing on-farm profitability by measuring, which can provide shade and protection;
managing and marketing sheep on individual merit access to a water supply for livestock drinking,
while easing the requirement for labour. Using dust control, and cleaning.
auto-drafting machines in sheep yards helps
facilitate the capture of accurate data on individual
animals and significantly reduces the labour and Yard size
cost required to process animals through yards for
management purposes. The main yards should be large enough to handle
the biggest mob on the property. Yard size is
determined by a combination of the selected
Occupational health and safety design, the capacity of the working race and
the size of the mob to be handled. The holding
A well designed and built set of yard facilities will yards should be large enough for mobs of ewes
remove the work hazards and risks by engineering and lambs at weaning. Adjoining mini-paddocks
solutions to many of the OH&S risks identified of about half a hectare including a water point
increase the number of mobs that can be handled Sheep in the force should not be able to see
in a set of yards. behind them. Closed panels on the back of the
bugle-shaped force achieve this.
Provide 1 m2 per three sheep in forcing areas and
at least 1 m2 per sheep in holding areas.
Layout
Oncoming sheep must not see the operator. Select the best available site, and then choose a
Closed and slightly higher panels on the plan that suits it. Estimate the materials required,
operators side of the force obscure the view measure and list the types and lengths of posts
of other sheep moving in the yards and the and panels needed for the yards, races, gates
operator. The sheep in the force focus on the and loading ramp. Cost all materials and allow
sheep in front of them and in the direction of for concrete where appropriate in the main sheep
movement without distraction. handling areas.
Pegging out
Working race
In circular-design yards with a separate working entirely of steel or various combinations of timber
race, the same bugle entry is used to fill all handling and steel. Conveyer belting is a useful fence in high
races from the one forcing area. This is efficient pressure areas as it is quiet during operation.
as sheep take the same route and direction for all
principal handling activities. Fence height is a compromise between confining
sheep and providing convenient access for
operators and their dogs. Perimeter fences are
Materials
generally 1 m high and internal fences are 900
The materials you select will depend upon mm high. Gates for operators provide convenient
availability, cost on site, ease of erection, availability access along movement pathways when higher
of construction labour and likely maintenance fences are used.
problems. The most common materials used are
The ability of the fence to withstand the pressure of
timber and steel. Fences may be made entirely of
sheep in the yards depends mainly on the materials
timber, especially if durable species are available
used and how they are assembled. The stability of
on the property. Alternatively they may be made
the fence posts depends on the soils resistance
Gates
Yard surface
The entrance pathway into a shearing shed may be Desert ash (Fraxinus oxycarpa)
located close to the main sheep handling area of
Syrian ash (Fraxinus syriaca)
the yards. A wide entrance where sheep can move
into the shed as a mob on level footing is preferred. Thornless honey locust (Glenditsia triacanthos var.
Inermis)
It may be convenient to have shorn sheep delivered
from count out pens to the sheep handling races for White cedar (Melia azedarach)
drafting or husbandry operations.
Umbrella cedar (Melia azedarach cv.
Umbraculiformis)
Shade
Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Working conditions in sheep yards are improved if
Evergreen
there are trees to provide shade during summer.
Yards are often built around existing trees and Blue mallet (Eucalyptus gardneri)
more trees are planted in select locations to provide
shade and better working conditions. Ideally they Yorrell (Eucalyptus gracilis)
should be fast growing and deciduous to provide Paddys river box (Eucalyptus macarthurii)
shade in summer and sun in winter for warmth and
to facilitate drying. Sargents mallet (Eucalyptus sargentii)
When deciding which species to use consider soil Swamp mallet (Eucalyptus spathulata)
fertility, rainfall and frost incidence. Dont plant Green mallee (Eucalyptus viridis)
trees with large limbs which can be hazardous to
livestock and operators. Wilga (Geijera parviflora)
Pepper tree (Schinus areira)
Some deciduous and evergreen trees that are
suitable for the purpose are: Further information on tree species suitable for
stockyards is available from NSW DPI Forests NSW.
Length: 33.5 m; inner side of bugle entry Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is
based on knowledge and understanding at the time of writing
constructed with closed panels
(June 2009). However, because of advances in knowledge,
Width: V-shaped race bottom 280 mm, users are reminded of the need to ensure that information
upon which they rely is up-to-date and to check currency of the
top 550 mm information with the appropriate officer of New South Wales
Department of Primary Industries or the users independent
Width: Straight sided race 450550 mm adviser.
Height: 850900 mm
Working race:
Length: 1015 m
Width: fixed race 650700 mm
Width: adjustable race 50080 mm
Height: 850900 mm
Fences and gates:
Height: external 1 m
Height: internal 900 mm
Gate size: drafting 1.2 m
Gate Size: general 23 m