Ewes Shift Themselves

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30841, 28 August 1965, Page 9

Ewes Shift Themselves

A FEW years ago when a radio-controlled tractor was being demonstrated in New Zealand it was suggested that in years to come it might be possible for a farmer to control the operation of a tractor while he lay in his bed. A development at the Winchmore irrigation research station enables ewes on a run-off to shift themselves on to feed being ration fed. The farmer could be in bed or be carrying out some other farm work while this was going on. Visitors tn the station will be familiar with the alarm clock-actuated devices which release canvas dam sheets and open the metal dam gates on the automatic irrigation systems. This has now been adapted to an automatic gate opener. This is the sort of thing that now happens at Winchmore. Ewes are waiting quietly on a runoff where they have cleaned up the ration of hay fed out to them earlier in the morning. They are standing expectantly waiting to move on to autumn saved grass. An alarm clock rings out. The ewes know the significance of this sound. They bleet in sympathy with the alarm bell and gradually move towards the gateway where the swing gate has swung open with no human assistance, and quietly the sheep make their way on to the saved grass paddock. There is no panic and the ewes move easily through the gateway without any rush

or jamming. In one case at Winchmore they have to travel from the run-off along a lane to the grass paddock, but this presents no obstacles.

This group were disturbed this week by the station superintendent, Mr W. R. Lobb, and a visitor who were watching for the gate to open. The sheep did not immediately start to move out of the paddock, but when the two left the area and looked back about 15 minutes later the mob was quietly shifting itself. The shepherd could have been a mile or two away. On even the first day they were shifted by this technique they found their own way to the saved grass. In this particular case the alarm clock and release mechanism were set up on the gate post, and when the alarm rang it slipped the catch clamped to the gate and this permanent wooden swing gate, anchored back to the fence line with a piece of rubber tube—it could be an old bicycle or car tube—swung back easily and a trailing leg prevented it from moving forward again once it had opened. The metal trailing leg is the development of a shepherd on the station, Mr J. S. Gray. It is a piece of curved reinforcing rod which fits into a pipe fixed in the head of the gate, and when not in use it fits firmly against the head of the gate. The release mechanism can also be mounted on a gate itself. Two examples of this

sort of arrangement were seen at Winchmore this week. In one case the attachment was on a metal-framed wire gate, which it was said could be set up in a temporary position to provide an automatic gate opening service. Here the trailing leg attachment had been welded on to the gate. At still another site the opening device was fitted to one of a pair of wooden gates. As far as the gate is concerned, the only requirement is that it should be able to swing. Where a farmer wants to set the clock and the release device when he puts his ewes back on the run-off he needs a 24-hour clock, and at present a problem is the supply of these, though some 12-hour clocks at Winchmore have been adjusted to provide a 24-hour service. However, another farmer may wish to set the device to work an hour or two after he has fed out his hay, and for this purpose the 12-hour alarm clock fits the bill. As yet, however, Winchmore has not perfected a device to turn the ewes back on to the run-off after a specified period. The development of the automatic gate opening device was sparked off by a farmer from the district when he was visiting the station. He asked whether a 24-hour gate opening service could be provided. Commercial interests are reported to be interested in the idea of marketing gates with the opening device.