Design and Construction of Sheep-drafting Yards

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 81, Issue 3, 15 September 1950, Page 227

Design and Construction of Sheep-drafting Yards

y

J. E. DUNCAN.

Wool Supervisor, Department of Agriculture, Wellington.

IN the first section of this article, which appeared in the July issue, it was stressed that there is no ideal sheep-drafting yard, and the six plans in this the third and final section of the article are included merely in an attempt to show the possibilities of certain arrangements and features. It is not intended that they should be followed slavishly, but that they should be used merely as a working basis which can be modified to suit individual needs. There is no reason why points from several of the designs should not be incorporated in a single set of yards. It must also be realised that in many cases a full complement of gates is included to show the potentialities of the layout, but a farmer in building the yards need not include all these and can simplify the design according to his own requirements.

BEFORE the plans are discussed short sections have been given on foot-rotting equipment and loading ramps. Though they are not strictly parts of drafting yards, they are often closely associated with them. FOOT-ROT TROUGHS AND BATHS Although the ideal would be to have foot-rotting equipment well away from the main yards, it is now common practice to include in . the yards or woolshed a trough or bath to hold the liquid, usually a strong solution of bluestone or formalin, used in the treatment of foot-rot. This equipment can range from a simple trough through which the sheep walk in single file to the elaborate layout shown in Fig. 24 on this page. The main requirement in eradicating foot-rot is thorough trimming and paring of the overgrown horn of the hooves. Without this, treatment with any solution or other medicament is largely a waste of effort and time. When the feet have been pro- :

perly trimmed and cleaned up it is necessary to have the hoof immersed in the bluestone or formalin for only

a comparatively short period. W. I. B. Beveridge, the Australian research worker who first placed the treatment of foot-rot on a sound and scientific basis, says that as little as 10 seconds is sufficient time of immersion, provided the hoof has been properly trimmed and that the bluestone is a strong (30 per cent.) solution. If hooves are trimmed in the woolshed, working conditions are better for the men concerned than if trimming is done in a hot, dusty yard, and there is the added advantage that after passing over the battens the feet of sheep are cleaner and easier to deal with. Numbers of farmers do the whole operation under cover by having footrot troughs installed as integral parts of their woolsheds. The sheep return to the grating floors after passing through the trough and are kept there ______ until the feet are dry before

being returned, to the paddocks. Most installations are in or attached to the yards and usually take the form either of a race with a trough at the bottom or a small pen with a watertight concrete floor with raised edges which can be used to hold the solution. The choice between these two main methods seems to be one largely of personal preference, although frequently the layout of the existing yards may be the determining factor. It would be much better to keep affected sheep away from the yards, where they will contaminate a number of pens and make it easy to reinfect clean sheep, but if this cannot be arranged, the whole flock should pass through the bluestone each time as a preventive measure. Some farmers use portable wooden troughs for bluestone treatment and erect temporary netting pens so that treatment can be. carried out on the spot

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF SHEEP-DRAFTING YARDS

in the paddocks where, infected sheep are held. This system has much to recommend it. Troughs 1 At times foot-rot troughs are at the bottom, of the drafting race and. covered over with a hinged or removable wooden lid when not in use. Though this method is quite a workable one, it cannot altogether be recommended for reasons already given and also because it is inclined to be bad "sheep psychology”, giving them a special dislike of going through the race, which does not make normal drafting any easier. Although troughs vary a good deal in size and shape, an average size for this type of trough seems to be about 6in. wide at the bottom, 12in. wide at the top, and 6 to 7in.

deep. Some farmers recommend a rounded rather than a flat bottom and others a series of ridges running along the bottom from end to end, on the principle that these devices will tend to make a lame sheep use all four feet to keep its balance and prevent it walking through on three:legs. Concrete is the best .material for a trough. If wood. is used, it must be remembered that because bluestone . has a very corrosive -action—on -steel; -the nails, screws, or hinges should be of brass or copper. If the race is a short one, provision should be made to hold sheep in it by a stop-gate or hurdle. Baths • Where large numbers of .sheep are being handled and a trough may be

inadequate a pen holding from 10 to 50 sheep .is usually employed. The foot-rot solution should be 2 or. 3in. deep to cover the hoof well, and it is not unusual to place wool on the floor of this pen or to float straw on the surface to prevent undue splashing and staining of the wool. If the solution is to be kept for some time, provision must be made to prevent its dilution with rain-water either by roofing over the pen or by running the solution into a container when the pen is not in use. A very ingenious arrangement has been evolved by Mr. F. P. Cookson, a Canterbury farmer,' and is shown in Fig. 28 below. He r < has arranged a concrete sump at one end of the foot-rot bath large enough to hold all the bluestone required (about 44

gallons), and as the floor of the bath as a slight fall to this end, the liquid naturally drains into the sump. Over the sump is suspended a heavy wooden block and when this is lowered by a rope and hand windlass it almost completely fills the sump, displacing the bluestone solution, which flows out to fill the bath once more. The block does not float because it is a good deal longer than the sump, thus giving it sufficient total weight to sink it to the bottom. It is a simple and fairly quick procedure either to fill or empty the bath, and there is little to get. out of order. This design keeps knocking about of sheep to a minimum, and bluestone staining of the wool is practically eliminated. Such an arrangement means that, if necessary, a pen in frequent use, such as one of the crush pens, can be used as a foot-rot bath, because it can readily be emptied when required for its legitimate purpose, yet the bluestone solution is immediately available when required again. A perforated copper or brass strainer should be provided at the entrance to the sump to prevent droppings and other dirt finding their way in, and a ' wooden plug or other means is required to prevent the entry of rain-water from the pen to the sump. Where a crush pen is being used to hold the bluestone it is also desirable to close board the bottom for a few inches up and to keep these boards inside the concrete rim to prevent undue loss of solution by splashing. At times it has been recommended that sheep should be passed through a trough or pen containing water to clean their feet before entering the bluestone. Some farmers , even go to the length of putting rounded pebbles about the size of pigeon’s eggs in the section containing the water, with the idea of opening up the claws of the hoof and getting out the dirt. Though these ideas are sound enough, both m theory and practice, they are no substitute for thorough and conscientious' trimming of the hooves; a water wash

by itself will do little good if the trimming has been omitted. ' LOADING RAMPS 1 Ramps for loading sheep, and lambs on to motor trucks are usually so arranged that they can be fed either from the woolshed or the yards. They

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF SHEEPYARDS

are nearly always made to suit doubledecked trucks, but there is no standard design. In the illustrations reproduced on this page and page 233 three different ways of accomplishing the same result are shown. Fig. 31 shows a double ramp where top and bottom decks may be loaded separately by use of the gate in the foreground. Fig. 29 shows a type where the ramp is made to lift like a ship’s gangway and is counter-balanced by the drums of stones. In the top position it rests on a steel rod or pipe slipped through the rings let into the posts. The decking consists of 6in. x lin. planks running across the floor and overlapped like weatherboarding to give a non-slip surface. The ramp is approximately 10ft. long, 18in. wide inside, and about 2ft. 9in. deep. Fig. 30 gives different views of a type of ramp in which part of the floor hinges up to give access to the bottom deck of the truck or when in position gives direct access to the top deck. The loose section of floor is 6ft. lOin. long and is pivoted at its forward end on a piece of jin. water pipe. The whole structure is 15ft. long. and 9ft. 6in. high over-all and forms an extension of the drafting race which is used very effectively for feeding it. The inside measurement of the ramp is 16in. and the depth 2ft. Ilin. The lower loading ramp finishes at 4ft. from the ground and the upper one about 6ft. 9in. These heights cannot be laid down as standard, because the chassis measurements and deck heights of different makes of trucks vary considerably, which is the reason why transport operators always carry on the truck a

short ramp and sides, which are used to connect up with whatever the sheep are being loaded from or into. The heights given are about an average which will suit most trucks.

SELECTED SHEEPYARD PLANS : The figure used throughout this article in calculating the capacity of yards has been 5 sq. ft. per sheep, except in the case of crush pens, where 4 sq. ft. is sufficient. It would therefore be easy to give the approximate sheep capacity of any set of yards by finding the total area in square feet and dividing by five. This, however, would not give the number of sheep the yards could be expected to handle, as some pens must be left empty for a start before sheep can be moved around in the yards. Then again a comparatively small set of yards used in conjunction with two or three small holding paddocks can handle thousands of sheep; in fact there would be no upper limit, provided sufficient time was available for the job. To compromise, therefore, and make use of a figure which bears some relationship

. . . PLANS OF SHEEP-DRAFTING YARDS

to actual working conditions the capacity of each set of yards has been taken on the basis of the main receiving yards plus one or more of the forwarding pensusually a figure approximately half the total area of the yardsand this has been expressed as the number of sheep which yards will handle comfortably. The position of the gates in the outside fences of the various yards illustrated is determined to a large extent by the location of existing paddock fences when the yards are built. The ones shown in the plans, therefore, are merely suggestions and may have to be modified according to existing circumstances. . The aim throughout ii) presenting these plans has been to incorporate variety and show different ways in which certain objectives can be achieved. That is why certain gates may be shown in, say, the crush pen in one plan yet are not repeated in' other plans, where some other novel features will be depicted instead. Estimates of Quantities and Costs In the estimates which are given with each plan the quantities have been subdivided to some extent to give a prospective builder some idea of how much material is required for each part of the yards, so that if modifications to the plans are to be made they can be more readily allowed for. With prices still generally rising at present it is unlikely that the ' prices quoted will be accurate for long, but adjustments to current rates on the quantities given can readily be made. No allowances have been made for either labour or cartage costs, as these are unpredictable. No. I Plan ( The keynote of No. 1 Plan (small, yards to handle about 250 sheep) is simplicity, yet convenience is not

sacrificed to economy. A double crush pen and 3-way drafting have been included. Features to note are:— The four gates (1, 2,3, and 4) arranged at the entrance to the receiving pens A and B. These allow stock to be shifted in or out with the maximum convenience. The same general principle applies to the arrangement of gates 6. 7, and 8, at the entrance to the crush pens. Thus sheep can be taken direct from B to E, but if required they can also be shifted from B to D by opening gates 6 and 7 and fixing them together. The crush in this design may be a single pen, twin crush pens of equal size (as shown by the dotted line), or two pens of different sizes as shown in the actual plan, where D is 4ft. 6in. wide and E is 3ft. wide. With the last design E, being narrower, is very suitable for dosing sheep or similar jobs where one man is working on his own. A roller is provided at the entrance to the drafting race at X to help prevent sheep jamming. The race is 10ft. long and in the interests of efficiency should not be made any shorter than this, nor should the two drafting gates 15 and 16 be made any less than 3ft. 6in. in length. The small 2ft. swing gates shown at 12 and 13 should be noted. They allow the man on the drafting gates (whether right- or left-handed) to get down to the end of the ‘ crush rapidly if a stoppage occurs. To this end it is advisable to keep these gates small and fit them with self-closing springs so that they may be. opened in either direction but will always close themselves. The arrangement of the gates at 17. 18, 19, and 21 should be noted; they allow sheep to be moved in various ways between pens and paddock and vice versa. The purpose of the 10ft. gate (20) is to allow a lorry to be backed in

PLANS OF SHEEP-DRAFTING YARDS

opposite the end of the drafting race so that the crush pens and race can be utilised for loading. This does away with the need for any special loading ramp, which is often a feature of large sets of yards. Estimates of Quantities and Costs: No. 1 Plan Fences ft. Length of outer fence . . . . 186 Length of inner fences . . .. 137 Length of all fences (excluding gates) .. . . .. . . 323 If five 4in. x Ilin. rails are used for fences, a total of 323 x 5 1615 lineal feet of this timber will be required. Crush and Race End panels of crush on both sides are close boarded with single-dressed 6in. x lin.’s = 12ft. 6in. x 6 = 75 lineal feet. Sides of race are close boarded with single-dressed 6in. x lin.’s = 20ft. x 6 = 120 lineal feet. x * If drafting gates are constructed of double-dressed . 6in. x lin. timber, add 42 lineal feet plus 24 lineal feet of 4in. x lin. (dressed) for stiles. Gates If common swing gates are constructed, the following timber will be required: For 1 x 10ft., 8 x Bft., 6 x 6ft., 1 x 4ft. 6in., 1 x 3ft., 2 x 2ft. gates a total of 925 lineal feet of 4in. x lin. timber for stiles and stays of all gates, and rails of gates under 7ft., plus 370 lineal feet of 4in. x Ilin, timber for rails of gates 7ft. or wider. Total timber (lineal feet): 1985 of 4in. x Ilin., 949 of 4in. x lin., 237 of 6in. x lin. Posts A total of 65 posts will be required and of these at least 18 require to be heavy enough to act as gateposts. Cost For ease in calculation the quantities of timber have been given in lineal or running feet, but have been converted to superficial feet for assessing costs. Prices are based on the use of Pinus radiata, which is often the only timber available, and 50s. per 100 super ft. represents an average taken over a number of districts. If better-quality timber is used, an adjustment will have to be made. Posts are taken at £3B per 100.

UtJ pusib CtL LOU pci IUU . . 11 V Approx. 300 jin. x 3jin. to 4sin. black, bolts and nuts at average of 15s. per 100 .. .. .. 2 5 0 Approx. 300 fin. washers at 2s. 9d. per gross .. .. 6 0 21 pairs hinges and gudgeons at average of 7s. 6d. per ■ pair 7 17 6 Estimated cost . . . . £66 14 0 Sundries No special provision has been made for gate fasteners, as sufficient 4in. x

lin. timber has been allowed for slide fasteners. If other types of fasteners are to be used, allowance must be made for these and for such materials as wire, staples, nails, creosote, etc., the cost of which cannot be accurately predicted. * If drafting gates are constructed on the laminated principle (3 layers) to give a flush, : smooth finish, a total of 120 ft. of 6in. x 7/16in. finish dressed timber will be required instead of the 42ft. of 6in. x lin. and 24ft. of 4in. x lin. No. 2 Plan Although slightly smaller than the previous plan, the set of yards shown on No. 2 Plan (small yards to handle 200 to 300 sheep) is considerably more complex and has been designed deliberately to show the full potentialities of a small set of yards. It is only by the inclusion of a fairly large number of gates that maximum ease and convenience of working can be attained. There is no reason why the design should not be simplified to meet individual requirements. As far as is practicable the sizes of the various pens have been designed on the “multiple” system; that is, the crush pens D and E are designed to hold approximately 50 sheep and the small pens C, G, K, J, and L each hold approximately 50 sheep, which leads to convenience in drafting. The Run-through The run-through which consists of a long, narrow alleyway (H) parallel with the drafting race (I) is a useful adjunct in any set of yards and is a handy short cut between certain pens and also serves as a direct right-of-way to the woolshed when gates 20 and 28 are swung across to meet as shown by the dotted lines and gate 16 (which forms the end of one of the crush pens) is opened back. For best results this gate should swing into a recess so that it lies flush with the wall of the pen, as should 18 and 22, the stop-gates at the ends of the drafting race. The three gates in the centres of the crush pens (12, 13, and 14), though not essential, are a great convenience, allowing sheep to be by-passed between pens D and E and also subdividing the crush pens into three smaller pens when they are opened. The space at Z can be used for a' variety of purposes; for example, as a site for a small shed for storing equipment or as a small pen, in which case it can be fitted with one or more gates. The two systems of four gates both at the entrance to the yards and at the exit allow sheep to be moved conveniently in a number of different ways as already described in the case of Plan No. 1. Estimates of Quantities and Costs: No. 2 Plan Fences ft. Length of outer fence .. . . 173 Length of internal fences .. . . 143 Length of all fences (excluding gates) 316 •If five 4in. x Ilin. rails are used for fences, then' a total of 316 x 5 = 1580 lineal feet of this timber will be required.

. .. PLANS OF SHEEP-DRAFTING YARDS

Crush and Race

End panels of the crush on both sides are close boarded with single-dressed 6in. x lin.’s 16ft. x 6— 96 lineal feet. N. 8.: One of these panels is hinged as a gate. Sides of race are close boarded with single-dressed 6in. x lin.’s = 30ft. x 6 = 180 lineal feet. *lf drafting gates and race stopgates are constructed of double-dressed 6in. x lin. timber, add 60 lineal feet, plus 56 lineal feet of 4in. x lin. (dressed) for stiles, and stiles and stays of hinged end panel of crush. Gates If common swing gates are constructed, the following timber will be required: — For 2 x 7ft. 6in.,17 x 6ft., 1 x sft„ 6 x 4ft. 6in., 1 x 4ft. gates a total of 1597 lineal feet of 4in. x lin. timber for stiles and stays of all gates, and rails of gates under 7ft., plus 75 lineal feet of 4in. x Ilin, timber for rails of gates 7ft. or wider. Total timber (lineal feet): 1655 of 4in. x l|in., 1653 of 4in. x lin., 336 of 6in. x Im. Posts A total of 75 posts will be required and of these at least 27 require to be heavy enough to act as gateposts. Cost The same general remarks apply as for No. 1 Plan.

Approx. 504 fin. x 3|in. to 4|in. black bolts and nuts at average of 15s. per 100 . . .. . . 315 8 Approx. 504 fin. washers at 2s. 9d. per gross . . .. 9 8 30 pairs hinges and gudgeons at average of 7s. 6d. per pair .. .... 11 5 0 Estimated cost . . . . £79 4 10 Sundries As for No. 1 Plan. *lf drafting gates are constructed on the laminated principle (3 layers) to give a flush, smooth finish, a total of 120 ft. of 6in. x 7/16in. finish dressed timber will be required instead of the 42ft. of Bin. x lin. and 24ft. of 4in. x lin. No. 3 Plan No. 3 Plan (medium yards to handle about 500 sheep) is a fairly straightforward design which can be enlarged if necessary to handle quite large flocks. If the three small pens F, G, and H are not required, the subdivisions can be left out, making one large pen corresponding to C. Another feature to note is the provision of four extra gates (9, 10, 12, and 14) in the two crush pens. The three small ones are a convenience for drafting out odd sheep without the necessity of putting them through the race. The communicating gate (12) between the two pens is also valuable.

The placing of gate 6 at the entrance to the double crush enables sheep to be taken from A to E and from B to D if required instead of straight ahead by the more usual routes. The 10ft. gate (30) is again provided as in No. 1 Plan so that a lorry can be backed in for loading sheep and lambs direct from the drafting race. Estimates of, Quantities and Costs: No. 3 Plan Fences ft. Length of outer fence . . . . 256 Length of inner fences . . . . 473 Length of all fences (excluding gates) ... .. .. .. 729 If five 4in. x Ilin. rails are used for fences, a total of 729 x 5 = 3645 lineal feet of this timber will be required. Crush and Race End panels of the crush on both sides are close boarded with single-dressed 6in. x lin.’s = 12ft. x 6 72 lineal feet. Sides of the race are close boarded with single-dressed' 6in. x lin.’s = 30ft. x 6 = 180 lineal feet. , *lf drafting gates and race stopgates are constructed of double-dressed Sin. x lin. timber, add 60 lineal feet, plus 36 lineal feet of 4in. x lin. (dressed) for stiles. Gates If common swing gates are constructed, the following timber will be required:— For 3 x 10ft., 1 x Bft., 5 x 7ft., 5 x 6ft.. 1 x sft., 3 x 4ft. 6in., 4 x 4ft., 2 x 2ft. 6in., 2 x 2ft. gates, a total of 1260 lineal feet of 4in. x lin. timber for stiles and stays of all gates, and rails of gates under 7ft., plus 365 lineal feet of 4in. x Ilin. timber for rails of gates 7ft. or wider. Total timber (lineal feet): 4010 of 4in. x Ilin., 1296 of 4in. x lin., 312 of 6in. x lin. Posts A total of 101 posts will be required, and of these 27 require to be heavy enough to act as gateposts. Cost The same general remarks apply as for No. 1 Plan.

Approx. 500 jin. x 3|in. to 4|in. black bolts and nuts at average of 15s. per 100 . . 315 0 Approx. 500 gin. washers at 2s. 9d. per gross . . . . 9 8 28 pairs of hinges and gudgeons at average of 7s. 6d. per pair .. .. 10 10 0 Estimated cost . . £lO9 11 9

Sundries As for No. 1 Plan. *lf drafting gates are constructed on the laminated principle (3 layers) to give a flush, smooth finish, a total of 120 ft. of Bin. x 7/16in. finish dressed timber will be required instead of the 42ft," of Bin. x lin. and 24ft, of 4in, x liri.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF SHEEP-DRAFTING YARDS

The main feature of No. .4 Plan (medium yards to handle about 1000 sheep) is that with the race and gates shown sheep can be drafted six ways. Of course it may be asserted that this is quite unwarranted in a yard of this size, but it is included' to show the general arrangement required. The gates 35, 36, and 37 give 4-way drafting and by stationing a second man at the gates 31 and 32 sheep may be drafted off two additional ways into pens J and K. If a simpler set of yards is required, gates 31, 32, and 36 may be omitted, giving normal 3-way drafting. In this case the division between pens N and O would be eliminated and they would be joined into one large pen holding 220 sheep. If it is felt that this would be too large, the end of the yard could be moved in a little to give smaller drafting pens. Another and in some ways a better method of arranging for 3-way drafting is to retain gate 36 but to hang it about 3ft. 6in. further back in the position shown dotted in on the plan. Tnen the free end of this gate will swing over to the ience.on eniier side (just behind the gateposts of 35 and 37) so that when it is fastened one way sheep may be drafted into pens M, N, and P; and when it is fastened the other way they will go into M, O, and P. Should the farmer decide to follow this arrangement in the first instance, it will be advisable to have the gateposts of 35 and 37 somewhat closer together than as shown for 4-way drafting. Another useful feature is the provision of the two alleyways I and L. Tnese serve as right-of-ways connecting the various pens and greatly facilitate the moving of sheep. They may also be used as lead-ins to the woolshed and the dip where this can be arranged conveniently. As an

alternative a small concreted section could be closed off by gates and could be used as a foot-rot bath or for feeding, a foot-rot trough outside the yards. The small gates 21, 22, and 23 in the crush pen, though by no means essential, are a great convenience in moving odd sheep around. Estimates of Quantities and Costs: No. 4 Plan Fences .■ ft. Length of outer fence .. . . . ■: 428 Length of fence round diamond 43 Length of other internal fences . . 533 Length of all fences (excluding gates) . . .. .. 1,004 If five 4in. x Qin. rails arc used for fences then a total of 1004 x 5 = 5020 lineal feet of this timber will be required. Crush and Race End panels of the crush on both sides are close boarded with singledressed 6in. x lin.’s —17 ft. x 6 = 102 lineal feet. Sides of race are close boarded with single-dressed 6in. x lin.’s = 30ft. x 6 180 lineal feet. * If drafting, gates and . race stopgates are constructed of double-dressed 6in. x lin. timber, add 120 lineal feet, plus 60 lineal feet of 4in. ' x lin. (dressed) for stiles. Gates If common swing gates are constructed the following timber will be required:— For 4 x 10ft., 1 x Bft., 26 x 6ft., 3 x 4ft. 6in„ and 4 x 2ft. gates a total of 2197 lineal feet of 4in. x lin. timber for stiles and stays of all gates, and

. . . PLANS OF DRAFTING YARDS

rails of all gates 7ft. and under, plus 240 lineal feet of 4in. x Ilin, timber for rails of gates 7ft. or wider. Total timber (lineal feet): 5260 of 4in. x l-|in., 2257 of 4in. x 1in.,,402 of 6in. x lin. Posts A total of 180 posts will be required and of these at least 45 require to be heavy enough to act as gateposts. . Cost The same general remarks apply as for No. 1 Plan. Timber

Approx. 740 fin. x 3j>in. to 4|in. black bolts x and nuts at average of 15s. per 100 . . . . . . 5 110 Approx. 740 fin. washers at 2s. 9d. per gross .. . . 14 3 43 pairs hinges and gudgeons at average of 7s. 6d. per pair . . . . 16 2 6 Estimated cost . . . . £169 8 9 Sundries As for No. 1 Plan. *lf drafting gates are constructed on the laminated principle (3 layers) to give a flush, smooth finish, a total of 120 ft. of 6in. x 7/16in. finish dressed timber will be required instead of the 42ft. of 6in. x lin. and 24ft. of 4in. x lin. No. 5 Plan No. 5 Plan (large yards to handle 1500 to 2000 sheep) is suitable for large flocks, but there are features incorporated in it which could be included with advantage in smaller designs.

The principal noteworthy features are as follows: The diamond pen (D) forms a useful collecting point and also a short cut between seven different pens. It therefore adds considerably to the handiness of the yards. It is designed to hold 100 sheep and the surrounding pens hold multiples of this number, which is a useful feature in filling the “diamond.” The double crush pen shown is fitted with four extra gates (the centre gates 18, 19, and 20 and the small gate 24). When a set of yards is built only those which are likely to prove most useful need be included. Gates 13 and 14 at the entrance to the crush pens could with advantage be built in the form of balanced lift gates. The run-through (R) is another most useful feature and can be used for a variety of other jobs such as footrotting (part of it being used as a bath; see page 229 for details of how it can be filled or emptied quickly), branding, dagging, or drenching. Where a drenching “gun” is used a very convenient arrangement is to strain a wire along from end to end of the run-through, directly above it and about Bft. from the ground. The tank for the drenching solution can then be suspended from this wire on a pulley and will follow the man working the gun along and save him carrying the tank. The yards shown are designed to link up with a woolshed and dipping installation, the connection being indicated on the left of the plan. Estimates of Quantities and Costs: No. 5 Plan Fences ft. Length of outer fence . . .. 488 Length of fence round diamond 36 Length of other internal fences .. 484 Length of all fences (excluding gates .. . . . . 1,008 If five 4in. x Ilin. rails are used for fences a total of 1008 x 5 5040 lineal feet of this timber will be required. Crush and Race End panels of the crush on both sides are close boarded with singledressed 6in. x lin.’s = 16ft. x 6= 96 lineal feet. Sides of race are close boarded with single-dressed 6in. x lin.’s =2Bft. x 6 = 168 lineal feet. *lf drafting gates and race stopgates are constructed of double-dressed 6in. x lin. timber, add 66 lineal feet, plus 56 lineal feet of 4in. x lin. (dressed) for stiles, and stiles and stays of hinged end panel of crush. Gates If common swing gates are constructed, the following timber will be required: — For 4 x 10ft., 11 x Bft., 14 x 6ft., 5 x sft., 5 x 4ft., and 1 x 2ft. gates a total of 2122 lineal feet of 4in. x lin. timber for stiles and stays of all gates, and rails of gates under 7ft., plus 640 lineal feet of 4in. x Ilin, timber for rails of gates 7ft. or wider. Total timber (lineal feet): 5680 of 4in. x l|in., 2178 of 4in. x lin., 330 of 6in. x lin.

PLANS OF SHEEP-DRAFTING YARDS

Posts A total of 183 posts will be required and of these at least 43 require to be heavy enough to act as gateposts. Cost The same general remarks apply as for No. 1 Plan.

Approx. 813 fin. x 3|in. to Agin, black bolts and nuts at average of 15s. per 100 .. .. .. 620 Approx. 813 fin. washers at 2s. 9d. per gross .... 15 6 43 pairs of hinges and gudgeons at average of 7s. 6d. per pair . . ■ . . 16 2 6 Estimated cost . ( . .. £173 19 10 Sundries As for No. 1 Plan. * If drafting gates are constructed on the laminated principle (3 layers) to give a flush, smooth finish, a total of 120 ft. of 6in. x 7/16in. finish dressed timber will be required instead of the 42ft. of 6in. x lin. and 24ft. of 4in. x lin. No. 6 Plan Circular sheepyards have had phases of popularity for many years, and as they certainly have some advantages not possessed by other types,

an example (No. 6 Plan: Large circular yards to handle 2000 sheep or more) is included here. There are apparently many who assume that circular yards can be built of practically any size, but a little reflection will show that this is not the case with the usual type shown here. There must be room for the crush, the race, and the drafting pens, not to mention part of the diamond, between the centre and the outside fence of the yards. This imposes a certain minimum size which is not much below that shown in No. 6 plan. Though the plan is largely self explanatory, one or two features can be elaborated on. The central diamond pen (I) can be used to great advantage in circular yards and is really an essential part of the design. In this case it communicates with not fewer than 10 different pens. The outside race or alley way also serves as a connecting link between the majority of the pens. In the plan only two entrances to the yards from outside paddocks are shown, through gates 2 and 13, but of course fences and gates can be included at any convenient point round the outside ring fence to suit existing conditions. Four-way drafting is a feature of the design and circular yards lend themselves to this. The arrangement of gates leading to the woolshed should also be noted. The end of the ramp is closed by two small gates (7 and 8) each 4ft. long. They may be swung across to meet gates 23 and 25 of the drafting pens so that sheep from pen

N or 0 can be run through directly into the shed; also by swinging gate 24 to meet gate 7 or 8, sheep may be /run into the shed from either half of the outer ring of the yards. Estimates of Quantities and Costs: No. 6 Plan Fences ft. Length of outer ring fence . . 475 Length of inner ring fence. .... 360 Length of other internal fences 546 Length of all fences (excluding gates) . . .. .. 1,381 If five 4in. x Ilin, rails are used for fences, a total of 1381 x 5 = 6905 lineal feet of this timber will be required. Crush and Race End panels of the crush on both sides are close boarded with singledressed 6in. x lin.’s = 16ft. x 6 96 lineal feet. : Sides of race are close boarded with single-dressed 6in. x lin.'s = 28ft. x 6 168 lineal feet. *lf drafting gates and race stopgates are constructed of double-dressed 6in. x lin. timber, add 84 lineal feet, plus 48 lineal feet of 4in. x lin. (dressed) for stiles. Gates If common swing gates are constructed, the following timber will be required:—• For 19 x 10ft., 2 x 9ft., 12 x Bft., 9 x 6ft., 4 x sft., and 2 x 4ft. gates a total of 2379 lineal feet of 4in. x lin. timber for stiles and stays of all gates, and rails of gates under 7ft., plus 1520 lineal feet of 4in. x Ilin, timber for rails of gates 7ft. or wider. Posts A total of 226 posts will be required and of these at least 53 require to be heavy enough to act, as gateposts. Costs The same general remarks apply as for No. 1 Plan.

Approx. 1050 fin. x 3|in. to 4£in. black bolts and nuts at average of 15s. per 100 .... 7 17 6 Approx. 1050 fin. washers, at 2s. 9d. per gross . . 10 0 51 pairs of hinges and . gudgeons at average of 7s. 6d. per pair . . . . 19 2 6 Estimated cost . . . . £226 4 7 Sundries As for No. 1 Plan. * If drafting gates are constructed on the laminated principle (3.layers) to give a flush, smooth finish, a total of 120 ft. of Bin. x 7/l(iin. finish dressed timber will be required instead of the 42ft. of 6in. x lin. and 24ft. of 4in. x lin. Acknowledgment The assistance of farmers who allowed photographs and details of their installations io be- used for this article is acknowledged.

Timber super At per 100 ft. in. in. At per 100 in. d. ft. in. super ft. £ s. d. 827 4 x 1| 11- £2 10 .. £2 10 .. 20 20 13 13 6 6 317 4 x 1 1 £2 10 .. £2 10 .. 7 7 18 18 6 6 119 6x1 1 £2 10 .. £2 10 .. 2 2 19 19 6 6 65 costs ; at £38 £38 ner 100 ner 100 24 24 14 14 0 0

Timber super At per 100 ft. in. in. super ft. in. super ft. £ £ s. s. d. d. 690 4 x lj £2 10 .. 1-| £2 10 .. 17 17 5 5 0 0 551 4x1 £2 10 .. 1 £2 10 .. 13 13 15 15 6 6 168 6x1 £2 10 .. 1 £2 10 .. 4 4 4 4 0 0 75 posts at £38 per 100 28 10 0

Timber super At per 100 ft. in. in. super ft. £ s. d. 1671 4 x li £2 10 . . £2 10 41 41 15 15 6 6 432 4 x 1 £2 10 . . 10 16 0 156 6 x 1 £2 10 .. 3 18 0 101 posts at £38 £38 per 100 , . . per 100 38 38 7 7 7 7

super At per 100 ft. in. in. super ft. £ s. d. 2192 4 x 1£ £2 10 .. 54 16 0 753 4 x 1 £2 10 .. 18 16 6 201 6 x 1 £2 10 .. 5 0 6 180 posts at £38 per 100 68 8 0

Timber super At per 100 ft. in. in. in. super ft. super ft. £ £ s. s. d. d. 2367 4 x H 1| £2 10 .. £2 10 .. 59 59 3 3 6 6 726 4x1 1 £2 10 .. £2 10 .. 18 18 3 3 0 0 165 6x1 1 £2 10 £2 10 .. 4 4 2 2 6 6 183 posts at £38 per 100 per, 100 69 69 10 10 10 10

Timber super At per 100 ft. in. in. super ft. £ s. d. 3511 4 x 1| £2 10 . . 87 15 6 809 4x1 £2 10 .. 20 4 6 174 6 x 1 £2 10 . 4 7 0 226 posts at £38 per 100 85 17 7