Shepherd auto drafter is peace of mind when lotfeeding sheep

Sheep feedlot and containment specialist Justin Dunn has done it again and come up with The Shepherd Feedlot Auto Drafter, an entry in the Henty Machine of the Year Award.

Justin, of Temora, was an entrant in last year’s Machine of the Year Award with the Road Runner, an off grid and solar powered loaded automated feeder with online connectivity, and was the winner of the 2018 Henty Agri-Innovator Award. 

His business, The Shepherd Ag Pty Ltd, specialises in automated sheep feeding systems, includes a range of technology such as passive walk over weighing systems, remote monitoring with mobile apps, cloud interface and data acquisition, static and mobile auto feeders, grain mixing and batching systems and auto cleaning water troughs. 

Justin said the new auto drafter is a system that can weigh and draft sheep in a feedlot continuously without leaving their pens.

“The drafter is installed between two pens so lambs who reach target weight can be drafted to the adjacent pen,” he said. 

“This enables lambs to be combined with other lambs of similar weight, reducing stress and shy feeding, and provides continuous data acquisition for marketing and performance. 

“This system significantly reduces stress and risk of injury that often reduces growth performance. 

“Time and labour are also reduced, and the system captures continuous performance data displayed on your mobile phone or web app.

“This is a great addition to any sheep feedlot environment.”