A STOCK handling unit developed by a Kiwi farmer is attracting interest over the ditch among Australian farmers keen to improve livestock handling efficiency.
Wayne Coffey, Palmerston North, on New Zealand's North Island, said the Combi Clamp had been developed to provide a low-stress method of handling sheep.
"The clamp is easy to use and can allow livestock handlers to do their jobs quickly and effortlessly, without the need for power or physical strength," Mr Coffey said at the recent Mallee Machinery Field Days at Speed in Victoria's Mallee.
In the middle of a tour of Australia's major agricultural field days, Mr Coffey said there had been good interest in the product.
"It's a pretty simple concept, as the sheep enters you stand on the pressure plate to clamp the sheep in and then when you're finished you take your foot off and the sheep can go," Mr Coffey said.
"You can have a changeover of little over a second between animals so you can really get through the numbers quickly," he said.
He said the Combi Clamp was suitable for a range of animal husbandry tasks, such as drenching, crutching, ear tagging or weighing.
"Anything where you have to handle the sheep the Combi Clamp will be useful."
He said it did not use power so it could be transported anywhere.
"It's also quiet so it keeps down animal stress levels in the yards and we've kept it simple to operate, it is not overly complicated, the feedback from sheep producers has been really good."