The Farmers Mart Oct/Nov 2014 - Issue 36 | Page 61

CT HAYTON LTD

THE RITCHIE COMBI CLAMP -
A BOON FOR ALL SHEEP FARMERS
Utilising a Ritchie Combi Clamp could help all sheep farmers manage
their sheep more efficiently, says Kivell auctioneer director, Mark
Bromell, who with his family is part of a sheep farming family that
spans generations closely linked to the Longwool sheep breed.
Running a flock of 100
ewes on their North
Devon smallholding has
encouraged Mark and Sue
Bromell’s son Will, and
daughter Emily, to engage
in the farm’s animal stock
development.

The family has bred its own
flock of pedigree Llyen and
Longwool sheep for several
years but with the children’s
involvement, has allowed it to
grow to its present level. With
both Mark and Sue living and
working busy lives beyond
the smallholding, however,
management decisions had
to be made to make stock
handling easy, safe and able
to be carried out during winter
evenings after the main work
was complete.
The Combi Clamp - on
Ritchie’s stand at the Royal
Cornwall Show in 2010 made an instant impression.
Minimal physical effort is
needed to hold a sheep firmly
within the soft-sided sheep
race with the Combi Clamp’s
wrap around effect providing a

secure grip. Sheep stay calm
while being treated safely as
they are unable to rear up or sit
down within the Combi Clamp.
The user’s body weight is all
that is required to operate a
spring loaded pressure plate at
the side of the race.
The Combi Clamp originally
was moved from field to field
as needed but with flock
expansion, a permanent sheep
handling, lambing building
was essential and the Combi
is now permanently installed
there so sheep treatment can
safely and easily be carried out
at night under arc lighting and
in the dry with the flock often
being treated fortnightly during
winter months.
The unit adjusts easily to
accommodate the variation in
sizes of the two breeds - the

wider
body long
wools needing more room
than the tall-legged Lleyn.
Pregnant ewes and lambs are
also safely accommodated.

C.T. HAYTON SUPPLYING
FARMERS IN NORTH
WEST CUMBRIA
For more information on the
Lely grassland range call your
local C.T. Hayton branch.
Kendal • Tel: [phone]
Wigton • Tel: [phone]

innovators in agriculture

To read more, visit www.farmers-mart.co.uk

FarmersMart Oct/Nov 2014

61