Target Audience: Beef, Dairy, and Sheep Farmers across Wales Upgrading your livestock handling infrastructure no longer has to be a major capital burden. Through the Welsh Government Small Grants – Efficiency Scheme (part of the broader capital production and productivity framework), beef, dairy, and sheep enterprises across Wales can secure up to 40% funding…
Choosing between a permanent sheep handling system and a mobile setup often comes down to operational geometry, labour constraints, and transport economics. While central handling hubs excel at high-throughput processing, mobile sheep yards bring the yarding infrastructure directly to pasture, eliminating stock movement stress, biosecurity risks, and unnecessary road transport. This guide breaks down the…
Bugle Yards & Circular Forcing Tub Design for Sheep | Farming Solutions Ltd Livestock Flow & Yard Engineering Series Bugle Yards & Circular Forcing Tub Design: Sizing, Curves & Animal Psychology By Alan Hughes & Technical Engineering Team • Farming Solutions Ltd • 2026 Technical Guide Key Takeaways: Circular Forcing Tubs vs. Straight Wedge Pens…
Ground Preparation & Pad Layout for Semi-Permanent Sheep Yards | Farming Solutions Ltd Technical Yard Design & Site Preparation Guide Ground Preparation & Pad Layout for Semi-Permanent Sheep Yards By Alan Hughes & Technical Engineering Team • Farming Solutions Ltd • Updated 2026 Guide Quick Summary: Essential Site & Pad Requirements ✓ Optimal Surface: A…
When designing a heavy-duty cattle handling facility, steel frame selection is often oversimplified to wall thickness alone. However, the cross-sectional geometry of the rail profile-specifically Oval Rail vs. Square RHS (Rectangular Hollow Section) vs. Traditional Round Pipe-fundamentally dictates how a handling yard absorbs kinetic energy, protects stock from bruising, and withstands continuous pressure from heavy…
The 2026 Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) Optional Capital: Production & Efficiency Grant provides Welsh farmers with up to 40% co-funding (capped at £15,000 per CRN) for essential livestock handling and EID tech. However, submitting an application via RPW Online is only the first step. Every year, valid claims are rejected or penalised by Rural Payments…
Semi-Permanent vs. Fixed Steel Cattle Yard Semi-Permanent vs. Fixed Steel Cattle Yard – Designing a cattle yard is a major capital investment. Choosing between a semi-permanent modular yard and a fixed concrete-and-steel infrastructure determines how easily your yard can adapt to changes in herd sizes, tenancy agreements, and operational workflows. 1. Architectural & Structural…
EID Weighing Drafting Race Integration EID weighing drafting race integration – Integrating hardware into a cattle race requires careful attention to spatial ordering and structural placement. Mounting EID antennas directly onto heavy galvanised steel frames can detune the EID reader signal and cause missed tag reads. [ Forcing Tub ] ──► [ Curved Race ]…
PG Forcing Tub vs. HD Forcing Tub PG Forcing Tub vs. HD Forcing Tub – A forcing tub acts as the funnel of your cattle handling system, using natural cattle behaviour to encourage movement into the race. Choosing between the PG Forcing Tub and the HD Forcing Tub comes down to herd size, handling frequency,…
The 2026 Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) Optional Capital: Production & Efficiency Grant offers beef and dairy producers across Wales up to 40% grant funding (excluding VAT) on standard-specification livestock handling equipment. With public funding capped at £15,000 per Customer Reference Number (CRN) per financial year, structuring your application correctly is key to transforming your yard…