As sheep handling systems continue to improve, one thing remains the same — calm familiarization of new environments is a must.
Why it matters: Sheep struggle with depth perception and are wary of moving forward through unfamiliar spaces, particularly in new facilities.
Delma Kennedy, sheep specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, recommended running sheep through facilities multiple times without interference to build confidence and reduce stress. Kennedy spoke during the Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show sheep demonstrations.
Read Also
EastGen unveils refreshed brand identity at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show 2025
EastGen revealed a new brand identity at customer appreciation lunch at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show.
“The big thing we have to remember about sheep is that they’re prey animals,” she said. “They see things very well to the side, and even behind them a little bit, but their vision going forward isn’t as good.”
“Sheep are very good at doing mazes. They’re actually smarter than we first think,” she said.
Kennedy said that if a sheep moves through a facility 75 per cent of the time without encountering painful or uncomfortable situations and livestock handlers stay calm, it will handle vaccines, hoof trimming, or other treatments calmly.
Ideally, Kennedy prefers lambs to run races young, pairing them with a confident ewe to ease the transition. She recommends arranging the handling facility to allow animals to pass through from barn-to-barn or field-to-field, reinforcing positive experiences while acknowledging the logistical and labour challenges.
Relatively new to the industry, the Van Hooydonk family near Alvinston switched from beef to sheep four years ago and operate a 200-ewe accelerated lambing farm. Jennifer Van Hooydonk usually works alone but calls on her children, Louie, 11, and Charlotte, 10, and husband John on processing days.
She liked the basic Veno system, shown during the sheep demonstrations, because it was easy for the whole family to operate, despite their height differences.
“With the system we have, it’s not a Veno, it’s a whole family affair when we’re processing and putting animals through,” she explained. “But a lot of that has to do with I can’t do it by myself. I don’t feel that I can handle all the different components.”
She finds many handling systems too low, but the slightly raised Veno system allows easy access for the whole family during processing, despite the wide height range. “For me, it’s easy enough to use that I can open it (the chute) and push down (on the clamp bar) at the same time,” she explained. “For one person to be able to do it that makes a huge difference.”
Kennedy agreed, suggesting that facility layouts be optimized to reduce stress during upgrades, with an equal focus on handler safety and encouraging a calm and efficient management style to boost an operation’s success.
For more coverage of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show 2025, visit our landing page.
