A new method of mobile sheep handling is now available in the UK with the launch of the Forklift Porta-Yards from New Zealand manufacturer Landquip.
A market first, the Forklift Porta-Yards features a 2.5m steel race frame with fork slots to transport with either a telehandler or loader tractor. The race frame also features a rubber floor and three-way drafting.
“Forklift Porta-Yards is the first mobile sheep handling unit on the market that doesn’t require towing for transportation,” Edward Wise of Wise Agriculture, the UK distributor of Porta-Yards, said. “Without the need to remove wheel kits for use and put them back on for towing, set-up and repacking the mobile sheep unit is significantly quicker with minimal effort.
“Transportation via forklifts also allows for the sheep yards to be used by producers who don’t own quads or want to take their livestock trailer on the back of the tractor and sheep yard on the front.”
The Forklift Porta-Yards are available with 100-head and 250-head capacities. Units come standard with 1.0m high New Zealand alloy hurdles with a solid top section. This acts as a visual barrier to keep sheep from jumping, while also protecting the legs of working dogs. Up to 10 hurdles can be stacked on either side of the 2.5m steel unit.
The Forklift Porta-Yards feature a tapered V race with integrated three-way drafting and a rubber floor. Units come with a 2.1m long swinging forcing gate with the option to include a dosing race.
Units also come with L braces and three-way joiners to give producers multiple set-up options and pen strength.
“As more arable farmers integrate livestock into their crop rotations, the Forklift Porta-Yards are ideal for those without a way to tow a mobile sheep yard in the field,” Edward Wise said. “It’s also a great option for producers on ring-fenced sites without several miles of travel between land parcels.”
The Forklift Porta-Yards features a four-year warranty from Landquip NZ. The 100-head capacity Forklift Porta-Yards is priced at £4,512+VAT (correct at February 2023) – components can be purchased separately to increase the capacity at a later date. The 250-head capacity is priced at £6,685+VAT.
