AU594567B2 - Sheep delivery system - Google Patents

Description

i 594561 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Original) Application Number: Lodged: PI1446 PI3177 14/4/87 16/7/87 Class Int. Class Complete Specification Lodged: a p 0O C p 0P pp p

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p* Priority: Related Art: Accepted: Published: This document contains the amendments made under Section 49 and is correct for printing.

TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT 14APRI9a3 Name of Applicant: FRANCIS JOHN NEWMAN Address of Applicant: 66 so pa op..

p 4 Shore Terrace, Little Grove, Albany, in the State of Western Australia, Commonwealth of Australia.

Actual Inventor: Address for Service:- FRANCIS JOHN NEWMAN Wray Associates Primary Industry House 239 Adelaide Terrace Perth Western Australia 6000.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "SHEEP DELIV2RY SYSTEM" The following statement is a full description invention, including the best method of performing to me:of this it known 1 I~ i I

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2-- THIS INVENTION relates to a sheep delivery system for woolharvesting sheep in shearing and/or crutching operations and to a shed for this system.

Conventional methods of shearing and crutching sheep have required a shearer to catch and drag a sheep into the shearing or crutching position. As is well understood in the industry, such a method is highly labour intensive placing great physical demands on a shearer and exposing him to possible long term injury at highly stressed regions of his body such as the lower back. For example, an average shearer would shear approximately 120 sheep per day constituting net handling of approximately 4 to tonnes.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide for the woolharvesting of sheep without requiring a shearer to capture and drag a sheep to a woolharvesting position, thereby mitigating the effort required by the shearer to successfully effect woolharvesting.

In addition, crutching sheep has usually been conducted as 20 a separate operation to shearing at different locations and at different times of the year. Shearing is usually performed within a shearing shed providing a relatively clean environment, whereas crutching is usually performed outdoors in sheepyards where crutchings can be fouled by falling into the dirt of the sheep yards.

Accordingly, it is a preferred object of the invention to provide a woolharvesting shed and/or a sheep delivery system which can not only be used for shearing, but also for crutching.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheep delivery system for shearing and/or crutching of sheep comprising:-

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h- 3 a race having an entrance at one end and an exit at the other end disposed at an elevated location with respect to the ground of a shearing work area; a feed pen to be disposed at said entrance for feeding sheep into the race in single file; a holding bay to be disposed at said exit adjacent said work area for holding sheep from said race preparatory to shearing; a decoy pen to be disposed in serial communication with said holding bay for housing a sheep adjacent to said holding bay to facilitate feeding; and discharge means associated with said holding bay to ~enable a shearer at said shearing work area to discharge a sheep from said holding bay and into a shearing position with a minimal use of countergravitational force.

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Preferably, said race is generally U-shaped and said feed .open and decoy pen are disposed at opposing ends of the race.

Preferably, said race is provided with a substantial rectilinear portion having a steady incline along which sheep may proceed in single file from said force pen to the curved portion of said U so as to attain an elevated disposition with respect to said work area.

Preferably, said rectilinear portion is provided with a i series of transverse hock bars disposed at selected intervals along said rectilinear portion to facilitate feeding of said sheep up the incline.

Preferably, said holding bay is provided with a non-return means disposed at either or both ends of said holding bay to allow a sheep to progress therethrough towards said decoy pen but impede its return once past said means.

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-4- Preferably, said discharge means comprises an opening in the work area side of said holding bay through which a sheep may pass laterally, a tipping bar fixedly mounted to said work area side and disposed substantially horizontally at approximately sheep leg height from the bottom of said bay to provide a fulcrum about which sheep may be bodily pivoted to pass laterally through said opening, a supporting door pivotally mounted to said opening, said door being biased towards the closed 1. 0 position and being adapted to pivot outwardly so as to guide the body of said sheep over said tipping bar in response to lateral passage of said sheep through said opening, and a depending, flexible and opaque cover attached to the top of said opening to cover said opening but allow passage of sheep therethrough.

Preferably, said race includes a detachable crutching cradle to be attached adjacent the discharge means of said S. holding bay, whereby said cradle is particularly disposed to receive a sheep discharged from said holding bay into a 20 crutching position with a minimal use of countergravitational force.

Preferably, the position of said crutching cradle relative to the race is selectively adjustable to facilitate discharge of sheep thereto, and to accommodate sheep of varying girth.

Preferably, said decoy pen is illuminated and adapted to provide a comforting illusory effect to sheep within said race.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a shed for woolharvesting, comprising:a shearing board having a series of work bays disposed thereon; 1-

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Sr a sheep delivery area disposed adjacent to said board; and a partition means separating said sheep delivery area form said board; said sheep delivery area housing:a race having an entrance at one end and an exit at the other, said exit being disposed at an elevated position with respect to said board and being adjacent thereto; (ii) a feed pen disposed at said entrance to feed sheep into the race in single file from a holding yards; (iii) a series of holding bays disposed at said exit corresponding to said work bays for holding sheep from said race preparatory to shearing, each holding bay being provided with an opening to communicate with a respective said work bay; (iv) a decoy pen disposed in serial communication with the end holding bay for holding a sheep adjacent to said end holding bay to facilitate feeding of said holding bays; and discharge means associated with each said holding bay and opening to dispense a sheep from said holding bay through said opening into a woolharvesting position on said board with a minimal use of counter-gravitational force; wherein said partition means functions to obscure the view of sheep within said race to said shearing board and work bays.

Preferably, a said work bay may accommodate a detachable crutching cradle to be disposed adjacent to the discharge means associated with said work bay, said cradle being particularly positioned to receive a sheep discharged from said holding bay into a crutching position with a minimal use of counter-gravitational force.

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*00 0* 0 *0*0 000 0 0S *e 0 -6 The invention will be better understood in the light of the following description of one specific embodiment thereof. The description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:- Figure 1 is a plan view of the system apparatus; Figure 2 is a detailed side view of a holding bay and associated discharge means; Figure 3 is an end elevation of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an end elevation of the race; 10 Figure 5 is a plan view of a three stand side chute shearing shed incorporating the delivery system apparatus; Figure 6 is a side elevation of the sheep holding means; Figure 7 is an end elevation of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a schematic side elevation showing the sheep holding means in the tipped position; and Figures 9, 10 and 11 are schematic end elevations showing the sheep disposed in various recumbent positions upon the rollers during rotation.

The embodiment is directed towards a sheep delivery system 20 and woolharvesting shed, the former comprising an apparatus of segmented construction incorporated into the design of a shearing shed.

The shed can be of a variety of designs such as a centreboard shed, sidechute shed, or underchute shed. In the present embodiment, the apparatus is accommodated within a side chute shed as shown at Figure 5 of the drawings where sheep are herded into a holding yard 65 and are fed into a filling race 23 to ultimately access the apparatus 11. Shearers are located within a shearing work area 37 adjacent to the apparatus and separated therefrom by a shearing board partition 38. The shearing work area comprises a shearing board 35 having a series of work bays 0000 0 0000 -7 36 which communicate with the apparatus through openings (not shown) provided in the partition 38. The shearing work area 37 adjoins a wool room 67 where shorn fleeces of the sheep are dispatched from the work area. Side chutes 69 also adjoin the work area for the dispatch of sheep after they have been shorn.

The apparatus 11 consists of a force feed pen 13, a Ushaped race 15, a series of holding bays 17 and a decoy pen 19.

eg.o 1. 0 The force feed pen 13 has a relatively wide entrance 21

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which is open to the filling race 23 to enable sheep herded into the filling race to enter the force feed pen *fee three or four abreast. The side walls 23 of the force feed pen are disposed to taper from the entrance 21 thereof to the entrance 25 of the U-shaped race 15. This S oo entrance 25 to the race 15 is constricted so that only one *sheep may enter the race from the force feed pen at a time.

oo The race 15 essentially consists of three portions: a substantial rectilinear portion 27, a curved portion 29 and a lesser rectilinear portion 31. The substantial .:goo: rectilinear portion 27 extends in between the force feed pen 13 and the curved portion 29 of the race 15 and is constructed with its floor 32 formed with a steady incline from the force feed pen to the curved portion of the race.

Accordingly, the curved portion 29 and lesser rectilinear portion 31 of the race both have their floors 33 disposed at an elevated position relative to the shearing board of the shearing work area 37. A series of transverse hock bars 29 are mounted proximate to the inclined floor of the substantial rectilinear portion 27 of the race at selected intervals along the race to facilitate feeding of the sheep up the incline towards the curved portion 29 of the race.

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8 The walls of the race are spaced apart a distance only sufficient to allow the sheep to proceed therealong in single file to assist in unidirectional feeding of the sheep and to relieve congestion. The curved portion 29 is included as an integral aspect of the race since it has been found that sheep prefer to proceed around corners and hence this portion also improves feeding of sheep to the holding bays 17.

I The lesser rectilinear portion 31 is disposed between the curved portion 29 and the first holding bay 17a of the apparatus and defines not only an exit for the race, but *also a temporary storage bay 41 for the first holding bay *6S@ 17a.

e e e The holding bays 17 are arranged serially behind the partition 38 and each have associated therewith a

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temporary storage bay of the kind provided by the lesser rectilinear portion 31 of the race. Thus in the case of the remaining two holding bays 17b and 17c, temporary storage bays 43a and 43b are respectively interposed between successive holding bays 17a and 17b, and 17b and i 17c.

Each holding bay 17 is separated at either end from the I remainder of the apparatus by a non-return means 45. The non-return means 45 may simply comprise a depending door which is arranged to open in response to a sheep pushing with its head forwardly to enable the sheep to enter the i next stage of the apparatus, be it a holding pen, temporary storage region, or decoy pen, but is provided with appropriate means to prevent opening of the door in the opposite direction, i.e. in response to a sheep attempting to return back past the door from whence it came. These means may comprise outwardly disposed tabs which abut against a door frame to prevent opening of the door in one direction but permit the door to be swung away

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a a As shown at Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, the holding bays are elevated from the ground by a series of legs 47 which form part of a rigid frame structure 49. Affixed to the frame is a generally V-shaped floor tray 51 which has an interconnecting flat floor portion 51a and a pair of outwardly diverging walls 51b. An upright wall panel 53 is affixed to the inner side of the frame 49 and a discharge means 55 is incorporated into the outer side of the holding bay adjacent to the work area 37 of the shearing shed. Each discharge means 55 of the holding bays correspondingly communicates with the work bays 36 through the openings provided in series along the partition.

The discharge means 55 comprises a dispensing opening 57 in the work area side of the holding bays coincident with the opening which corresponds thereto in the partition, and is of sufficient size to enable a sheep to pass laterally therethrough. The discharge means also comprises a tipping bar 59, a supporting door 61 and a flexible depending cover over the opening 57. The tipping bar 59 is fixedly mounted to the frame of the holding bay and is disposed substantially horizontally along the holding bay at approximately sheep leg height from the bottom of the bay. The supporting door 61 is pivotally mounted to the tipping bar and is biased upwardly by a spring arrangement or the like to partially close the opening 57 at the side of the holding bay. The supporting door is arranged so that it may open outwardly from the side of the holding bay in response to an outwardly directed force exerted thereon. The flexible cover 63 is attached to the frame 49 surrounding the top of the opening 57 and is formed of opaque material which may hang downwardly to cover the opening but can be easily eflected to* o 10 to either side in response to a force exerted thereon.

The flexible cover 63 combines with the partition 38 to provide a screen which conceals the work area 37 from the view of sheep disposed within the race, thereby avoiding disturbing the sheep who for all intents and purposes believe they are escaping from their confined location by following the sheep in front of them.

The base 49a of the frame structure of each holding bay has welded thereto a pair of transverse, hollow tube housings 71 at either end. The tubes are open towards the discharge side of the bays so that they may axially accommodate a pair of corresponding support struts 73 of a 46•4 crutching cradle 75 in telescopic engagement. The cradle ooe• 75 is supported laterally of the holding bays by the struts 73 and is disposed within a corresponding work bay 36 in elevated relation to the board 35 by a pair of leg

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members 77 welded to the outer ends of the struts.

The cradle 75 comprises a pair of panel members 79, generally arranged in a V-shape in section as shown at Figure 3 and which extend longitudinally in a direction parallel to the longitudinal extent of the rectilinear 4444 portion of the race. The inner panel member 79a is mounted to a rotatable shaft (not shown) which is pivotally mounted between the struts 73, at opposite ends.

The shaft is disposed within a tubular housing 81 and permits the inner panel 79a to rotate inwardly from an inclined upright portion as shown in the drawings to an inclined downward position, so as to allow a sheep held within the cradle to be discharged therefrom.

The outer panel 79b has a pair of support struts 83 welded thereto at either end and which are disposed at an obtuse angle relative to the inner face of the panel. The outer panel struts 83 are telescopically received within 1 c e g.

0 b 0 cc .r eec cc ee o e C' 11 corresponding hollow tube housings 85, respectively welded transversely to the tubular housing 81 at either end of the panel.

Both the cradle supporting struts 73 and the outer panel supporting struts 83 are axially adjustable within their respective tube housings and can be locked into position by thumbscrews. Thus the cradle 75 as a whole can be selectively positioned at the discharge side of the holding bays of the race so that the spacing between the inner panel and the tipping bar can be varied, and also the spacing between the outer and inner panels.

Rotation of the inner panel 79a is determined by a locking mechanism (not shown) which locks the panel in the inclined upright position. A release lever 85 is provided to release the locking mechanism and allow the inner panel to rotate inwardly causing a bell crank arm 87 connected thereto to tension a spring 89 during rotational movement of the panel. Tensioning of the spring 89 provides a bias so that the inner panel can be returned to the upright position actuating the locking mechanism.

Alternatively, or in addition to the cradle 75, a sheep holding means 101 may be provided adjacent to the discharge means of a holding bay to facilitate shearing of the sheep. As in the case of the cradle, the sheep holding means 101 may comprise a main-frame 103 which is capable of being detachably mounted to the base 49a of the frame structure of a holding bay or alternatively, as shown in the drawings be mounted on the ground separately of the base. The main-frame 103 has hingedly mounted thereto a sub-frame 105 which supports a pair of rotatably mounted rollers 107 axially disposed in parallel relation to the discharge means and a drive means 109 at one end of the rollers. The drive means 109 comprises a motor 111 ."0

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.5~ 4:0 6 12 and a gear box 113, which have a main shaft connected to a pulley and belt arrangement 115, the other end of which is connected to the rotatable shaft of one roller 107a. The rotatable shaft of the one roller 107a is provided with journals at opposite ends fitted within bearings 117 provided on the sub-frame 105. In the present embodiment, the motor 111 and gear box 113 are controlled remotely by a foot pedal arrangement 119 to allow an operator to rotatably drive the roller 107a. The other 10 roller 107b is not connected to the belt and pulley arrangement 115 and is rotatably mounted to the sub-frame by a journal and bearing arrangement at either end so as to form an idler roller which may cooperate with the driven roller 107a. The sub-frame 105 is pivotally mounted to the main-frame 103 about an axis which is transverse to the axial extent of the rollers 107, intermediate the ends of the sub-frame. Consequently, the sub-frame is finely balanced so that tipping of the same relative to the main-frame can be performed. A locking means (not shown) is provided at one end of the sheep holding means to lock the sub-frame relative to the main-frame with the rollers disposed in a substantially horizontal position so that the rollers can support a sheep in a recumbent position thereon for shearing purposes. Upon releasing the locking means, the opposing common end 123 of the rollers may be depressed relative to the other end of the rollers upon pivoting of the subframe about the hinge 121 thereby allowing the sheep to be discharged from the holding means axially of the rollers.

The decoy pen 19 is connected to openly communicate with the third holding bay 17c via a non-return means and is so disposed to enable sheep within the holding bays or temporary storage regions to be lured thereto by the presence of a sheep within the decoy pen. The decoy pen is well illuminated and has the end wall 90 thereof 13 painted to provide a comforting illusory effect to sheep within the race indicating a possible means of escape.

For example, a paddock scene may be painted on the wall to encourage sheep to enter the decoy pen and maintain their contentment.

Now describing the operation of the apparatus and system, the apparatus is constructed in pre-fabricated segments and is assembled within a shearing shed of an appropriate design to accommodate the same for permanent or temporary fixture therein.

.oInitially, sheep enter the race from the force pen and 0000 oo proceed therealong in single file until they approach the first temporary storage region which in the present 0000 embodiment is the lesser rectilinear portion 31 of the race. Prior to actual feeding of the sheep, a number of sheep are located within the decoy pen 19 to encourage the first sheep which enters the temporary storage region 31 to proceed through the non-return means of each of the "0 "holding bays until it is located within the end holding bay 17c. Successive sheep will follow and in sequence fill up the temporary storage region 43b, the second holding bay 17b, the temporary storage region 43a, and the first holding bay 17a. It should be noted that the holding bays and temporary storage regions 43 are sufficiently large to accommodate only one sheep at any one time.

To perform normal shearing, the crutching cradles 75 are not attached to the holding bays. Instead, the sheep holding means 101 may be attached to the holding bays, or if preferred, no ancillary equipment need be attached to the holding bays at all. Subsequently, upon filling of the holdings bays, a shearer located within a work bay 36 of the work area 37 may simply operate the discharge means 1 i wnJ 14 to easily position a sheep into the correct shearing position either on the sheep holding means, if attached, or the ground and subsequently perform the shearing operation.

The discharge means is operated by a shearer standing adjacent to the outer side of the holding bay thrusting his arms through the flexible cover 63, grasping a sheep located within the holding bay, and toppling the sheep laterally by simply overbalancing it using the tipping bar 59 as a fulcrum. As the sheep topples over from its elevated position within the holding bay, the supporting door 61 pivots outwardly partially supporting the sheer e and allowing it to fall through the opening 57 into an o *o inverted position on the rollers of the sheep holding e e* means 101, or the floor 35 of the work area. In order to perform this operation, the shearer requires very little exertion of energy since there is very little if any countez-gravitational )rce used by the shearer in drawing the sheep from the holding bay to the shearing position.

In the case of the sheep holding means 101 being used, the *see sheep is positioned in an inverted position between the rollers 107 as shown at Figure 9 of the drawings. In this position, the fore and rear legs of the sheep can be securely held by a hempen rope which is in turn held by ocam cleats. With the sheep in this supine position, the belly wall and legs can be firstly cleaned, and then by operating the foot pedal arrangement 119, the sheep can be simply rotated to any of the various recumbent positions shown at Figures 9 10 and 11 upon driving the roller 107a so as to remove the remainder of the wool.

Upon completing the shearing operation, the sheep can merely be positioned in the straddle position upon the dry roller 107a as shown at Figure 11 and the locking I- qiiiyyY~ur-r 15 means of the sheep holding means released so as to allow depression of the common end 121 of the rollers.

Consequently, the sheep may be discharged by sliding it along the roller and down through an escape chute 91 or side chute 69 of the shed.

It should be appreciated that an advantage that arises from the sheep holding means is that skirting of thp sheep can be completed upon the rollers, thereby eliminating the need to throw the shorn fleece onto a skirting table for the purpose of skirting.

oo.* To perform crutching, the crutching cradles 75 are see: attached to the holding bays so that the supporting door n.

effectively provides a bridging chute between the tipping bar and inner panel, when pulled down, and the spacing between the panels is sufficient to comfortably hold the sheep to be crutched on its back. Subsequently, a shearer may simply pull a sheep through the discharge opening of a holding bay in a similar manner to that described in the

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shearing operation, and simply rest the sheep on its back 20 within the cradle. After performing crutching the release sees lever may be operated to release the locking mechanism and permit inward rotation of the inner side panel of the cradle. The weight of the sheep with minimal effort required by the shearer, will effectively rotate the panel from the inclined downward position, contemporaneously rotating the sheep so that it lands on the ground, feet first. From this position, the sheep may simply be cajoled down the escape chutes 91 or the side chutes 69 of the shed and into the yard.

Upon the discharge of a sheep from the holding bay, the sheep in the preceding temporary storage bay would be lured into the holding bay to replace the discharged sheep, so maintaining filling of the holding bays for the duration of the shearing operation.

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16 By adopting the shearing delivery system of the present invention, it is anticipated that shearing volumes per day will be greatly increased whilst reducing the physical stress placed upon the shearer in the handling of the sheep. In addition, the system allows both shearing and crutching operations to be performed within a shearing shed, mitigating the rejection of wool due to fouling upon the ground which would otherwise be the case in most conventional crutching operations.

1' 0 Preferably, in setting up the design of a wool harvesting .shed to perform both shearing and crutching operations, oeo the various holding bays would be provided with discharge means on each side wall, one side dedicated to discharging eo sheep for crutching purposes and the other side dedicated for discharging sheep for shearing purposes. Thus, for example, the inner side wall of the holding bays disposed adjacent to the inner region of the bugle shaped race may allow for the location of various crutching cradles to see. perform the crutching operation and have discharge or escape chutes disposed within convenient proximity thereto. Consequently, the outer side walls of the holding bays may or may not have sheep handling means disposed adjacent thereto, depending upon the preference 0' of the shearer, to enable the shearing operation to be S. performed on the outer side of the race.

It should be appreciated that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiment herein described. In particular, the number of holding bays can be varied to suit the size of the shearing shed and/or the particular idiosyncrasies of the sheep involved. In addition, the apparatus may be modified in construction to suit different styles of shearing shed design without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims (2)

1. 2. A sheep delivery system as claimed at claim i, wherein said race is generally U-shaped and said feed pen and decoy pen are disposed at opposing ends of the race. 00 3. A sheep delivery system as claimed at claim 2, wherein said race is provided with a substantial oeolo rectilinear portion having a steady incline along which sheep may proceed in single file from said feed pen to the curved portion of said U so as to attain an elevated disposition with respect to said work area. <AI
2. 18- 4. A sheep delivery system as claimed at claim 3, wherein said rectilinear portion is provided with a series of transverse hock bars disposed at selected intervals along said rectilinear portion to facilitate feed ing said sheep up the incline. A sheep delivery system as claimed at any of the preceding claims, wherein said holding bay is provided with a non-return means disposed at either or both ends of said holding bay to allow a sheep to o progress therethrough towards said decoy pen but impede its return once past said means. ooo 6. A sheep delivery system as claimed at any of the *fee preceding claims, wherein said discharge means comprises an opening in the work area side of said holding bay through which a sheep may pass laterally, a tipping bar fixedly mounted to said work area side **and disposed substantially horizontally at approximately sheep leg height from the bottom of said bay to provide a fulcrum about which sheep may be bodily pivoted to pass laterally through said opening, a supporting door pivotally mounted to said i ~opening, said door being biased towards the closed .position and being adapted to pivot outwardly so as to guide the body of said sheep over said tipping bar in response to lateral passage of said sheep through i said opening, and a depending, flexible and opaque Scover attached to the top of said opening to cover said opening but allow passage of sheep therethrough. 7. A sheep delivery system as claimed at any of the preceding claims, wherein said race includes a detachable crutching cradle to be attached adjacent to the discharge means of said holding bay, whereby L L _1 I I i ~ti-li-l---I.CiiX1 ii .i.il- t i: i ii 19 said cradle is particularly disposed to receive a sheep discharged from said holding bay into a crutching position with a minimal use of counter- gravitational force. 8. A sheep delivery system as claimed at claim 7, wherein the position of said crutching cradle relative to the race is selectively adjustable to facilitate discharge of sheep thereto, and to accommodate sheep of varying girth. 9. A sheep delivery system as claimed at any of the preceding claims, wherein said decoy pen is 0ee illuminated and adapted to provide a comforting illusory effect to sheep within said race. egs. oo 10. A sheep delivery system as claimed at any of the preceding claims, including a sheep holding means to be disposed adjacent to the discharge means of said e holding bay, whereby said holding means is o particularly disposed to receive a sheep discharged from said holding bay into a recumbent position to facilitate shearing thereof. 11. A sheep delivery system as claimed at claim wherein said sheep holding means comprises a pair of ii spaced rollers axially disposed in parallel relation to the discharge means to support a sheep in said recumbent position thereon, one roller capable of being rotatably driven to rotate a sheep supported Sthereon about an axis parallel to the axial extent of said rollers so as to facilitate shearing thereof. 12. A sheep delivery system as claimed at claim 11, wherein said rollers are rotatably mounted to a sub- frame, and said sub-frame is hingedly mounted to a 20 main-frame to allow pivoting of said sub-frame relative to said main-frame about an axis disposed transversely to the axial extent of said rollers, whereby a common end of said rollers is depressed in elevation relative to the opposite end of said rollers thereby enabling discharge of said recumbent sheep from said sheep holding means axially of said rollers at said common end thereof. 13. A sheep delivery system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings as appropriate. 14. A shed for woolharvesting, comprising:- to. a shearing board having a series of work bays disposed thereon; a sheep delivery area disposed adjacent to said i board; and a partition means separating said sheep delivery area from said board; said sheep delivery area housing a sheep delivery i "5system comprising:- a race having an entrance at one end and an exit at the other, said exit being disposed at an elevated I ii position with respect to said board and being •adjacent thereto; i (ii) a feed pen disposed at said entrance to feed sheep into the race in single file from a holding yards; i (iii)a series of holding bays disposed at said exit corresponding to said work bays for holding sheep from said race preparatory to shearing, each holding bay being provided with an opening to communicate with a respective said work bay; (iv) a decoy pen disposed in serial communication with the end holding bay for holding a sheep adjacent to said end holding bay to facilitate feeding of said holding bays; and I I I 21 discharge means associated with each said holding bay and opening to dispense a sheep from said holding bay through said opening into a woolharvesting position on said board with a minimal use of counter- gravitational force; wherein said partition means functions to obscure the view of sheep within said race to said shearing board and work bays. A shed as claimed at claim 14, wherein a said work bay may accommodate a detachable crutching cradle to be disposed adjacent to the discharge means associated with said work bay, said cradle being particularly positioned to receive a sheep discharged from said holding bay into a crutching position with a minimal use of counter- gravitational force. 16. A shed as claimed at claim 14 or 15, wherein said sheep delivery system is as claimed at any one of claims 2 to 6 or any one of claims 8 to 13. 17. A shed for woolharvesting substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings as appropriate. 00 Dated this FOURTEENTH day of DECEMBER 1989. FRANCIS JOHN NEWMAN Applicant. WRAY ASSOCIATES, Perth, Western Australia, Patent Attorneys for the Applicant. q CI