Saving Time and Labour on a NSW Sheep Farm with Racewell

For Aussie sheep farmers, efficient sheep handling is no longer just about getting through the day’s work. With labour harder to find, input costs rising and animal welfare expectations increasing, more producers are looking for equipment that helps them work faster, safer and smarter.

That is exactly what Owen Blake has found with his Te Pari Racewell Sheep Handler on his family farm at Harefield, just outside Wagga Wagga in New South Wales. Running 3,600 composite breeding ewes and weaning more than 6,000 lambs last year, Owen needed a sheep handling system that could keep up with a busy commercial operation.

“Technology, while it’s there, use it. The efficiencies, the ease, and the productivity are well worth the purchase.”

Why Australian sheep farmers are turning to automated sheep handlers

Sheep work can be physically demanding, especially when handling heavy ewes or sale-weight lambs for drenching, backlining, weighing, drafting, crutching or animal health treatments. For Owen, the Racewell helped take the strain out of jobs that were once tough on both the operator and the sheep.

“You’re not fighting with an 80 or 90 kilo ewe in a race to drench her,” Owen said. With the Racewell holding the animal securely, treatments can be applied more accurately, more consistently and with less physical effort.

Auto drafting 1,000 lambs in just a couple of hours

Labour efficiency is one of the biggest advantages Owen has seen on-farm. With the Racewell, he can auto-draft 1,000 lambs easily in a couple of hours, helping him get through big mobs quickly without needing extra people in the yards.

For sheep producers managing large numbers, that speed can make a real difference. Faster weighing and drafting means less time in the yards, fewer labour bottlenecks and better decision-making around lamb growth, mob management and market readiness.

Easier crutching, drenching and animal treatments

Owen also sees clear benefits when using the Racewell for crutching and treatments. Instead of dragging a sale-weight lamb over the board, the handler supports the animal in position, making the job easier on the operator’s back and often quicker to complete.

When it comes to drenching and applying backline products such as Click, Owen says the handler gives him more control. “With drenching, they’re all drenched and they’ve all swallowed it. With your backlines, you’ve put the product where you want it, rather than it getting blown away, a ewe bumping you, or fighting with them.”

Using EID and sheep data to improve flock management

Owen is also starting to use EID to identify individual animals and build better flock records. While he is keeping things simple for now with average mob weights and mob numbers, he sees the opportunity to use more of the Macrostock sheep scale system in the future.

For sheep producers, accurate weighing, EID recording and auto drafting can help support better breeding, animal health and marketing decisions. By collecting useful data at the point of handling, farmers can make more informed choices without adding unnecessary complexity to the job. When combined with an auto-calibrating dosing gun, that same weight data can also help deliver accurate treatments based on each animal’s live weight.

One complete sheep handling solution from Te Pari

One of the biggest advantages for producers like Owen is that Te Pari can supply more than just the sheep handler. The Racewell Auto Sheep Handler can be paired with the Macrostock weigh scale system and the Revolution Dosing Gun to create a complete sheep handling, weighing, drafting and treatment setup.

That means farmers can handle, identify, weigh, draft and dose sheep through one integrated system. Instead of treating the handler, scale and dosing equipment as separate tools, Te Pari brings them together so the work flows more smoothly in the yards.

With Macrostock, farmers can record weights, monitor mob performance, use EID data and set up automatic drafting decisions based on criteria such as weight, gain, trait or mob. When paired with the Revolution Dosing Gun, treatment records can also be captured as part of the handling session, helping producers build more accurate animal records over time.

The Revolution Dosing Gun connects to compatible weigh scale systems and automatically adjusts the dose rate based on the animal’s actual weight. This helps reduce the risk of under-dosing or over-dosing, cuts down on product waste and supports more consistent animal health treatments.

What makes the Racewell Auto Sheep Handler different?

The Te Pari Racewell Auto Sheep Handler is designed as a multi-purpose sheep handling system for weighing, drafting, drenching, vaccinating, tagging, crutching, dagging, hoof trimming and general animal health work. The Racewell range includes models suited to different flock sizes and handling requirements, with automatic weighing and drafting options from 3, 4 or 6 gates.

Key features include automatic catching, adjustable lead-up sides, optical sensors, side tilt, rear access for crutching, optional front access for hoof work, EID integration and accurate weighing. For Australian farmers wanting to reduce manual handling and improve throughput, it is built to help take the hard work out of sheep work. 

Racewell Sheep Handler review from Harefield, NSW

For Owen, the biggest difference is how much easier sheep work feels at the end of the day. The Racewell has helped improve efficiency across jobs like drenching, backlining, crutching and auto drafting, while reducing the physical battle of handling sheep manually.

“You can walk home at the end of the day. You’re not fighting them, and you’ve done a beautiful job.”

That is the kind of result many Australian sheep farmers are looking for: less strain, better control, improved accuracy and a more efficient day in the yards.

Watch the video testimonial from Owen Blake

Frequently asked questions about Racewell Sheep Handlers

Ready to make sheep handling easier?

If labour, efficiency or physical strain are becoming bigger challenges on your farm, the Racewell Auto Sheep Handler could help you get more done with less effort. Like Owen says, the efficiencies, ease and productivity are well worth it.

Talk to the Te Pari Australia team to learn more about the Racewell Auto Sheep Handler, Macrostock weigh scale system and Revolution Dosing Gun, and find the right complete sheep handling setup for your operation.