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Prattley autodrafter - Performing a dirty/clean fleece drafting session

Run a manual drafting session to manually draft sheep into separate pens for dirty or clean fleece. You can do this quickly on your own using the remote control.

Updated over a week ago

This article applies to Prattley series 600 autodrafters:

  • 3-Way Swing Gate AutoDrafter

  • 5-Way Swing Gate AutoDrafter

  • 2-Way Electric AutoDrafter

  • 3-Way Slide Gate AutoDrafter

  • 3-Way Electric AutoDrafter

These autodrafters include a PAD6 control unit, a 5000 indicator (JR5000, ID5000 or XR5000) and a Cabled Remote Control or Radio Controlled Remote Control.

🤚 Either a cabled remote control OR radio controlled remote control can be used for manual drafting. Before you start, check that your Remote control is operating correctly

Scenario

You want to:

  • Sort sheep with clean wool (ready for shearing or sale), from those with dirty wool (muddy, contaminated, or needing treatment).

  • Manually sort them into two pens by yourself using the remote control to manually operate the gates.

See the video below 👇

Preparation

  • Set up two exit pens, the left pen being for clean fleece sheep, and the right pen being for dirty fleece sheep.

  • Ensure the drafting race is narrow enough so that only one sheep can pass through at a time.

  • Ensure all sheep are channelled to approach the drafting race, ready to enter on a one by one basis.

  • Make sure that your Prattley autodrafter is on and and ready to go. Ensure the REMOTE light on the PAD6 control unit is illuminated, to indicate that the remote control is connected.

  • During the drafting, you will look at each sheep and decide to send it left or right, controlling the exit gates with your remote control.

Running the session

To run the drafting session:

1: Touch the MANUAL button on the PAD6 control unit to put it into manual mode.

In MANUAL mode, the entry gate is always open but the sheep still widen them further to push their way onto the platform.

2: Stand back from the race, with remote in hand and examine each sheep as it passes through the race. Is its fleece clean or dirty ?

3: Press the left arrow (2) button on the remote to open the left exit gate to send that sheep into the clean pen.

~ or ~

Press the right arrow (3) button on your remote to open the left exit gate to send that sheep into the dirty pen.

The exit gate will close before the next sheep has moved onto the weighing platform.

💡 If you need to hold the sheep on the platform to inspect more closely, you can use the HOLD button on the Remote control (and close the inlet gate).

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