I am a sheep farmer from Co. Sligo working with the help of my family to continue the sheep farming tradition built up by my parents. I have experience working with sheep on the farm for over thirty years. Every year I lamb ewes on the farm, and based on our experience of the difficulties encountered during lambing season, I have designed products which are helping us and other farmers to have a better system of work during lambing season. They can also be used as an aid to farmers or others when educating young farmers or students how to administer treatments. Under our brand, Lambsafe, the Lamb Station is my first product to design, and I am manufacturing it in Ireland and it is now being sold to customers in Ireland and it can also be sold and shipped overseas. The following is a brief outline of the Lamb Station;

Lamb Station

• A very robust solid plastic lightweight unit.

• Precision CNC-machined product for consistent high quality. Manufacturer is ISO 9001:2015 certified.

• It holds newborn lambs and older lambs securely off the ground at waist height for the farmer while stomach tubing , dosing, inserting ear tags, applying branding and placing rings on tails.

• Reduces physical demands on the farmer as the lamb is held still in the Lamb Station, no need for repeated bending and stooping or back strain while working with lambs.

• A robust, lightweight design, easy to move along sheep hurdles or on to a sheep race or quad bike when the Quad Bike Fit Kit is used.

• Contains customised slots for holding the required tools and equipment including ear tagger, ring applicator, syringes, needle, stomach tube, a towel, gloves and other items.

• It also contains a shelf for leaving items while working with the lamb which can also be used to rest a lamb on its rump for treating or examining the navel.

• The farmer is more relaxed and less rushed doing tasks, contributing to improved quality of lamb care and safer for both lamb and farmer.

• A safe location for a lamb to rest while catching a ewe or giving a twin or other lamb a better chance to suckle the mother.

• Helps maintain good posture by reducing the need for an awkward stance while working with lambs.

• Eliminates possibility of a lamb straying between tasks.

• Reduces duration of tasks as the required tools are stored conveniently.

• Makes tasks easier for the lone working farmer.

Quad Bike Fit Kit

• The Quad fit kit enables the Lamb Station to be mounted on a quad bike in the same way as mounting it on a sheep hurdle or sheep race.

• The tasks listed above can then be performed in any location including in the field or away from the lambing pens.

• Conserves farmer energy by contributing to reducing time and enabling easier treatment of a lamb in the field or remote location.

These products help reduce time and stress for the farmer during a very intensive period of farming, and this is one of the main reasons I developed the Lamb Station, and I felt I conserved a lot of energy with less strain on my body while I was testing its use throughout the lambing season. The Lamb Station was placed 2nd in the Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestory category of the 2025 National Innovations Competition at the Tullamore Show, and I have since gone on to design another potential product which I hope to develop for helping reduce the burden on farmers during lambing seasons. Additional information about Lambsafe can be found on our Lambsafe YouTube channel and Lambsafe Facebook page.

Kenneth Freehill