The runner-up of the intermediate category of the 2023 Farmers Weekly Inventions Competition is Powell James with his sheep dipping crate.

Following a couple of requests from neighbours, Powys stock farmer and part-time engineer Mr James came up with a neat hydraulic sheep dipping crate.

See also: Sheep farmer sees four clear benefits of plunge-dipping

This is loaded at ground level – there is space for roughly 12 ewes – before being dunked into a concrete tank full of dipping solution.

Lowering and raising duties are carried out by an old forklift mast supported on a steel frame, which is operated using a spool block running off a tractor’s hydraulics.

© Powell James

The galvanised crate is built out of steel box-section and mesh, with slam doors at either end and opening top panels that allow sheep to get their heads above the liquid if there is a malfunction.

Mr James has built three so far, which he sells for about £6,500, depending on the price he’s had to pay for the donor forklift mast.

The only other cost farmers have to factor in is the concrete.