Stihl Launches BT140, Its First Battery-Powered Auger
With battery tools becoming more widespread and more importantly, productive and reliable, it was only time before we saw augers or post-hole borers.
Hecton Products have been in the sheep handling business for more than 40 years now.
In fact, the company’s Sheep Handler and Weigh Crate products are common sights all around the country.
Hecton’s Sheep Handler has a reputation for speed and versatility.
Built for strength, it is the perfect unit for dagging, crutching, bellying, foot trimming, vaccinating, wool sampling, mouthing, eye wigging, loading of AI cradles – or any task requiring a sheep or goat to be mobilised on its side. Stock are held in a comfortable position during operation allowing full access to the underside of the animal, so no heavy lifting is required and operation is easy on the back.
The Hecton Sheep Handler is available in both air-operated and manual (no air required) versions.
The company is offering – for a limited time – a promotional price for its Weigh Crate.
Having multiple jobs to do on your flock does not necessarily mean you need more staff or help to do it. The Weigh Crate is a low cost, quality-build solution that can be simply added into your yards. The crate can be hard mounted into an existing sheep race in the woolshed or it can be mobile and added into temporary yards.
Hecton says the multipurpose product is ideal to use for tagging, drenching, mouthing, vaccinating and drafting.
By adding load bars, you can also weigh your stock.
The product is modular, additional components can be added at any stage to include dagging and ring crutching capability.
Farmgate lamb prices are down by 8%, beef cattle by 4.5% and farm expenditure up by 4.2%.
Kiwifruit growers are watchful but remain optimistic as concerns around the potential effects of the El Niño weather pattern this season.
Almond hulls sourced from Australian orchards may have the potential to help New Zealand cows reduce emissions, boost milk yield and lower input costs.
Striking a balance between meeting the needs of industry to speed up approval time for products but on the other hand ensuring that risks are properly assessed.
Surprised, humbled and quite thrilled. That’s the reaction of James Allen, one of the founding partners and now chief executive of AgFirst, on being made a life member of the Institute of Rural Professionals.

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