Peak Jetter
Automatic Sheep Jetting Race (AJR)
Built in accordance with NSW Agriculture recommended design principles as a result of research work carried out at the Trangie Agricultural Research Centre .
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WHAT IS JETTING ?
Jetting is the application of a liquid substance to the outer body of a sheep to kill external parasites actually present on the sheep or as a residual treatment to deter parasite infection. Blowfly strike is the main target and the greatest threat to the life of a sheep. Once struck a sheep may only live days if not detected and treated, suffering a painful slow death. Prevention is better than cure. The best way to apply the life saving pesticide is with a weak mixture of water. Effective jetting is only achieved by penetrating the wool on a sheep and wetting to skin level in those areas on the body most likely to be affected by fly strike, ie the poll (head), the shoulders, back, rump and crutch area and the pizzle area on male sheep.
AUTOMATIC JETTING RACE (AJR)
The AJR is a machine which when connected to a water based pressure source and has sheep passing through it, applies the pesticide to the body of each sheep as required by the above description. It is a quick and efficient way to treat large numbers of sheep. There have been many different kinds of jetting races built and used in the past all achieving various degrees of efficiency. Research has discovered many inefficiencies in performance and effectiveness of some older designs.
PEAK JETTER = NEW PRINCIPLES
SPRAY ARRANGEMENT
Effective wetting is best achieved by arranging spray nozzles so that the target areas of fleece are sprayed more than once. This is achieved by positioning multiple nozzles in line with the sheep flow.
SPRAY CHARACTERISTICS
Good penetration is only achieved with a solid stream. Streams which break into droplets are less effective, ie fan or cone nozzles or small diameter solid stream types under high pressure should not be used. Spray height is important, the further the nozzles are away from the fleece, the more the stream will break up and become less effective, the height of the spray bars in the PEAK JETTER can be quickly adjusted by a simple vertical slide, to suit the size of the sheep in the mob. The closer the spray bars the more effective the application will become.
VOLUME RETAINED
Sufficient volume needs to be retained in the fleece so that some jetting fluid runs around the body of the sheep at skin level, less than optimum volumes will only partially wet the sheep. (2-3 Litres may need to be retained by woolly sheep)
SHEEP SPEED
Jetting as with many other husbandry operations should not be a "race" against time, speed of sheep through the PEAK JETTER should allow enough time for the correct volume of spray to be applied to each sheep. Good leadup and exit systems play an important role here. A dual race system with an 8 foot non back leadup race will normally supply a smooth flow of sheep to the jetter. An exit race is often also beneficial for slowing sheep down after they leave the machine retaining that smooth even flow.
PLUMBING
Large size, all non-corrosive fittings are used on the PEAK JETTER. A large brass butterfly valve activates the flow when automatically opened when a sheep passes through. An air loaded pressure cylinder, with pressure gauge fitted, is used to maximize spray performance through dampening the intermittent operation, it also produces an instant flow when required at each opening of the valve.
PUMP SIZE REQUIREMENT
The pump pressure is determined by the nozzles and the pipe pressure loss, the flow rate is determined by the number and size of nozzles and the sheep speed through the PEAK JETTER. Five litres of jetting fluid may need to be applied to each sheep if they are in 3/4 wool. The recommended flow and pressure required is 6 litres per second at 550 kPa, this means an 8 HP twin impeller centrifugal pump, however good results have been achieved with a normal 5-6 HP firefighter especially in sheep with shorter wool. The pump and hoses can be supplied to suit your requirements as an option.
COST EFFECTIVE
The PEAK JETTER is more effective than most existing machines and is capable of providing longer protection from fly strike which means fewer repeat treatments, this results in savings in operator labour and mustering time. Very importantly, fewer treatments also results in lower contamination residues in the wool at shearing time.
SAFER OPERATION
Large solid stream spray nozzles operating at lower pressures reduce spray drift, which significantly reduces the risk to the operators of pesticide exposure.
FEATURES
AND SPECIFICATIONS
1.Two in-line top spray bars each with five large diameter solid stream brass jets. The bars are adjustable vertically for clearance above the sheep, horizontally length ways so that the the sheep is in the correct position when the flow begins, plus each bar can be rotated to achieve the correct stream entry angle into the fleece along the back line.
2. Single bottom spray bar with three large brass solid stream jets with angle and position adjustment.
3. Extra large diameter plumbing and fittings, all non-corrosive to provide maximum flow.
4. Air chamber with gauge, large butterfly valve for long life and quick activation.
5. All steel construction, sheeted sides with small wheels and handles for mobility.
6. Adjustable side squeeze activation with manual hand control lever for small sheep.
7. Pressed metal ribbed floor with perforations for drainage.
6. Transport height; 1.3 metres, Length; 1.3 metres, Width; 0.7 metres, Weight; 80 Kg. approx.