Having a handling system, like in the picture above, provides a less stressful way of handling animals to provide care such as vaccinations, worming, or sorting.  It is less stressful to both the people and the animals.  It also provides time to look at the animals as they are lined up showing a better view with out crowding or milling about.  Marking animals for sorting or recording tag information is also much easier.  With our system we can divide the animals at the front of the chute into two groups, then move one group to another area and if required put all remaining animals through the barn and into the chute again dividing into two groups for further sorting.

Having the animals lined up like this also allows you to treat about 25 animals with one treatment then walking down the line and treating with a different treatment.... all with out having to catch, chase or hold down.  This system makes it possible to handle animals with only one person, but works best with two people.

Ideally there would be a tipping table with a squeeze chute at the end of the chute as well as a scale.  We have the scale but the tipping table has gone back to the design area.  For sheep an electronic scale such as those used at small-animal vet clinics work well.  Ours is taken into a clean building when not in use and is large enough to hold a ram on it's surface.