Deck Chair
New design! Premier's Deck Chair holds sheep reliably in a relaxed position which allows the use of both hands to trim feet, tag ears, examine and medicate. Restrains heavily pregnant ewes without injury.
Note: New Deck Chair Replacement Webbing (#807515) DOES NOT fit our Old Deck Chair (#807500).
Original Deck Chair Instructions 
Specs
- Galvanized steel pipe with elastic webbing.
- Can support large, adult sheep and goats (without horns).
- Adjustable width for all sizes.
- Included support rope for large/heavy sheep. (Prevents elastic webbing from over-stretching.)
- Length is 40 inches.
- Maximum width is 16 inches.
- Minimum width is 10 inches.
- Bottom "legs" are 14 inches.
- Replacement webbing is available.
- Can be folded flat for easy storage and transporting with some disassembly.
Benefits
We've introduced several improvements over the previous version:
1.) New elastic webbing
- A thick weave of elastic shock cord has replaced the string net we used previously. The elastic web springs back into place when the ewe leaves the chair reducing the risk of entanglement. The webbing quickly hooks over built-in rivets for easy replacement. Included support rope can be used for heavy animals to prevent over-stretching.
2.) Kick-plate
- This simple device prevents the animal’s hind legs from getting caught in the mesh. On occasion we’ve had to chase down a ewe that’s made off with our deck chair because of this very reason—not often, but it has happened.
3.) Quickly make size adjustments
- When using our original chair, a wrench was needed to make side-to-side adjustments. These nuts have been replaced with finger-friendly wing bolts. Kick-plate adjusts via the same method.
How to Use
To load:
- Best location is in the corner of a small pen, as this allows catching the animal with the least effort. Drop the top of the chair over the gate or fence at a 45 degree angle.
- Catch the sheep by the head. Back the sheep into the chair. As the back legs hit the bottom crossbar, the rump (and most of the animal's weight) will fall into the webbing. Take care not to catch the rear legs in the 2 vertical chair legs.
- Complete the process by lifting the head upwards into the sitting position.
To unload:
With one hand, tip the chair forward with the sheep inside it. Allow the animal to fall out onto its feet. Hang onto the chair or you may be chasing the animal/chair combination around the pen.
Precautions
Does not work well with horned animals. Their horns may become entangled with the webbing.
Note: New Deck Chair Replacement Webbing (#807515) DOES NOT fit our Old Deck Chair (#807500).
Listed below are recommended optional components or related items. Your particular situation may require alternative recommendations. Please call and talk to our consultants if there are any questions at 800-282-6631.
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Foot Trimming and Care
Hoof Rasp
Item #752010 -A popular file for leaving a smooth finish on the hooves of your sheep and goats.
$11.80 -
Foot Trimming and Care
Hoof Pincher
Item #752015 -Superior to standard trimmers on rams and billies. Long handles provide tremendous leverage to cut easily through tough, hard hooves.
$32.00 -
Foot Trimming and Care
Double-Edged Hoof Knife
Item #752005 -Features a small double-edge blade (for small sheep and goat hooves).
$7.00 -
Foot Trimming and Care
Small Hoof Knife
Item #752001 -Cuts and cleans up the extra hoof growth on sheep and goats.
$14.00 -
Foot Trimming and Care
Premier Serrated Foot Trimmer
Item #750900 -Great for cutting tough hooves of larger sheep and goat breeds. Best hand trimmer (in value, ability and quality) for large hands.
$26.00 -
Foot Trimming and Care
ExoTrim™ Trimmer
Item #769510 -Serrated blades slice through hard, dry hooves with ease. Comfortable grip for all hand sizes.
$18.00 -
Foot Trimming and Care
ARS 140 DXR Trimmer
Item #769500 -The gold standard hoof trimmer for goat and sheep hooves. Japanese steel blades are 1 3/4" long. Choice of smooth or serrated blades.
$35.00
Write a Review
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Teresa D from Massachusetts
My husband and I have been wrestling with sheep for years for hoof trimming and shots needlessly. The Premier Deck Chair is the best tool we have in the barn now. Our sheep aren't trained yet to just go right in but with two of us it was easily done and then no more getting kicked as I trim their hoofs. They also are easier to give shots to as they jostle less. It is a real back saver as well. We did 35 sheep last weekend, Gotland and Leicester Longwools far more efficiently than ever before. We found a setting that seemed to work well with the range of sizes so we did not need to adjust between animals.
Yesterday, our vet had to come check on a castration and she was delighted with the use of the chair and wish we had it when she originally did the procedure.
Roger S from Wisconsin
I can see why this deck share for sheep was back-ordered. As a relatively new flock owner, I found it almost impossible to properly trim the hooves of my Babydoll English Southdowns, even with the help of a friend who grew up on a farm and helped wrestle my sheep to the ground. You had to almost stand on your head to inadequately trim hooves. The Premier 1 deck chair (great name) caught my eye and it has made the job a piece of cake. True, not all my sheep settle back as if in a sheep spa, but it's easy to hold down even the toughest ram. It's surprising that such a simple device can make hoofing a one-person job. Properly priced too.
Kathleen A from Iowa
I love Stan and the whole staff. I've been buying from Premier for over 15 years. Get all of my fencing here. My most recent purchase was the elastic webbing for the sheep deck chair. We already had the old premier deck chair and my husband modified it just like their new one. I quit using the old one because I have Shetland Sheep that are small and very wirry. They didn't sink down in the chair far enough, or got their leg caught in the netting. I even made a canvas one for it and it was not satisfactory for my small sheep. This new net is GREAT!! Thanks for the great innovative products you carry. I'll keep on shopping here as you keep those shipping cost down too!! Thanks again!
Serge K from Tennessee
Great product and well designed frame. Easy to use. I wish the webbing was more firm ... it just stretches too much under heavy weight ram so it will almost hit the ground.
Michelle T from New York
Cannot say enough about this -
Once you get your netting width set correct, and the set to the right height on your gate, its hard to imagine the old way of catching, flipping, holding down, and still trimming ...
Small things we noticed - be sure to have extra cableties on hand as an active sheep can snap them quickly. Smaller sheep can get their hooves tangled if not backed in just right. So we still keep this a 2 person job, one to maneuver the sheep, one to keep the frame in place. Larger sheep could use an extra boot out when finished, if they take off with the contraption on their backs it could be YouTube worthy material to retrieve it...
Our backs, and major joints can handle all our sheep in one day now.
