What do yalls setups look like for working your cattle?

[riley17]

I'm in the process of designing our first chute system, and being new to raising beef I'm not sure what is the most efficient set up to safely work my cows in. I've only dealt with my milk cow and she is a sweet heart, but I expect beefers are going to be much more flighty and dangerous. Also, for giving vaccinations, doing preg checks etc, do yall have just a head gate or the full body one? What all do I need for a proper and safe setup? My milker is easy peasy we have just been squeezing her between 2 gates, but I want a better set up for our beefers.
Thanks!

[G. Seddon]

Here's one thread for you, but I'm looking for some others:

Small scale cattle handling solutions?

Topside did a great job on building a working chute, so I hope he'll chime in, pictures and all. I've lost track of where that thread is, but I'll keep looking!

[riley17]

Thank you!!

[COWS]

Squeeze chute is the deluxe, expensive way to go. People I know near me use a head gate , and after many years I now have a nice Priefert head gate. It is supposed to automatically catch the cow, but I haven't had the nerve to try the automatic part yet.

If a head gate is fastened to posts with the cow standing in the ground, she can use her feet against the ground to put more pressure on the ground and therefore more pressure on the gate and the chute. I was given a welded chute. i fastened the head gate to it, but also welded supports and put a strong floor in it. Now the cow pushes against the floor and the sides and the head gate, but her energy is confined to the structure, which is free standing. Fastening it to posts is not necessary. To use smaller cattle in the rig, I made plywood spacers to put on each side of the chute. Pallets alone don't work because of the spaces between the slats in the pallets. Plywood covering the pallet would work, just be heavy to move.

Two tricks for loading cows: First, it's good to have the last part of the loating chute under shelter with the cattle trailer or truck outside in the light. The animal will head toward the light, thinking it is getting out and get on the trailer easier. One local stockyard has a spotlight at the end of the loading chute, shining on the trailer, for nightime use.

Second, have the chute outside with bends in it so the animal can't seen the end until its too late. This make is easier to keep them moving. Have some way to block the cow from backing up in the chute. A means of putting a piece of pipe or oak 2 x 4 across the chute works fine, about 2 feet high seems to be right.

Have a gate part of the way down the chute which is ordinarily left open so the cows can use it to get out pof the pen. Then, when loading , close the gate which opens up a
chute going to the trailer. Cows are easier to start down the chute because they thin they are getting out.

Corral fencing should be at least 6 feet high, 6 1/2 is better. The loading chute should be oak boards 1 1/2 inches or 2 inches thick, fastened to the wooden posts with at least 5/16 diameter lag screws long enough to go into the post at least 2 inches, preferrably 3 inches. If you have support pieces across the chute, put them high enough so that you can walk under them upright. If not you will invariably forget to duck.

Commercial corrals have a circular sweep chute with a crowding gate. They are great, but with a little measuring you can make your own crowding gate gate arrangement.

If you haven't figured it out yet, getting a welder and learning to weld will make a lot of projects possible.

COWS

[idigbeets]

I have a Priefert automatic squeeze chute, 180 degree tub, and panels for the alley and corral. Pricey yes, safe yes. Farm handles roughly 30 cows + calves + bull, and 25-40 steers at any given time.

[gwithrow]

if you live near one of 'us' perhaps you could visit and see for yourself how we do it, if not another idea is to have your county extension agent come out and help you plan your set up....I did that and the results are wonderful, not expensive just a solid working area..

the key is containment and flow...what we have is an area that the cows will willingly come into...say for a bit of sweet feed, or a pass through on their way to greener grass....then using gates and guidance, we work them a couple at a time into a smaller area and then with a sweep gate, we move each one into the chute...our chute is homemade, sturdy wood at the end of which is just the secure head gate....we use a chain behind them as soon as they pass into the chute so there is no backing up....the headgate is on an outside wall of the barn, so once they are finished we open that and out they go, to be directed on wherever....if we are loading the trailer, it is backed up to the headgate and out they go....

it is important that your containment areas be high enough....and sturdy...we used heavy posts, cut from locust trees, set not too far apart, then 16 foot cattle panels, the panels are secured to the posts with treated decking boards, top, middle and bottom...the top board is at least at the six foot level....I have not had any cows try to go over at all...all gates are heavy duty and we use the sure latches so we can work them open and closed quickly...and with one hand....

maybe I will go up today and take a few pictures...all I can say is my system works, and one person can work the cows...and that one person is me, the grandma...I also do NOT keep any cows with a nervous temperament..select for calmness and if you are calm it will work....

[Jim S.]

Barnyard and a barn shed with a head catch, along with a bucket of sweet feed have worked for me for 24 years. LOL. If my beef herd sees that bucket in my hand, they're going to follow me.

For about 20 years I used a wooden, homemade head catch but I finally talked a guy out of a "real" metal one for a decent price a couple years back because he got out of cattle.

[FarmerDavid]

Got a powder river system on an auction for a good price. It's got two pens; a tub and a twenty foot ally. I rent a squeeze chute if need be or the vet will bring his out. Several times I've just loaded them and took the to the neighbors pens and chute. My system can be taken down and moved pretty easily by two people, having level ground helps alot. It's great to have and nice for a portable system but I'm planning to build a perminant setup. I've talked to lots of vendors at farm shows and most are great about helping you out with ideas. I've designed and resigned my perminant setup many times and probably will several more before its built.

[G. Seddon]

I found Topside's project, great pictures too!

Holding Pen and Loading alley (pics)

[riley17]

Gwithrow it would be great if i could tour someone elses setup or watch them work their cows!! I dont know who all is near us in missouri though.. But thanks yall for the input!! Im going to think on it a bit and see what we can come up with!