so who is feeling pretty chuffed with herself?:)

[farmgirl6]

After the last rodeo, I acquired a head catch, but finding the time to put it up was an entirely different matter, with the vet coming Sat I had to get off my duff. I have lots of extra wood from the deck rebuild, including some sturdy but slight warped 6X6 posts..started at 8:30, figured would be done by noon and kicking back with a beer, vet wasn't do out until 6...at 5:00 p.m, utterly exhausted with my back a bit iffy from moving the bloody thing alone, I was fastening the butt chain....but it worked like a charm!! no 30 minute violent rodeo to draw blood, led her majesty in with grain, closed the head catch, fastened the chain, blood drawn and I was letting her out in less than a minute whew hew!! especially sized for little cows....my hay guy, who is a cow guy, does want me to add washers beneath the back nuts of the carriage bolts....I can live with that...

had a crappy day at work last week, happy to have a success..okay, I am no carpenter, but she is sturdy...posts are in 2 feet, pounded down with a sledge and the small amount of refill dirt pounded in with a sledge as well...

[myheaven]

Nice! I wants me one!

[Bret]

Good work.

[njenner]

We ended up buying a VERY used portable squeeze and it more or less sunk the tires in the ground to keep it steady. The sides squeeze down very nice but the head catch is a bit iffy - but it gets the job done.

[haypoint]

Nice job. I have pulled the arm on hundreds of cattle of all sorts and sizes. Please add a couple more boards. As is, any cattle can make a side trip over that second board.
It is also nice if you can add a couple more posts and make a sort of runway. Sometimes easier to get two cows into a space than one. Just get a stout pipe to run through the boards behind the second cow, so she can't back out.

[farmgirl6]

Originally Posted by haypoint

Nice job. I have pulled the arm on hundreds of cattle of all sorts and sizes. Please add a couple more boards. As is, any cattle can make a side trip over that second board.
It is also nice if you can add a couple more posts and make a sort of runway. Sometimes easier to get two cows into a space than one. Just get a stout pipe to run through the boards behind the second cow, so she can't back out.

Alas, I built the back end too close to he fence to elongate it, fortunately all my cows are minis (except Norman, and he couldn't even get his front end in this minature catch, from front to back it is only 56" long, fortunately you can walk up, stick him with a needle, he doesn't even move) and halter broke and will follow a bucket of food anywhere (including my two horse trailer) - another board is a good idea, but was afraid for shots and stuff vet could not get to neck or rump? as it is, the top board is probably a good eight inches higher than the backs of two of my three cows...maybe could put the top board on a hinge to swing out for access...I do need a better adjustable part for the back. the side boards are 2 X 10...

[farmgirl6]

Originally Posted by njenner

We ended up buying a VERY used portable squeeze and it more or less sunk the tires in the ground to keep it steady. The sides squeeze down very nice but the head catch is a bit iffy - but it gets the job done.

my vet brought out a portable squeeze the time before, looked like something from the spanish inquisition but worked well..this head catch in nice shape, I think, works well...I traded my ai tank for it, so no out of pocket, which is nice...

[farmgirl6]

Originally Posted by myheaven

Nice! I wants me one!

thanks...I can't believe how having her head held firm made things so easy, I have found tying a cow up is not like tying up a horse, cows turn into rubber bands on springs if they don't want to get stuck with a tiny itty bitty little needle mine do, anyway

[RedDirt Cowgirl]

Good point about higher side boards, but maybe the cattle are more calm going through to the catch when they can see clear air? Wonder what Temple Grandin would say.

Great job, I would just close the lower gaps so a foot doesn't go between.