What is it?

[JWH123]

I recently moved to a rural area with lots more farms than I'm used to seeing.

Every few days I see trucks with this contraption on the back, I assume it is used for cattle by its size.

It looks like a portable pen for the animal, about 3-3 1/2 feet wide and maybe 6 or 7 feet long, made of steel pipe and some plate.

Most of the ones I see appear to tilt up for transport. I was driving behind one this morning mounted on a trailer, so I got a good look at it. These also have two wide straps (the one I saw today, the straps looked like the treads cut out of an old truck tire), that look like you could pick up the animal with them once the animal was in the pen.

Does my description help?

What are these used for?

Thanks for satisfying my curiousity.
John

[wr]

Is there a lot of calving going on in your area right now? It really does sound like a portable pen that we use to handle calves who's mommas are a bit more agressive. They are incredibly handy and their uses are only limited by your imagination.

[vtfarma]

Sounds like it could be a contraption they use to handle the cows when they do the hoof trimming.

[wr]

Actually, vtfarma, I think you might be dead right. I kept thinking of something that applied to use in my area and got hung up on the idea of a pen but it does sound like a trimming table. We don't really see them in my area because of our soil conditions.

[pointer_hunter]

Sounds like a trimming table.

Side Note:
Father's new GF's Son-in-law :no: started trimming with a guy while training. He started on his first job by himself the other day. First cow strapped to the table.....table tilted.....cow moooed.....cow died. Luckily the farmer said it was an old one and wasn't too concerned about it. I guess he thought about looking for a new profession!

[herefordman]

Definitely a trimming table you saw, theres plenty of dairy farms around here and you see them pretty regular.