Cattle Handling Systems

[perfecho]

Thanks for the digging up from the past....I have started the "dry run" with no head gate for calves and Kato's "let 'em stand for a bit" and find both practices to be quite useful!

[brodiemilne]

What is the best brand of cattle handling system. Pros and cons ........ Thanks for any advice

My name is Brodie Milne and I'm the Marketing Director here at Arrowquip. First of all we're happy to hear all of those who are extreamly happy with Arrowquip and the engineering that's behind the innovation. Second of all, we're about to release our newest line of cattle chutes, which are, without a quesiton, the quietest manual cattle chutes ever manufactured.

I've included links to our manual chute, portable as well as our new hydraulic. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

[URL="http://arrowquip.com/products/%product_category%/q-catch-86-series-cattle-squeeze-chute/"]Arrowquip Q-Catch 86 Series[/URL]

[URL="http://arrowquip.com/products/%product_category%/portable-q-catch-86-series-cattle-handling-system/"]Arrowquip Portable Q-Catch 86 Series[/URL]

[URL="http://arrowquip.com/products/%product_category%/q-power-106-series-hydraulic-cattle-squeeze-chute/"]Arrowquip Q-Power 106 Series[/URL]

[deanna.lennox@arrowquip.com]

Here is a link to the video on the latest Arrow Squeeze Chute: http://arrowcattlequip.com/products/cattle-squeeze-chute/q-catch-8500v/#product-video

[kato]

German Shepherds can't either. Our dogs get tied up too. Lol.

One thing we've found that helps with our cows, since they've been through the chute so many times, and are pretty wise to it, is to let them stand in the corral for an hour or two before we put them through the chute. Our handling system is set up so that it all leads back out to the cow's pens, and freedom. After they've had a while to think about it, they are more willing to get the heck out.

[Happytrails]

Quote "Border collies can't help themselves." That is very true.

[WiltonRanch]

My alley curves 90 degrees gradually over the span of 50'. Sides are sheeted solid up 4' with bolt together oil tank panels. Cows can see you and go up the chute by your movement on the outside. It's all rigged so if I am alone I can walk into the forcing alley and move a group into the box and put them up the alley into the chute and walk to the squeeze and by that time one is caught and I shut the slide at the back of the alley. If I'm stuck for help I can run stuff through alone with little trouble. In fact cows move better if no one is around and the dogs are tied up. Border collies can't help themselves you know.

[perfecho]

Vaccinated calves on weekend...the quick practise run through certainly did work...thanks for that tip.
I would use a bud box and I think if I made an alley, I would have the working side sheeted and open faced on off side...hopefully so they could see other cows leaving. Haven't used a curved alley, so will wait for responses from others...

[pickarock]

Thx so much for all the posts. Nothing like getting info from the ones actually doing the work! Now what do you think abt alleys - straight or curved. Tubs or bud boxes ....

[smcgrath76]

We use a Bud box set up for semi's and ground loads. Chute has a gate to split either way after the bud box, depending on what is being loaded.
Last semi with calves took just over 10 minutes to load.
Ground load today for cows took under 7 minutes.
The best thing is to have it set up so the driver can easily get in and out to change gates in the truck and also depending on the trucker so they have a place to be (not back with the cows in the box).

[Happytrails]

My crowd alley forks after about 24'. One branch goes to semi loading chute and the other is an S alley to the palp cage and squeeze. Trailer chute starts parallel to main alley. Has a gate that blocks either alley. It all starts from the bud box. I wouldn't mind trying a double alley that branched later.