Cattle stop just before head gate. Why?

[Josher]

So we just got ourselves moved a few months ago and have gotten the new handling system set up. Quite happy with most of it. But I am having problems with cattle stopping just before the head gate. Then we use the ratchet bar or a tail twist for the more difficult ones. End of the day you feel it. I have a Tuff squeeze chute. Automatic head gate with neck extender. I'm tempted to take the neck extender off and try that. Does anyone have any ideas or what to change so that there's better flow. Thanks.

 

[gcreekrch]

Neck extender off, they break necks. Use a hot shot. Don't catch every cow to give vaccinations, use alley and let squeeze be escape route.

 

[SBMF 2015]

In my set up the cattle were bauking at the manual head gate. They could see me through the side. Switched to an automatic and walk past the cattle as they inter the chute. No body even hesitates now. The shockers are leaned against the wall, but almost never have to use them.

 

[wbvs58]

I try to catch their head as little as possible and like gcreek suggested I will vaccinate them just standing there and with a bar behind them. I don't have any automatic catch but if I do need to catch their head I will let them stand there for a bit while I load up a syringe or write something down then open the head gate and they think they have finished and are being let through. It sounds like your cows are a bit wary of being caught in the automatic head gate whenever they go through.
Quiet cows are hard work to work, they don't have that bit of fear in them.

Ken

 

[sstterry]

Temple Grandin has a lot of info on this. I believe she spoke at one of the Conferences @kenny thomas helps put on last year. It could be as simple as something they are seeing in the chute at that particular spot. If I recall correctly, she suggests getting in the chute and seeing what the cow sees. But if you search the internet I am sure it is out there.

 

[Hogfarmer10]

I feed my cattle in the corral adjacent to the chute. I have found that it helps if you'll shut them in the corral, open up the chute, and make them exit through the chute (don't catch anything, just straight through) it really does help. I don't do it every time, but I do aim for at least once every couple of weeks. It kind of trains them to not fear the chute, which is what I think you are dealing with. I'd be hesitant too if every time I went through, I was getting jabbed with a needle!

 

[Caustic Burno]

I feed my cattle in the corral adjacent to the chute. I have found that it helps if you'll shut them in the corral, open up the chute, and make them exit through the chute (don't catch anything, just straight through) it really does help. I don't do it every time, but I do aim for at least once every couple of weeks. It kind of trains them to not fear the chute, which is what I think you are dealing with. I'd be hesitant too if every time I went through, I was getting jabbed with a needle!

Have done the same thing for years, it works.

 

[EasTex]

I feed my cattle in the corral adjacent to the chute. I have found that it helps if you'll shut them in the corral, open up the chute, and make them exit through the chute (don't catch anything, just straight through) it really does help. I don't do it every time, but I do aim for at least once every couple of weeks. It kind of trains them to not fear the chute, which is what I think you are dealing with. I'd be hesitant too if every time I went through, I was getting jabbed with a needle!

Good advice. I'm going to give this a try.

 

[kenny thomas]

Temple Grandin has a lot of info on this. I believe she spoke at one of the Conferences @kenny thomas helps put on last year. It could be as simple as something they are seeing in the chute at that particular spot. If I recall correctly, she suggests getting in the chute and seeing what the cow sees. But if you search the internet I am sure it is out there.

She spoke here a few months ago and that's one of the things she stressed. See what the cow is looking at. A couple things she mentioned also was having a squeeze chute that the cattle could see you beside of it and they wouldn't move forward. Her low cost solution was to get a cardboard box and tie it up to block their side view. If they only see forward they will move forward. So simple but I hadn't considered it.

 

[Silver]

I always liked the way Silencer chutes were set up with regards to sight lines.

 

[dave_shelby]

I always liked the way Silencer chutes were set up with regards to sight lines.

Looks cheap enough

 

[Silver]

Looks cheap enough

I think the blinder idea is brilliant. But I will never be able to justify buying a chute like that so if I'm gonna get blinders on my chute I'll have to figure out how to do it myself.

 

[kenny thomas]

I think the blinder idea is brilliant. But I will never be able to justify buying a chute like that so if I'm gonna get blinders on my chute I'll have to figure out how to do it myself.

Card board and zip ties

 

[dave_shelby]

Going to try that!

 

[Brute 23]

I'm battle that a little with the priefert squeeze. A lot of them don't like going in when they see you standing beside it.

Some thing kind of odd that has worked better for me is I just leave the head gate closed and put them in the squeeze. After I close the tail gate I start a light squeeze and open the head gate. I'll even put a little pressure if I have to. It helps spur them to walk out.

Not letting them fly in there and hammering them with the head gate has really helped the flow and their mentality toward the squeeze.

It seems slower one by one but I think it avgs out faster. It only takes a couple to throw an absolute fit about going in to screw it all up and for you to lose the gained time jamming them in.

 

[farmerjan]

We used to run them in the barn and out the chute/head gate to get them more familiar with it and not get "head shy".. Ours is not an automatic catch... I will also give them a little grain if in the head catch for a few minutes so it is not a "big bad scary thing"..... when we are trying to get done quick when the vet is there it is a less than "pleasant" experience as time is money so we try to hurry them through.... and my son does not have patience with the ones that don't want to come in either.... but when I am by myself, I try to give them some sort of "treat" so they do not associate it with just getting stuck with a needle or an arm stuck up their butt....

 

[TCRanch]

That's yet another reason I love our Arrowquip: headgate can be closed from front or back of the chute. And when it's primarily me and I don't have anyone to push 'em through, I just stand at the back of the chute and all they see is the wide-open escape to freedom. Or not!!!

 

[Lucky]

I understand why cattle don't want to go in the squeeze. I'd like to know why they always want to pull backwards when your done with them. Everyone of mine pulls back so we gotta open the headgate to catch position let them hit the back of chute then open the headcatch to release position. Gets old after awhile.

 

[Silver]

I understand why cattle don't want to go in the squeeze. I'd like to know why they always want to pull backwards when your done with them. Everyone of mine pulls back so we gotta open the headgate to catch position let them hit the back of chute then open the headcatch to release position. Gets old after awhile.

That right there is why I'll never own another self catch chute.

 

[Brute 23]

I understand why cattle don't want to go in the squeeze. I'd like to know why they always want to pull backwards when your done with them. Everyone of mine pulls back so we gotta open the headgate to catch position let them hit the back of chute then open the headcatch to release position. Gets old after awhile.

Keep a good stick or pipe and run it behind them before you open up. It will stop that backward stuff.