Allen Gate & Panel

[Ebenezer]

Yes, Here is a picture. They have changed the top a little. Mine is triangle shaped at the top. Now they are a semicircle top.
View attachment 53209

Where can you buy them in SC? I assume that the prices are comparable to other stuff offered at feed stores? Thanks

 

[simme]

Where can you buy them in SC? I assume that the prices are comparable to other stuff offered at feed stores? Thanks

Floyd Farms in Canon, Ga. Not too far. Where they make lots of feed and use to have a stocker operation. Maybe they still do. Good prices, good quality for the money, they generally stock most of the Allen stuff.

I think they were making feed for their own cattle operation and thought maybe they could sell a little. A pretty big operation now. And they deliver bulk feed into SC. And now take your SCATE card (tax exemption).

Price list for Allen stuff attached.

Floyd Farms
2437 Redwine Church Rd
Canon, GA 30520

Floyd Farms Inc.

https://allengateandpanel.com/storage/172/Retail-Price-List-9-11-24.pdf

 

[Stonewall Joe]

Yep, agreed on all points. I know there are really good sweep systems out there and much better working equipment. With my small herd, it won't ever justify it.

I'm thinking the pap cage could be used to direct cattle from one alley 90 degrees to another. I know that is not their typical use, but I think it would work well. The "Y" they have doesn't look like the gate will open across the cage, just split them one direction to the other. I know rhe pap cage gate will open 90 degrees so you can enter and block any other cattle from coming in behind you.

I think Allen would be a good compromise for me as I have zero working facility now and have to have a chute to at least load cattle onto a trailer.

As far as the sweep, I've worked a lot cattle without one, but with my wife around and she has no experience with working cattle, thought it could be a little safer option with her helping out.

I'm working on a layout of it I'll share later today with a budget. Good snow day project.

I gave the sweep deal a lot of thought and looked at a few but we built a bud box and it works great. Ours is wide enough (16') to use a horse but we've never had to do it. I just work them from the outside of the box, move them slow and easy and rarely if ever have many issues. Occasionally (every 3 or 4 months, we will run them all up into the pens, feed them and then put them into the bud box and ease them down the chute to let them out so they know the drill is usually pretty painless. Not putting the sweep in saved a bunch of money and i don't think it has affected the way our cattle work a bit. I will cull the hard to handle ones pretty quick but since we have this setup it's been pretty easy. I still want to cover my squeeze chute so we have shade and make one or 2 minor changes and add a slide gate but the new pens seem pretty easy to work in and since the pens are pretty nice sized the cattle don't feel as pushed. I'm attaching a sketch to the message so I can get some input from others, the lines in red are some things we're getting ready to do but aren't in yet and we have not covered the squeeze chute area yet. Probably will cover the area for the horses where we tie them up as well. So far it has made life a lot easier

 

[Ebenezer]

Floyd Farms in Canon, Ga. Not too far. Where they make lots of feed and use to have a stocker operation. Maybe they still do. Good prices, good quality for the money, they generally stock most of the Allen stuff.

I think they were making feed for their own cattle operation and thought maybe they could sell a little. A pretty big operation now. And they deliver bulk feed into SC. And now take your SCATE card (tax exemption).

Price list for Allen stuff attached.

Floyd Farms
2437 Redwine Church Rd
Canon, GA 30520

Floyd Farms Inc.

https://allengateandpanel.com/storage/172/Retail-Price-List-9-11-24.pdf

Thanks. I have bought feed from them, I like that slide gate and could enjoy it even if it needs a squirt of lube every time. I will check on prices.

 

[Little Joe]

I bought a sweep from Allen Gate and Panel, I changed mine up from how they have theirs designed. I sent them a drawing of what I wanted and they put it together for me. I went to Prattsville and picked it all up. One of the guys I talked to there was a little hard to deal with but overall a good experience and a good set up for the money.

 

[clarkmorefarm]

I gave the sweep deal a lot of thought and looked at a few but we built a bud box and it works great. Ours is wide enough (16') to use a horse but we've never had to do it. I just work them from the outside of the box, move them slow and easy and rarely if ever have many issues. Occasionally (every 3 or 4 months, we will run them all up into the pens, feed them and then put them into the bud box and ease them down the chute to let them out so they know the drill is usually pretty painless. Not putting the sweep in saved a bunch of money and i don't think it has affected the way our cattle work a bit. I will cull the hard to handle ones pretty quick but since we have this setup it's been pretty easy. I still want to cover my squeeze chute so we have shade and make one or 2 minor changes and add a slide gate but the new pens seem pretty easy to work in and since the pens are pretty nice sized the cattle don't feel as pushed. I'm attaching a sketch to the message so I can get some input from others, the lines in red are some things we're getting ready to do but aren't in yet and we have not covered the squeeze chute area yet. Probably will cover the area for the horses where we tie them up as well. So far it has made life a lot easier

Thanks for mentioning the bud box. I had no idea that is what it was called. I did a little more research on it and little did I know that about how I've worked cattle my whole life.

When I worked cattle for my grandad at his stockyard that was built in the 50's, that is basically how we handled the cattle.

It's all about pressure and knowing how to use it.

I'm really thinking about abandoning the sweep idea and going with a bud box type setup.

 

[Brute 23]

I'm a bud box fan. I hate that little triangle the sweeps leave. Plus, all the sweep systems have gotten so expensive.

 

[Little Joe]

I'm a bud box fan. I hate that little triangle the sweeps leave. Plus, all the sweep systems have gotten so expensive.

When I bought my sweep, the triangle is what most people said they hated about them so I designed mine a little different, I'll have to take a picture or video of mine some time and post it on here.

 

[clarkmorefarm]

When I bought my sweep, the triangle is what most people said they hated about them so I designed mine a little different, I'll have to take a picture or video of mine some time and post it on here.

Please do when you have a chance, I would be interested in your setup.

 

[simme]

My brother has a Sioux Steel "cornerless" crowding tub. There are 2 gates. the big main sweep gate and a smaller one connected by a sliding chain to follow the big gate. The 2 gates working together pretty much ensure that the cows get directed into the alley. Here is a picture. Different than a simple single gate sweep like the Allen. Of course, it's not a $1000 sweep.

 

[Little Joe]

@Brute 23 @clarkmorefarm

 

[clarkmorefarm]

So, I have got the design I am going to Arkansas to purchase from Allen in a couple of weeks.

For my specific scenario, I couldn't find a layout that would work specifically for a load out and head chute where I wanted to put my working pen, so I ended up gowing with a 180 degree sweep and a loadout chute off of the sweep.

I've attached a rough sketch of it. I think it will serve my purposes well. By going to Arkansas and picking it up myself I save quite a bit of money from my local CO-OP as they have almost a 100% markup on the Allen's price list. So I was able to include a catch pen and a sort pen and enough gates where I think this will work well.

I know sweeps aren't everyone's favorite, but I think it will work out for my small herd.

 

[Brute 23]

So, I have got the design I am going to Arkansas to purchase from Allen in a couple of weeks.

For my specific scenario, I couldn't find a layout that would work specifically for a load out and head chute where I wanted to put my working pen, so I ended up gowing with a 180 degree sweep and a loadout chute off of the sweep.

I've attached a rough sketch of it. I think it will serve my purposes well. By going to Arkansas and picking it up myself I save quite a bit of money from my local CO-OP as they have almost a 100% markup on the Allen's price list. So I was able to include a catch pen and a sort pen and enough gates where I think this will work well.

I know sweeps aren't everyone's favorite, but I think it will work out for my small herd.

What is the X in the alley?

 

[clarkmorefarm]

What is the X in the alley?

It's a palp gate/cage.

 

[Big Creek]

So, I have got the design I am going to Arkansas to purchase from Allen in a couple of weeks.

For my specific scenario, I couldn't find a layout that would work specifically for a load out and head chute where I wanted to put my working pen, so I ended up gowing with a 180 degree sweep and a loadout chute off of the sweep.

I've attached a rough sketch of it. I think it will serve my purposes well. By going to Arkansas and picking it up myself I save quite a bit of money from my local CO-OP as they have almost a 100% markup on the Allen's price list. So I was able to include a catch pen and a sort pen and enough gates where I think this will work well.

I know sweeps aren't everyone's favorite, but I think it will work out for my small herd.

They are about ten minutes from me. About half of my corral if from them

 

[clarkmorefarm]

Finally drove over to Arkansas to pick up my working pen and chute. A long drive, but worth it for the savings.

I got it setup yesterday before the storms rolled in. I think it's a good compromise on budget and usefulness. Should last me a good while.

Thankfully had a buddy come over and help me set it up. The ground isn't perfectly level, but will work for what I'll be doing.

Still have to setup the load out chute, but going to cut through the fence and add a new gate there as well.

 

[Dave]

Those single file load outs using the slide gate on the trailer just don't happen here. Must be a regional thing. I have loaded out thousands of cattle from lots of corrals and never once did it using the slider. And have never even seen a set up to load that way. Always an alley to a gate which is the width of the trailer. Lots of them with a corner in the alley. Also crowd gates.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I've only ever seen the single file load out using the trailer slider. Then to load a pot you just back a ramp up and away you load.

 

[Dave]

I've only ever seen the single file load out using the trailer slider. Then to load a pot you just back a ramp up and away you load.

Well the loading ramp for a pot is a different thing. They are all single file.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Yeah but everybody around here uses the same load out for both. Single file into GN trailer slider, plop ramp in front of that and your loading a pot.