Calf jack

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Don't know about favorite or least favorite, cause I've only had one for 30 some years. I believe it is a Dr. Franks calf puller. Usually it just gets used a couple times a year, and gets the job done.
I have noticed that the vets use one that ratchets both ways whether pushing or pulling the jack handle instead of just when pulling it back on mine. That would make it a little easier in that you might not have to slide the jack back up and reposition the chains to finish a pull.
 
I have a Stone with an extra 16" extension for my cows and an ideal for the cows at work. Both have the back and forth dbl acting ratchet.
Always wanted a Willman just couldn't afford on when I started.
 
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Dr Franks here too.
I don't mind using it on one that is laying down but you have to be careful on one that is standing then decides to lay down right after you start jacking the handle.
 
I have a Dr Franks too and it seems to work well. I use it with a halter on the heifer and tied to a post at the head of parallel gates so if/when they go down the gates get opened and cow laid over on her side so I can resume the correct natural angle for the pull. I had a couple of nasty experiences when they went down in my crush (chute), lost one to a torn uterine artery.

Ken
 
Thirty feet of rope for most, bowline knot with large loops at the chains, round a post in the barn alley and through the loop. Most pull their own calf and stay on their feet. Some you have to dodge a bit.
If one does need a puller there is lots of room to use one.
I think ours is a Dr. Franks also. Used twice on 175 heifers last year.
 
I had an old homemade one for years. It had a boat trailer whinch welded to a pipe. The handle slipped out of my slimy hand on a hard pull. The dog didn't catch and the handle came around and broke my thumb. I bought a Dr. Franks shortly after that.
 
Willman is what we used in practice. Had the short one, and then had a local machine shop make a 2 ft extension we could pop right in if we needed extra length.
I've used several different ones over the decades...it's still my top pick.
 
Stone Ratch-A-Pull on my truck. I like the Vink calf pullers as well, but the shape of the breech spanner would take up too much space on my truck. Dr. Frank's is fine if you rarely pull calves and don't do anything complicated.
 
Buck Randall said:
Stone Ratch-A-Pull on my truck. I like the Vink calf pullers as well, but the shape of the breech spanner would take up too much space on my truck. Dr. Frank's is fine if you rarely pull calves and don't do anything complicated.
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Well now you’ve piqued my curiosity. What would you consider a complicated pulling maneuver?
 
Silver said:
Well now you’ve piqued my curiosity. What would you consider a complicated pulling maneuver?
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Some times you need to apply tension differently to each leg or the head to keep the calf coming in the correct position. Having a puller with three hooks allows you to do that.
 
Buck Randall said:
Some times you need to apply tension differently to each leg or the head to keep the calf coming in the correct position. Having a puller with three hooks allows you to do that.
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I see… well, no, that’s not quite right… I think I’d have to see lol. It could very well be handier. I have at times had to use a head snare as well as make chain length adjustments mid pull with the Frank’s and will admit it’s not terribly handy. But not knowing there was a handier option I wasn’t too concerned about it. Now I will be lol
 
Silver said:
I see… well, no, that’s not quite right… I think I’d have to see lol. It could very well be handier. I have at times had to use a head snare as well as make chain length adjustments mid pull with the Frank’s and will admit it’s not terribly handy. But not knowing there was a handier option I wasn’t too concerned about it. Now I will be lol
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It's not something I would really worry about if I were pulling a couple of calves a year. When you use one often enough to wear it out, it's worth the extra $100.
 
Buck Randall said:
It's not something I would really worry about if I were pulling a couple of calves a year. When you use one often enough to wear it out, it's worth the extra $100.
Click to expand...
I have found that if I need a head snare the side window is usually a safer and more successful route.
 
gcreekrch said:
I have found that if I need a head snare the side window is usually a safer and more successful route.
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It depends on the circumstances. If you need the head snare because the calf is just too big, a c-section is better. If the calf has been dead for two days, surgery is unlikely to end well. Ideally one would never be presented with such a scenario, but that's not really in my control.
 

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