Cattle Handling Facility Design

[sandblaster]

I am getting back intot he cattle business after a 20 year hiatus. I am looking for deigns for handling cows including livestock chutes, catch pens, and loading pens.

I have searched the net and come up with some basic design criteria and I have also looked at a few operations here in North Florida and South Georgia for ideas.

Any suggestions on what would work for managing 60 head of cattle?

Thanks

 

[Hippie Rancher]

In my lottery dreams I will have all new facilities and they will be based on these:

http://www.grandin.com/

and these for chutes:

http://www.hi-hog.com /

Although there are some great old designs here too: http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/beefplans.htm
(thanks to Chuck on this very forum)

 

[Herefordcross]

The only thing I want to remind you of is the alley width, ours is 28" others have different preferences but, they're all within a few inches of that. I have made this mistake myself.
Another reminder is to avoid corners, curve 'em and make sure you can get out of the alley in a hurry. Hope this helps.

 

[Ned Jr.]

I sure like this brand.

http://www.stampedesteel.com/aboutus.htm

 

[Ned Jr.]

This is another good brand.

http://www.pearsonlivestockeq.com/

 

[Ned Jr.]

If you are rich here is the ultimate chute.

http://www.molysilencerchutes.com/

 

[backhoeboogie]

Buy a headgate and that's it. Build everything else.

My advice would be to buy sheep panel which are five feet tall and with 4 inch grids. Weld them to tube steel frames and put pin eyes on the end such that you can reconfigure your pens.

If you don't have a welding machine, buy one. It will be FREE when you are done. You will be needing things welded all the time so you may as well invest in one.

Go to the local farm and ranch store and look at what they offer. Reverse engineer it. You can get heavier gauge metal much cheaper. You have to remember they pay shipping fees too.

My chute widths are 31 inches and my bull barely makes it. Someone said 28 inches earlier. That's fine for everything, except my bull. He probably could squeeze through 28 inches but I am scared it would be a wreck.

 

[sandblaster]

Thanks for the information! I im in the process of putting a shop together on the cheap and I traded for a "buzz box" welder the other day. I am trying to keep expenses down and fabricate as much as I can.

So far my biggest cost has been fencing. I am also finished with installing all new fence and I will be starting the construction of chutes, pens, and head gate within 30-45 days.

Backhoeboogie - great advice! I am going to use your suggestions - thanks!!

 

[Caustic Burno]

Buy a headgate and that's it. Build everything else.

My advice would be to buy sheep panel which are five feet tall and with 4 inch grids. Weld them to tube steel frames and put pin eyes on the end such that you can reconfigure your pens.

If you don't have a welding machine, buy one. It will be FREE when you are done. You will be needing things welded all the time so you may as well invest in one.

Go to the local farm and ranch store and look at what they offer. Reverse engineer it. You can get heavier gauge metal much cheaper. You have to remember they pay shipping fees too.

My chute widths are 31 inches and my bull barely makes it. Someone said 28 inches earlier. That's fine for everything, except my bull. He probably could squeeze through 28 inches but I am scared it would be a wreck.

Boogie has a good idea be sure to weld the panel to the outside cause a boot won' t fit in a sheep panel.
I run a 28 inch chute also 2000 pound bull has no trouble getting down it, well leaves a little hair.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I run a 28 inch chute also 2000 pound bull has no trouble getting down it, well leaves a little hair.

I got my head gate used, at a bargain price. I had been looking for a while. It wasn't exactly the cadillac I wanted but it is sufficient. It is self closing and it sort of works if you can get the cows moving hard into it. Anyway, I got the head gate before I built the chute. The head gate sort of dictated my chute width. I could have used more channel iron but decided to just bolt the head gate on the end. Otherwise my chute would have been smaller to preclude calves from spinning around in it.