Kathie in Thorp
Well-known member
From reading prior posts, I understand this has been covered before, but the site's search functions are not friendly/sometimes won't do it at all.
We are among those that put the bovine before the cart. We have an OB pen/chute; neighbor has helped with bringing over panels and a portable alley when we AI'd. Don't want to do that anymore. It's not his problem. And we need something more full-coverage, and us baby-boomers can work it ourselves.
We don't/won't keep a bull. I pat the nitrogen tank as I go by. A few cows and their little ones, plus 3-4 feeder steers annually. Will probably never have 20 on the place.
Am looking for your "this works" system plans. There are dozens posted on Univ. websites, but no "comments" available there, as to what works efficiently.
Our supplies to do this include:
1. Good Pearson squeeze chute.
2. 20 16-ft. very HD panels that came out of a feedlot -- 2 guys can't lift them. Each 5-rail, 3" pipe and sucker-rod construction, with support each end and middle that can be buried/concreted 3 ft. in-ground. These are actually 24 ft. panels, including ends that are cut-off each -- would probably take major time to re-weld them together and properly support those metal marriages. (But do have machinist/welder in the fam.)
3. 20 16-ft. equally HD gates, many sided so they are blind. Don't have a problem using them for alley/holding pens/whatever -- we won't need 20 "gates."
4. 100 very decent RR ties to put it all together
5. Would like to fit this into an already-fenced, barn-adjacent lot, approx. 60 X 125 area, as compactly as possible. It has gates on opposite ends of the long-side corners, but for ease in loading, we'll probably put in another gate to avoid super-human backing manuevers.
Will look at a good used Priefert calf table next week. Would love a sweep tub, but . . . .
Thoughts, ideas would be much appreciated, without spanking about not being better-prepared. Am looking at today and tomorrow, not yesterday! Thanks, all!
We are among those that put the bovine before the cart. We have an OB pen/chute; neighbor has helped with bringing over panels and a portable alley when we AI'd. Don't want to do that anymore. It's not his problem. And we need something more full-coverage, and us baby-boomers can work it ourselves.
We don't/won't keep a bull. I pat the nitrogen tank as I go by. A few cows and their little ones, plus 3-4 feeder steers annually. Will probably never have 20 on the place.
Am looking for your "this works" system plans. There are dozens posted on Univ. websites, but no "comments" available there, as to what works efficiently.
Our supplies to do this include:
1. Good Pearson squeeze chute.
2. 20 16-ft. very HD panels that came out of a feedlot -- 2 guys can't lift them. Each 5-rail, 3" pipe and sucker-rod construction, with support each end and middle that can be buried/concreted 3 ft. in-ground. These are actually 24 ft. panels, including ends that are cut-off each -- would probably take major time to re-weld them together and properly support those metal marriages. (But do have machinist/welder in the fam.)
3. 20 16-ft. equally HD gates, many sided so they are blind. Don't have a problem using them for alley/holding pens/whatever -- we won't need 20 "gates."
4. 100 very decent RR ties to put it all together
5. Would like to fit this into an already-fenced, barn-adjacent lot, approx. 60 X 125 area, as compactly as possible. It has gates on opposite ends of the long-side corners, but for ease in loading, we'll probably put in another gate to avoid super-human backing manuevers.
Will look at a good used Priefert calf table next week. Would love a sweep tub, but . . . .
Thoughts, ideas would be much appreciated, without spanking about not being better-prepared. Am looking at today and tomorrow, not yesterday! Thanks, all!