Handling Equipment

[iamamy]

Newbie here. I have a handy down powder river chute. I am planning to add an alley, palpitation gate and sweep tub. My questions are, for the same money should I stay with powder river or move to another brand. Also would you go with the sheeted? I have a small cow/calf operation. I run about 20 mama cows and around 40 steers in the summer.

 

[Dave]

I have a nearly new Powder River XL chute. Behind it is a Prefierts palp cage that was here when I bought this place. Then a very old Powder River alley. Then a Big Valley sweep that I got at an auction, it was nearly new. Not all these pieces are exactly designed to lock together but pieces of chain work to cure that. When my ship comes in I plan to replace that alley.

Brand of preference largely depends on where you are located. And customer service will go right along with that. I am in the PNW. You will see more Powder River than anything else around here. The people on here from Texas and Oklahoma speak very highly of Prefierts. Here you see very little of their products.

Sheeted is nice if it is in your budget. I have a product used in pulp mills called drier felt. It looks like canvas with metal woven into it. It lasts forever. I zip tied it to the tub and any gates I want to look solid. For me it was free which makes it a lot cheaper than buying sheeted and provides the same results.

 

[Texasmark]

I have a nearly new Powder River XL chute. Behind it is a Prefierts palp cage that was here when I bought this place. Then a very old Powder River alley. Then a Big Valley sweep that I got at an auction, it was nearly new. Not all these pieces are exactly designed to lock together but pieces of chain work to cure that. When my ship comes in I plan to replace that alley.

Brand of preference largely depends on where you are located. And customer service will go right along with that. I am in the PNW. You will see more Powder River than anything else around here. The people on here from Texas and Oklahoma speak very highly of Prefierts. Here you see very little of their products.

Sheeted is nice if it is in your budget. I have a product used in pulp mills called drier felt. It looks like canvas with metal woven into it. It lasts forever. I zip tied it to the tub and any gates I want to look solid. For me it was free which makes it a lot cheaper than buying sheeted and provides the same results.

I bought a Powder River Drum mower last year as it appeared to offer me more than the one I had, available and purchased locally. Had to buy it from a dealer in Kansas (closest I could www and find) and have it drop shipped from N. Carolina here to N. Texas. My headgate is Prefiert as they are marketed here so they are by default, popular and do the job.

 

[Bcompton53]

I have a priefert tub. It's a 180° sweep, and is open sided. We tried putting tarps up to close it in, and it didn't really change the effectiveness. The biggest change was only putting 3 or so head in at a time. Our cattle are tame, and if we put in 5 head, they all just stand there. I think sheeted is better for more wild or range animals. I also wish we had the 135° sweep now. The design of the exit seems better to me. I'd put in an alley gate so you can fill the alley and refill the tub at the same time.

 

[Bcompton53]

Also, as a side note. And maybe you know this, but it was helpful for me. To get cattle to walk down the alley, start at the chute and walk right next to the alley toward the tub, once you get past the cattle they will move forward. Works way better than standing behind them and pushing. Kinda feels backwards, but it works.