Head Gates

[groveman14]

What is everyone's preference for head gate's so that I can work my cattle. I have a holding pen, squeeze chute, etc. but now need to buy something to hold the cattle for any shots, ear tags, OR? Thank you. BTW, I sure learn a lot from you folks and it's very nice how you share so unselfishly to us novices.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

I have an old Priefert, scissor type. Mounted on 8"X8"s, set 3' in the ground in concrete. It's worked well for me. The model#, off hand, I don't know, but it's an older one.

Katherine

 

[jnowack]

I like the manual catch Foremost and Big Valley. The Big Valley I have has smaller increment between notches which makes it easier to keep the bulls caught. The ones with the smooth bar latch tend to loosen up when they rattle it around and they get out more often.

 

[dun]

We use a Peifeert with the scissors type self catch. For me it's easier and a surer catch then the swing type. But, we have one cow that has figured out that if she hits it and it trips, if she keeps pushing she can push it open and get out. Solved that problem by setting the nose chain so it can only open so far. She was one upset cow when she discovered that her trick didn;t work anymore.

dun

 

[Farminlund]

I prefer the swing style head gate (auto catch). The scissor types I've used require that you have someone to operate it during the catch process (as well as someone moving the animal down the chute). If you are working animals by yourself, the swing gate is the only one that will allow you the opportunity to push the animal down the chute & still catch the head automatically (at least to my knowledge). The swing type might not always catch them, but they can only back up if it doesn't (as long as you didn't set it open too wide) & then you put a bar behind & continue to work them forward until at the worse case, you have them with their head in place while you manually close it. If you will always have 2 people, I think the animals are more likely to move faster into the wide open scissors style head gate than the more narrow opening of the swing gate.

 

[Farminlund]

We use a Peifeert with the scissors type self catch.

I now have read dun's post more carefully & stand corrected - self catch scissors. Have not seen that before - what trips it? I assume it somehow detects the animal's head & springs closed. But the trip mechanism seems challenging - is it high tech like led sensors or some such? I somehow doubt it.

 

[dun]

We use a Peifeert with the scissors type self catch.

I now have read dun's post more carefully & stand corrected - self catch scissors. Have not seen that before - what trips it? I assume it somehow detects the animal's head & springs closed. But the trip mechanism seems challenging - is it high tech like led sensors or some such? I somehow doubt it.

It has a spring to pull it shut and it's set to be opened at a specific width. When the animal hit's the openend gate, the hold open device slips and aloows the the spring to pull the scissors gate shut.
http://priefert.com/dynamic/product.php?ITEM_NO=HG91

dun

 

[rattler]

dun i have used one like that they are a depenable gate.peifert makes quaility products.

rattler

 

[Jake]

Priefert is a real quality product. I do like a feature that For-Most has that is a bar that comes up along the cow's belly so she can't go down, was really impressed by that idea and was wondering how it worked.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

It has a spring to pull it shut and it's set to be opened at a specific width. When the animal hit's the openend gate, the hold open device slips and aloows the the spring to pull the scissors gate shut.

That's exactly how mine works. I should have specified that my old Priefert scissor type is manual or automatic. I got mine in a swap.

katherine

 

[dun]

It has a spring to pull it shut and it's set to be opened at a specific width. When the animal hit's the openend gate, the hold open device slips and aloows the the spring to pull the scissors gate shut.

That's exactly how mine works. I should have specified that my old Priefert scissor type is manual or automatic. I got mine in a swap.

katherine

That's the beauty of the auto catch, you can use it manual if you want/need to. Hard to get the stright manual one to auto catch

dun

 

[Tod Dague]

I had a dumb as dirt moment with one of those Priefert auto catch head gates. Long story short my wife thankfully let me out before she thought to get the camera. She still regrets that.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

I had a dumb as dirt moment with one of those Priefert auto catch head gates. Long story short my wife thankfully let me out before she thought to get the camera. She still regrets that.

:lol: :lol: I love it! good thing she din't think about a branding iron as well as the camera!

 

[Tod Dague]

I had a dumb as dirt moment with one of those Priefert auto catch head gates. Long story short my wife thankfully let me out before she thought to get the camera. She still regrets that.

:lol: :lol: I love it! good thing she din't think about a branding iron as well as the camera!

:shock: :lol: :lol:

 

[Gale Seddon]

We have a priefert headgate, but left it in the open position one night...caught one of the big donkeys (from the wrong direction)...she stuck her head in there and wiggled and it closed on her. She was okay but doesn't go anywhere near it now and it's never left in the open position anymore either!

 

[MrGale]

we have a 450 w For-Most squeeze chute with the model 30 headgate on it....GREAT unit ! and it is totally mobile with the wheels. The gate works well on just about anything we throw at it.
we also have a Priefert auto shut that gale mentioned in the last post....if ya use that one get the piece that bolts on to the back of it so that the cow is standing on the floor plate and that holds the headgate....your runner panels just chain to the standing headgate....works pretty well.

 

[danl]

I had a dumb as dirt moment with one of those Priefert auto catch head gates. Long story short my wife thankfully let me out before she thought to get the camera. She still regrets that.

I just picked up a Priefert 91 , still in my truck.
Does that thing come with instuctions?
The guy where I got it said it didn't.
I don't want to end up like Tod, It is over a mile to my house and I don't think my wife can hear me that far.
Dan

 

[dun]

No instructions but they're pretty simple. http://www.agserver.net/windyridge/OTHE ... iefert.htm

dun

 

[Earl Thigpen]

What is everyone's preference for head gate's so that I can work my cattle. I have a holding pen, squeeze chute, etc. but now need to buy something to hold the cattle for any shots, ear tags, OR? Thank you. BTW, I sure learn a lot from you folks and it's very nice how you share so unselfishly to us novices.

I had to come back and read this again. I thought you said you had a squeeze chute and that's what you said. So if you have a squeeze chute why do you also need a head gate?

I've used a head gate for years and I don't like it and much prefer the squeeze chute. For one thing, the automatic head gates don't catch 100% and don't catch 20% if the animals have horns. Second, the head gate only captures the around the neck (obviously) allowing the rest of the animal to wave in the breeze in front of and behind the neck capture point and sometimes they hurt themselves. It's been my experience the animal has less chance of hurting itself and is more steady for vaccinating, casterating(sp), palping, branding or whatever, in a squeeze chute.

 

[Tod Dague]

I had a dumb as dirt moment with one of those Priefert auto catch head gates. Long story short my wife thankfully let me out before she thought to get the camera. She still regrets that.

I just picked up a Priefert 91 , still in my truck.
Does that thing come with instuctions?
The guy where I got it said it didn't.
I don't want to end up like Tod, It is over a mile to my house and I don't think my wife can hear me that far.
Dan

;-)