Headgate Help

[JeffK-MN]

We need some help with a Powder River headgate.
My son-in-law got a head gate from a nursing pen that we were told was made by Powder River. He took it off the pen and attached it on a alley.
The trouble we are having is it doesn't lock when the cow get her head in it.
We have made it smaller and larger sometimes the cow goes through with out locking and other the cow stops with the gate almost locked then backs up out of it,
What are we doing wrong? The gate works great with no cows in it. We've greased and oiled it up.
Thanks for any help Jeff

 

[Aaron]

Junk it. Buy a decent headgate from a company like Sioux Steel, or Stampede Steel. Or maybe even Priefert.

 

[kenny thomas]

Junk it. Buy a decent headgate from a company like Sioux Steel, or Stampede Steel. Or maybe even Priefert.

I dont usually say much about the bad brands but I used one of the Powder River tonight and I did not like it at all. First thing that happened was when the calf hit the head chute the side of the squeeze came open. Just lucky the calf had caught its self. He stated it had done the same thing several times before.

 

[greybeard]

Junk it. Buy a decent headgate from a company like Sioux Steel, or Stampede Steel. Or maybe even Priefert.

I dont usually say much about the bad brands but I used one of the Powder River tonight and I did not like it at all. First thing that happened was when the calf hit the head chute the side of the squeeze came open. Just lucky the calf had caught its self. He stated it had done the same thing several times before.

Musta been one of those fancy 'automatic release" gates Kenny. What will they think of next??

 

[dun]

When it is swung all the way back to catch the cow, is the front locking plate lower then the rear plate? Saw one once that the rear plate was lower then the front and the gate would skip right over the gap between the 2.

 

[M5farm]

Junk it. Buy a decent headgate from a company like Sioux Steel, or Stampede Steel. Or maybe even Priefert.

Sometimes people have to make do with what they have . He didn't ask what to buy he asked for help with the one he has.

 

[M5farm]

Like dun said the catch plates probably need adjusting.

 

[John SD]

Not familiar with a PR headgate, but any headgate won't work right when it gets some slop in the hinge joints and the sides get out of synch with each other and the latch. It's possible you need to put in new hinge bolts, or if necessary build up the holes the bolts go through and drill them out again.

 

[John SD]

Junk it. Buy a decent headgate from a company like Sioux Steel, or Stampede Steel. Or maybe even Priefert.

Sometimes people have to make do with what they have . He didn't ask what to buy he asked for help with the one he has.

True, but sometimes with old wore out stuff it is time to call it a day and replace it before someone gets hurt. Only the OP can make that call in this case.

One of the best decisions I made was to replace my once good Sioux headgate with a new For-Most. That new headgate has saved a lot of religion ;-) :lol:

 

[M5farm]

While I don't disagree with anything you said john. The OP asked for help with what he had. IIRC he has small herd and head gates are simple so they can be repaired and fixed easy. Sometimes its better to use a old head gate to understand what they want when they can upgrade. The one I use is 30+ years
Old.

 

[Aaron]

While I don't disagree with anything you said john. The OP asked for help with what he had. IIRC he has small herd and head gates are simple so they can be repaired and fixed easy. Sometimes its better to use a old head gate to understand what they want when they can upgrade. The one I use is 30+ years
Old.

I can only guess at how the mechanism is cobbled together on a PR, so unless I see a bunch of photos, the quickest way to fix it is junk it. 1/2 a calf nowadays will buy a nice headgate.

 

[highgrit]

To much or not enough grease or oil can cause problems.

 

[Kingfisher]

http://www.powderriver.com/files/Assemb ... %20Ins.pdf

 

[ga.prime]

Looks like the head knocking lever is missing.

 

[cow pollinater]

Is it at a perfect right angle with the ground? I have on set of corrals that is built on a slope and the only chute that works correctly there is the powder river but I don't know how their headgates are made in comparison to their chutes.
My priefert, which works flawlessly on flat ground, won't release it's side gate and the head gate sticks when I put it in that set of corrals. The old teco, which again works fine on flat ground, won't clamp on their heads unless you stick your hand in there and slam a metal piece backwards in that set of corrals and I've already lost two fingers and want to keep the rest of them so I leave the powder river there and move the others as needed.

 

[greybeard]

Fingers are over-rated....said the toes. ;-) 8)