Headhgates

[Tomcolvin]

I am looking at headgates. What thickness is an average to large bull neck thickness? My gate I have now goes up to almost 7”. Maybe 6-3/4”. It works great for cows and calves.

Is this wide enough so as not to cut his air off?

 

[SBMF 2015]

I am looking at headgates. What thickness is an average to large bull neck thickness? My gate I have now goes up to almost 7". Maybe 6-3/4". It works great for cows and calves.

Is this wide enough so as not to cut his air off?

Manual or auto catch?
Bulls have thick necks. You need to catch them right behind their ears. It’s the narrowest part of their neck

 

[Tomcolvin]

Manual or auto catch?
Bulls have thick necks. You need to catch them right behind their ears. It's the narrowest part of their neck

Auto catch

 

[Silver]

I find it best to not catch bulls, but rather just put them in the chute with headgate closed and a post behind.

 

[Tomcolvin]

Makes sense. I always have a time with mind. He is gentle until you close up his space then he gets uneasy and destructive. I’m fixing to vaccinate him and the herd next weekend. I have tried all kind of ways to handle him and for the last 2 times he has gotten what he needed but it took me 4 days to repair what he torn up. I made and installed a side discharge about 20 feet from my headgate, built a drop stop gate for preventing backing up and just got thru with a catch gate behind and in front of him so he can’t go back or forwards and it discharges thru the side gate. I had to line the chute so as to stop him from climbing. He is a handful but he is getting the shots where he likes it or not. Just have to be very careful when handling him. I don’t like to use the hotshot on any but sometimes it’s a must when he needs to move up a little bit more and won’t. I am 2 months behind with vaccines because of the hurricane Hellene. Worked on fence , 3 people for almost 4 weeks. The weekend we were set to vaccinate my main man fell off neighbors roof, we were helping replace some tin. Then I had to find help to replace him. He didn’t brake anything but stove him up quite a bit. Had new helper lined up for this weekend but 16” of rain in one evening and night had closed a lot of schools and roads. Now we are set for next weekend. I hope. Do you think two months is too long a space for yearly vaccines?

 

[kenny thomas]

Most chutes are adjustable. I open it up for the cows and bull and close it up for the calves.