Hi All! I am new here.....have been finishing a few cattle for @ 6 years. We are trying to expand & do things the right way. Up until now we have not had much of a handling system & luckily did not need it. We are trying to remodel an existing building. I have Black Angus cattle ranging from 400 to 1300lbs. I am thinking that I would like to put in a feeding system that includes headlocks. Thinking I can use these to catch them easily for delice/deworm & sorting instead of running them through a chute. They are already vaccinated when I recieve them. I have not used headlocks before. Will this work? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Headlocks
- Thread starter eviebeam
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fit2btied
Well-known member
No experience with them, but :welcome: .
They'll work but the problem is trying to find them anymore. When dairys went to herring/parabone parlors the stanchions went to scrap. You can find a few companys that still manufacture new ones but they are really pricey
hillsdown
Well-known member
There used to be plans available on line somewhere so if you are handy you could build them yourself. Freestyle dairies sometimes still use them at the feed bunk and they can pull a lever at either end that locks all the cattle in place while they are eating. friends still use that system to AI the cows .
Kicked around the idea of building them here a few times.
Kicked around the idea of building them here a few times.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Many of the Amish dairy's in Penn. still use them but as Dun said most are older.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Hillsdown, how well do they work to AI. Sure would be faster.
Kingfisher
Well-known member
. I have Black Angus cattle ranging from 400 to 1300lbs.
Welcome. Just curious. You got any pictures of your 1300lb Angus ? Thanks in advance.
Welcome. Just curious. You got any pictures of your 1300lb Angus ? Thanks in advance.
Kingfisher
Well-known member
Do you think a beef cow will go for that? I guess if they are " use" to them.........anybody got some pictures? I was thinking aboutkenny thomas":1v8lttsc said:
that a couple of months ago. I think that might be how they do things in Germany on some beef farms?
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Most of mine will stick their head through a crack in an outhouse if they think there is something to eat in there. I think they could be trained to it very quickly.
Kingfisher
Well-known member
kenny thomas said:
Once they get used to them they work really well. Until we got a squeeze that's what we used. They're just awkward for doing anything in front because of the feeder part. They can also get a bit crowded if you have them full and you have to get up next to their necks for giving shots, but for AI they work really wellkenny thomas":2qc33x47 said:
Kingfisher
Well-known member
Are they in a chute too?dun":29ngkjn5 said:
Thanks for the replies! I think I am going to go ahead & try them. Hoping it will be easier since it is typically a 1 woman show around here. Fortunately, I do live in PA & there are some small companies that still make them affordably (mostly for dairies). As for pictures....I don't have any currently, we just sent a couple to the butcher. I am guessing on weight considerring they dressed around 715lbs. There is a website that has photos of headlocks www.zimmermanequipment.com they are a little pricier than a couple other small companies. Again, thank you!
BILL CLAYLAND
Well-known member
I had a chance to buy some used Headlocks that were made by Zimmerman.
They are owned by a fellow in Pa that has dairy cows.
I still may end up with them, as we don't have a head gate yet.
There is a lot of that type used equipment in this area of the world.
Our place is 2 miles from york county PA and Lancaster is the next county over.
They are owned by a fellow in Pa that has dairy cows.
I still may end up with them, as we don't have a head gate yet.
There is a lot of that type used equipment in this area of the world.
Our place is 2 miles from york county PA and Lancaster is the next county over.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Headlocks work great. I have a friend that has an outside concrete lot with 30 head locks. When he does spring/fall work up or AI or anything, you just trip one lever and they are all caught. Doesn't take anytime to teach them to use them.
We have a single one in two pens & a larger pen with 5 in it. Ours are self catch. You change a lever & when the cow puts her head in, it locks.
I use it for calving. When a calf is born, I put down some grain & walk away. When mom is caught, I go in SAFELY & doctor newborn by myself.
We have a single one in two pens & a larger pen with 5 in it. Ours are self catch. You change a lever & when the cow puts her head in, it locks.
I use it for calving. When a calf is born, I put down some grain & walk away. When mom is caught, I go in SAFELY & doctor newborn by myself.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
BTW - :welcome: from New York. You shouldn't have any trouble finding a place that builds them in Pa. We have a Menenite place near us.
