It’s time for a chute

[AmandaQ]

I thought I could get by without a chute but I need one. Please share the logistics of what goes with it. I don’t have an indoor barn. I need it to hold a 1500 lb cow and a 800 lb cow and hopefully my calf eventually. Remember I make zero bucks off my girls so the cheaper the better. I found someone that makes them nearby for $1200. It could be a head catch, not really sure the difference. But I’m struggling with what is needed once it gets here. Is it concreted in? Do I need railings. It’s hard to buy something you have never seen in action. Trying not to get bamboozled in this process. And as always, thanks for sharing your expertise! (A calf cuddle picture just because!)

 

[chaded]

Head catch is just that, catches the head. Squeeze chute is a bigger unit that not only catches the head but can squeeze the body and secure the animal. The chute is better but many have used head gates just fine and having gentle cattle would help with that quite a bit.

Ideally the chute would be on concrete under a roof but the reality is it can sit out in the air on the ground. Longevity and upkeep would be the bigger concern with the latter option.

The general principle with working facilities would be a catch pen/corral, alleyway leading from that to chute. A lot of ways to "skin this cat." I would suggest looking online/youtube to get an idea of handling facilities. I'm sure I missed something…

 

[TCRanch]

Yay! Safety first - for you and your cattle.

You could get by with just a headgate and panels you can move to squeeze them. And logistically, even just a headgate needs a means of capturing and subsequently getting them into the chute/headgate. Do you have any sort of corral? That said, $1200 sounds like a bargain if it's the whole chute. It's hard to find a used one for that amount.

 

[TCRanch]

@chaded wins for best answer. But thinking outside the box . . . . I have a loafing shed with gates that swing in/out and in a pinch, I have used it to treat cows and calves. Get 'em in the shed, swing and secure the gate to one of the back panels and they're trapped in a V-shaped enclosure. I usually then use a halter to secure their head (depending on what I'm treating and docility). They're not cheap but you have the bonus of a shelter that they'll use (in my experience) a lot.

And no, none of my chutes are on concrete and are all outside. The Priefert at the barn is on crusher rock to stabilize it but the Arrowquip and Titan are just in their respective pastures (with corrals).

 

[Travlr]

I thought I could get by without a chute but I need one. Please share the logistics of what goes with it. I don't have an indoor barn. I need it to hold a 1500 lb cow and a 800 lb cow and hopefully my calf eventually. Remember I make zero bucks off my girls so the cheaper the better. I found someone that makes them nearby for $1200. It could be a head catch, not really sure the difference. But I'm struggling with what is needed once it gets here. Is it concreted in? Do I need railings. It's hard to buy something you have never seen in action. Trying not to get bamboozled in this process. And as always, thanks for sharing your expertise! (A calf cuddle picture just because!)

It would be nice to see pics of the $1200 unit.

This is a simple stanchion that you can build out of scrap lumber.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

MurrysMutts has advised using steel corral panel set on wood posts and corral panel gate. You lure them in then close the gate on them mashing them up against the the other corral panel and chain it. Maybe he will come on here and explain it. Cheap way to work several cows.

 

[MurraysMutts]

It works ok on CALM animals!

Ok. And a few rowdy smaller calves too.

@AmandaQ
If ya wanna see one in action, visit the local sale barn and watch em work a few thru the chute.

 

[wbvs58]

Amanda if you explain to us why you have decided you need one now and what you need to achieve with it and photos of any yards, shelters and panels/gates you already have then some economical recommendations can be better targeted for you.

Ken

 

[cowman82]

careful of those cheap headgates. most are manual adjusting width which usually never works out and they need to be secured really good... like to a barn beam. they just dont' work very well at all. i'd rather use some gates as mentioned or make an alley for them to go through and trap them in there.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Google medina hinge gate. That's all we had in my childhood. That and a loading chute.

I have 3 sets now. My portable which has a makeshift squeeze and a store bought head gate. It also has a medina hinge and that's all I use about 75% of the time.

Sold one farm and brought a unit home. all the working pens. Just torched them off at ground level and then welded pipe extensions back onto the posts. Scales, squeeze chute and everything else. That place is an HOA now. They didn't want pens there taking up real estate.

Then an elderly couple gave me an old squeeze that was in 18 pieces and had brush growing thru it. I got it back together for one of my daughter's places but she thought it "too old". Its manual and they bought a hydraulic unit. Also a turn table for cutting calves etc.

Longhorns can't be worked in normal chutes. Most all of the ranchers use rugged medina hinge units. You need to know exactly what to do tho.

When you go to a rodeo and see bullriders "come out the gate" those pens they mount on are very similar to medina hinge gates.

 

[TexasJerseyMilker]

Is there a picture of these medina hinge gates? The links I find to photos are no longer good.

 

[AmandaQ]

Amanda if you explain to us why you have decided you need one now and what you need to achieve with it and photos of any yards, shelters and panels/gates you already have then some economical recommendations can be better targeted for you.

Ken

The medical situation I’m currently in the middle of with the calf has shown me I want to give great care and without it, that just isn’t going to continue to be possible. I can’t really give shots to the older two because they aren’t contained. And the calf is currently letting me push her into a corner of our one run in stall but that won’t continue much longer. The chances that my calf never needs antibiotics again seem pretty slim if she survives the sepsis of her fetlock growthplate that we are treating now. If I had a chute while mama cow was pregnant, we would have known a calf was coming and everything would be different now. I can’t change the past but I can switch up how I care for them all in the future. I would like to keep my one 10x20 stall for bad weather and isolation if necessary (it has gates but they are usually left open.) I’m hopping to put the chute in a corner of my property and if I needed to cover it, I guess I could. I have nothing at all in my pasture other than the one stall.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Sounds like a maternity pen would be about perfect. Self contained, usable to vaccinate a couple. Definitely easier for calving difficulties.

 

[OBAX]

If you only have 3 head it’s silly to own a squeeze chute. If they are at all gentle you should be able to squeeze them into a corner with a panel or a gate.

 

[Travlr]

The medical situation I'm currently in the middle of with the calf has shown me I want to give great care and without it, that just isn't going to continue to be possible. I can't really give shots to the older two because they aren't contained. And the calf is currently letting me push her into a corner of our one run in stall but that won't continue much longer. The chances that my calf never needs antibiotics again seem pretty slim if she survives the sepsis of her fetlock growthplate that we are treating now. If I had a chute while mama cow was pregnant, we would have known a calf was coming and everything would be different now. I can't change the past but I can switch up how I care for them all in the future. I would like to keep my one 10x20 stall for bad weather and isolation if necessary (it has gates but they are usually left open.) I'm hopping to put the chute in a corner of my property and if I needed to cover it, I guess I could. I have nothing at all in my pasture other than the one stall.

Did you see the stanchion video I posted?

 

[wbvs58]

The medical situation I'm currently in the middle of with the calf has shown me I want to give great care and without it, that just isn't going to continue to be possible. I can't really give shots to the older two because they aren't contained. And the calf is currently letting me push her into a corner of our one run in stall but that won't continue much longer. The chances that my calf never needs antibiotics again seem pretty slim if she survives the sepsis of her fetlock growthplate that we are treating now. If I had a chute while mama cow was pregnant, we would have known a calf was coming and everything would be different now. I can't change the past but I can switch up how I care for them all in the future. I would like to keep my one 10x20 stall for bad weather and isolation if necessary (it has gates but they are usually left open.) I'm hopping to put the chute in a corner of my property and if I needed to cover it, I guess I could. I have nothing at all in my pasture other than the one stall.

I think you are half way there with your shelter. Have another look at how @TCRanch recommended using a loafing shed and @backhoeboogie also recommended a Medina hinge, all would be simple to adapt to your existing shelter.

Ken

 

[TCRanch]

I would like to keep my one 10x20 stall for bad weather and isolation if necessary (it has gates but they are usually left open.)

And there you go. All you need is a few portable panels and some t-posts. Nothing is permanent. If you need to treat a cow or calf, drive in the t-posts, rig up the panels with baling wire &/or chains, using your existing gates. A head gate would be nice but not necessary. Get a heavy-duty halter, maybe some hobbles, and a big-azz stick or pipe to place behind the bovine so they can't back up in your makeshift chute/alley.

 

[AmandaQ]

Did you see the stanchion video I posted?

Yes Travlr I did but I'm a suburban mother who installed a mailbox once and was very proud of that endeavor! My level of ability is very low! And my cows are very nice until it's time to stab them. I saw my big girl having a fit in the UGA chute/tilt table. (Her eyes almost bulged out of her head when her feet came off the ground.) I think cows that are used to being treated like cows are a little more comfortable being in a chute/alley/stanchion. But, having an idea of what I need means I could hire someone to help me build it. (On a side note, I was pulling wire yesterday to learn about electricity and REALLY struggled getting the protective coating off to install an electrical plug.) All of this needed to be when I was young and had upper body strength.

 

[AmandaQ]

If you only have 3 head it's silly to own a squeeze chute. If they are at all gentle you should be able to squeeze them into a corner with a panel or a gate.

I've been trying to stab them (the two big ones) with an ivermectin shot to get rid of lice while they are eating but they run away as soon as they feel the medicine start to go in. I think they are very nice in normal conditions but I am starting to worry about the sassy one (about 700 lbs) kicking me if I put her in a corner like I do the calf. (My calf is growing up being shot often and stuished in the corner. She is currently getting good at this from practice!) I also thought the chute was unnecessary until I really needed it!

 

[AmandaQ]

It works ok on CALM animals!

Ok. And a few rowdy smaller calves too.

@AmandaQ
If ya wanna see one in action, visit the local sale barn and watch em work a few thru the chute

And there you go. All you need is a few portable panels and some t-posts. Nothing is permanent. If you need to treat a cow or calf, drive in the t-posts, rig up the panels with baling wire &/or chains, using your existing gates. A head gate would be nice but not necessary. Get a heavy-duty halter, maybe some hobbles, and a big-azz stick or pipe to place behind the bovine so they can't back up in your makeshift chute/alley.

If this works, my husband will be SO happy. I am the cautionary tale of not doing research, just loving cows and thinking that they were the cheapest of all the farm animals! HAHAHA!