Loading areas

[SmokinM]

I load from a trailer width alley. I am a strong believer in having a corner or bend in this alley. If you were to count all the cows/calves, weaned calves, and yearlings there is around 300 head go down this alley every year.
The first picture cattle get pushed through this red gate and down the alley. They tend to move right along as they can't see the end. The second picture I am standing to the left of the alley in the corner. If I were loading the trailer would be further back and to the left. The trailer door swings to the right. I sloped where the trailer is parked so gravity holds the door open while loading. The silver gate swings to the left along the fence and is held open being hooked on to a short finish nail in such a manner to hold it open but is easy to release. The gate swings nearly to the trailer gate. If needed they can be brought together very quickly. As I said we load a lot of cows with this system including some which are fairly waspy. I also dug out where the trailer sits so it is a very small step up into the trailer. That does help with loading. I stopped the dug out so that when the trailer wheels hit that edge I am the proper distance back into the slot. That helps take the guess work out of am I back far enough. The post on the left side of the trailer has a red reflector which make a good target to use when backing in.
We have hauled out as many as 100 pairs in an afternoon loading 10-12 cows at a time in trailers. Loading cows single file through a chute would just slow the process too much for us.

View attachment 31982View attachment 31983

That is pretty much the set up I am talking about Dave. Yours is a little longer and curved but that can certainly have its advantages. I load a lot of cattle out of a lot of different pens and that setup seems to work best.

 

[Dave]

That is pretty much the set up I am talking about Dave. Yours is a little longer and curved but that can certainly have its advantages. I load a lot of cattle out of a lot of different pens and that setup seems to work best.

I am a huge fan of curves or bends in the alley. B's place that gets thousands of head through in a year has a long alley with 4 pens to sort into along the alley. The end is about a 75 degree turn and you are into the trailer. There is actually 2 crowd gates which don't allow the cows to turn back.

I helped a neighbor haul a bunch of cows a year ago. They had a straight too wide alley to the trailers. They were having a tough time getting the cows to load. The cows could see the dead end from 100 feet back. There were some panels there I suggested that we set them up to make a corner. We did that and the cows loaded much easier. Second and third generation on this ranch just doing it the way grandpa always did it. They commented multiple times on how much better this worked.

 

[SDM]

This is my pretty plain set up, but so far it's worked. You can't really see in the pic, but the angle is such that the trailer gate rests against the green gate which for this calf was just tied to the trailer. The plan was and still is to build a "wall" the length of that green gate about 10' out from that green gate. Pull through creating a 90* between the trailer and the alley. Where the red gate is would be a real crowd gate to sweep them into the trailer. This set up is working for my low volume system, maybe one day I can get around to improvements. Obviously these gates wouldn't stand up to any real pressure. It's just me and my cows are used to nobody being in a big hurry. I borrow a bull and while he's calm, when he rests his chin on that green gate it makes me nervous.

 

[Hpacres440p]

This is my pretty plain set up, but so far it's worked. You can't really see in the pic, but the angle is such that the trailer gate rests against the green gate which for this calf was just tied to the trailer. The plan was and still is to build a "wall" the length of that green gate about 10' out from that green gate. Pull through creating a 90* between the trailer and the alley. Where the red gate is would be a real crowd gate to sweep them into the trailer. This set up is working for my low volume system, maybe one day I can get around to improvements. Obviously these gates wouldn't stand up to any real pressure. It's just me and my cows are used to nobody being in a big hurry. I borrow a bull and while he's calm, when he rests his chin on that green gate it makes me nervous.

View attachment 31994

That is very similar to what we had set up. Now picture the steer turning around at the trailer, can't go back where he came from, so went over your (my)green panel. So now, we narrowed down to single-width alley, which he still tries to turn in rather than step up. Digging out the tires was started, of course not enough, so digging more out to flatten the trailer step. Feeding out of the trailer, but I want him to keep eating since he's leaving next Friday for processing-he stretches out one leg, but won't commit to standing up. If the feed is too far forward, he just leaves it.

 

[SDM]

I can surely imagine it. I've also imagined how long it would take one to get inside the town limits from here and who I'd call to help me. I don't have a horse or a rope. Management here is pretty relaxed, so if it won't work today, I just try again tomorrow. Not possible for everyone I know, and hopefullly as the herd grows I can become a little more serious. Making my facilities able to withstand a little more pressure is the plan.

 

[ClinchValley86]

That is very similar to what we had set up. Now picture the steer turning around at the trailer, can't go back where he came from, so went over your (my)green panel. So now, we narrowed down to single-width alley, which he still tries to turn in rather than step up. Digging out the tires was started, of course not enough, so digging more out to flatten the trailer step. Feeding out of the trailer, but I want him to keep eating since he's leaving next Friday for processing-he stretches out one leg, but won't commit to standing up. If the feed is too far forward, he just leaves it.

He's smart.

 

[alacowman1]

If it's wet I'll load out the side ..or out front during dry weather

 

[Hpacres440p]

He's smart.

I suppose he remembers his last trip involved demasculating….

 

[Dave]

I am a firm believer in not raising dust or your voice when handling cattle. The one exception to this is when loading cattle. Once they start up that alley there is a crazy man maybe two behind them. Yelling, slapping the ground with a rattle paddle, on their butt, making them run. They are in the trailer before they have time to turn around. Slow and gentle works most of the time. But you have to know when a hard push is the thing.

 

[farmerjan]

I am a firm believer in not raising dust or your voice when handling cattle. The one exception to this is when loading cattle. Once they start up that alley there is a crazy man maybe two behind them. Yelling, slapping the ground with a rattle paddle, on their butt, making them run. They are in the trailer before they have time to turn around. Slow and gentle works most of the time. But you have to know when a hard push is the thing.

We are basically the same... in the chute and try to not get too loud... going up the alley, they are pushed so they can't think too much about it. Some are too smart for their britches... luckily the calves learn young that mom is going so no big deal... we truck cattle to pastures and home from pastures and the cows are pretty used to the routine so the calves go right along... there are a few though....
Do you have a cow that is a grain hog? Someone that will push you over for a bucket? Put them in together and if this steer sees the cow getting to the bucket first, might just forget and go on with her... and sort her back onto the trailer at the slaughter place...

 

[Hpacres440p]

We are basically the same... in the chute and try to not get too loud... going up the alley, they are pushed so they can't think too much about it. Some are too smart for their britches... luckily the calves learn young that mom is going so no big deal... we truck cattle to pastures and home from pastures and the cows are pretty used to the routine so the calves go right along... there are a few though....
Do you have a cow that is a grain hog? Someone that will push you over for a bucket? Put them in together and if this steer sees the cow getting to the bucket first, might just forget and go on with her... and sort her back onto the trailer at the slaughter place...

Our other steer is a grain hog, but was also part of the no load last week (at that point, whoever got on the trailer was going). Used him as a Judas steer last fall-he was smaller and more easily convinced back then. We'll try him again though. Cows are all short-AI'd, don't want to screw that up too by hauling in the heat.
Lowered the trailer this evening and added a thin stall mat for better traction. Got some progress…..(larger volume = better handling through group influence, I suppose).
Small-timer issues…

 

[bird dog]

A long rope tied to the gate that when pulled will slap him in the rear end will get him into the trailer. I have loaded a bull out out in the open pasture like this. It will startle them enough to jump forward. Then you just need to hold on tight.

 

[kenny thomas]

If you can walk in behind him to take pictures just walk on up and make him load. Dont allow him to decide. He is far enough forward in those pictures so you can walk in and close the door behind him and he has no choice but load.

 

[Ebenezer]

I load groups of cattle and sheep onto trailers from the same 8' gate. It is from a 12' alley that has cut gates to get the final holding area where the gate and trailer rear to be 16' X 12'. I got tired of ring around the rosy with non-loaders so I hung an 8' gate on the middle post. I can get on the end and swing the gate around without being behind it and effectively narrow the loading area to 8' X 12'. If something goes nuts and hits the gate I am on end to not get hurt. I have known of too many folks trying to push animals with a gate and really getting hurt badly.

 

[4hfarms]

We tried to load our bull in Feb for the butcher. He wouldn't load for anything. We fed in the trailer, He didn't eat for 2 days. We tried treats and pushing him in. He backed up when we were 2ft to closed. He landed me on my rear and then he went through the 2x6 wall and over, mostly, the electric wire.
Sooo.... Just asked the electric company a couple weeks back for the old poles. Gave me 4. Have 10ea 8ft posts to build new.

 

[Hpacres440p]

Success!!! Dug out tires, added 300 lbs of sand to make a better "ramp" covered with a stall mat. Moved his pasture buddy away (he was actually a bully and would block access to the trailer). Stuck his head in a bucket of feed and led him right on in-haha!!! Irritants behind and in flight zone (which is none) weren't working. Had to think like a scared steer. 3 more days to practice then load and go.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

Nice when you get things working. He looks calm.

 

[Hpacres440p]

Got him loaded and to the processor this afternoon. No stress, no bawling, a little snort here and there when the cut gate was closed. Thanks for all the advice! Ended up walking him onto the trailer with the help of the ramp build up and tires dug out.

 

[wbvs58]

Well done.

Ken

 

[tex452]

We can load out from two places in this pen, one is 6' wide one is narrow.