Loading Cattle

[LuckyLegs]

I am rebuilding my working pen and chute and have a few options to run by everyone. Currently, I was planning on loading into my trailer from a 10" wide alley off of my catch pen - cattle swept into this alley via gate. As I am building a new working chute, I can extend the chute length another 12 ft to reach the end of my barn and back up trailer to chute and load through the chute headgate. The chute would cut my barn in half if it were extended another 12ft and would make maneuvering inside more difficult. Is it worth to extend or do you guys load from alleys w/o much trouble. Trailer rear door is single swing-open.

Thanks

 

[HOSS]

Lucky,

My working pens are set up so that I can load through a wide gate or through the squeeze / headgate. For me it mostly depends on the animal. I have some that will load themselves out in an open pasture, some that will load through the wide gate and some that I only load through the squeeze chute. I don't have any wild cows but some get antsy when pressured. It is not worth it to get hurt because a cow spooks and turns back on me in that 10 ft space. It is too close confines for my likeing. I would advise loading through a chute whenever possible. They can only go one direction and can't turn back. Much safer for the handlers and over-all less pressure and stress put on the animal. As you try to turn one back and force it on a trailer the adrenaline builds up and the cattle develop more stress. I prefer to walk them thru the chute and right onto the trailer with minimal fuss. It is well worth using the additional space to stay safe while at the same time keeping the cattle calm.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Hoss makes good points.

I prefer a sweep gate in behind to push them into small trailers and a ramped chute for large loads.

 

[xbred]

i would rather load cattle through a chute...

 

[AudieWyoming]

I like to back the trailer up to an alley with the gate hung opposite of the trailer gate, opened to the inside. This way you can use the corral gate to crowd,then end up at the trailer gate for the final crowd-up. Its nice if you have another gate hinged from the other side two gate lenths back you can bring with you as you run them up. @

 

[novatech]

I like to back the trailer up to an alley with the gate hung opposite of the trailer gate, opened to the inside. This way you can use the corral gate to crowd,then end up at the trailer gate for the final crowd-up. Its nice if you have another gate hinged from the other side two gate lenths back you can bring with you as you run them up. @

I have a similar set up but with 2 gates at the exit so I can adjust for single slide or full swing. Never the less the crowding gate behind them just behind the trailer is the key and works well.

 

[bird dog]

I have one of each on different places and I prefer the chute. If you have a chute full they are usually ready to get out of it and the big trailer looks good through their eyes. In the alley they all stand there until one decides he wants to load then they all go at once and try to cram 2000 lbs of beef through a 1000 lb opening. I'm sure some of the meat gets bruised this way.

 

[tsmaxx47]

wouldn't use anything but my chute. i open the side gate of the chute, back the trailer up so the trailer gate swings inside the chute's side gate and run them in. after they are loaded the trailer gate just swings shut because it was opened inside of the side gate. this method keeps me out of the cow's way. before i had them getting turned around in the alley way and that just creates alot of problems. good luck !

tmax

 

[LuckyLegs]

Thanks to all for the input, I am thinking the chute option makes more sense. I will try and post a few pics when I am done building.
thanks again.

 

[SRBeef]

Temple Grandin shows a loading chute plan on her website that says they should be exactly 30" inside width. I built a loading ramp of the end of my chute so that by swinging a solid wooden gate/door they can either go back to pasture or into the ramp when coming out of the chute. This works very well. Even if the lead animal hesitates to go in the trailer, the ones behind push him ahead.

A question. You may be limited by an existing setup but why have a chute inside a barn? Why not put the alley chute and ramps outside? This may eliminate your maneuvering problems and also eliminate the dark spots/shadows etc which cause cattle to hesitate. good luck.

Jim