Looking for opinions Regarding working pens and chutes

[Bryan L]

Hi all,

I'm in the market for a crowding tub, alley, palpation station and chute. I have future plans for a weigh station, but lack of $$$ at present prevents it. I've looked at a number of different manufacturers and really don't have an opposition to any of them, I just want to get the biggest bang for my buck and at the same time keep everybody SAFE! If I had to choose a favorite, it would be the powder River equipment. Im fairly certain I want to stay away from Tarter.

I'd like to any opinions, good, bad and ugly as far as the different manufactures. Also, what would you consider fair pricing? I have a quote for a Powder River 'Rancher' tub & alley, palpation station and the S 2000 self catch chute/head gate priced at just under $10,100.00 including tax.

Any thoughts would be very appreciative!

Regards,

Bryan L

 

[backhoeboogie]

My opinion is build them yourself. You need a head gate.

Go to a sale barn. Look at the systems they build. Those are all fabricated. Don't know that I have ever seen a store bought set up at a sale barn. They handle some wild cattle at times. Seen cows come thru that look as though they never saw humans before.

My portable is built out of 3 inch tube steel and lined with 4 inch grid sheep panel. Chutes, medina gates, cut gates, loading chute, and pen cost less than $1500. Head gate cost $300 used.

I've got two squeeze chutes. Had to drag one out of brush and rebuild it. Old rancher gave it to me. Neither are pretty but both are solid. Work great. They are not the prettiest things but I am proud of every piece I own.

Get yourself a welder. If you don't know how to weld, learn. It's not hard. You need patience.

 

[Kingfisher]

Prifert auto headgate. I agree with buy a welder too.

 

[branguscowgirl]

I have the PR sweep and palpation gates. I really like them. I have the portable sweep. I use to have a huge, solid wall PR sweep with an S shaped ally, but it took up a lot of space. It was more than what I needed so I downsized. I have an older squeeze that is need of some repair, but gets the job done. I like my PR stuff, but think I would buy a Priefert squeeze if I had the bucks.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Yes. It is not assembled currently. I have some pics of it somewhere. Old computers crashed but the pics of it were on disc.

A couple of people have tried to buy it.

I build hay cradles out of old trampoline frames. Nephews, friends and others have looked out for me. I have a dozen cradles and now have two old frames. One frame is super heavy. I've considered building a half tub. Also have considered trying a whole tub with both frames. If I build it, it won't be for me. I would sell it.

 

[jedstivers]

There's lots of good ones out there but most have diffrent grades also so watch for that. You mentioned tax, if your close to MO there's not any tax on that Ag stuff there but I don't know if there any other states like that.
Post your question over here too. http://talk.newagtalk.com/forums/forum-view.asp?fid=12

 

[jedstivers]

Here's one too.
http://talk.newagtalk.com/classifieds/C ... x?id=20871

 

[Bryan L]

My opinion is build them yourself. You need a head gate.

Go to a sale barn. Look at the systems they build. Those are all fabricated. Don't know that I have ever seen a store bought set up at a sale barn. They handle some wild cattle at times. Seen cows come thru that look as though they never saw humans before.

My portable is built out of 3 inch tube steel and lined with 4 inch grid sheep panel. Chutes, medina gates, cut gates, loading chute, and pen cost less than $1500. Head gate cost $300 used.

I've got two squeeze chutes. Had to drag one out of brush and rebuild it. Old rancher gave it to me. Neither are pretty but both are solid. Work great. They are not the prettiest things but I am proud of every piece I own.

Get yourself a welder. If you don't know how to weld, learn. It's not hard. You need patience.

The sale barn in my area uses the Powder River Equipment, chutes, sweeps, gates etc. That's really why I started looking at them. If it can stand up to that pounding, it can certainly handle anything I throw at it.

I intended to and would prefer to build my own pen as I built the one that I just pushed down roughly 25 years ago. I own a head gate and a welder, I just don't have the time right now, this is a part time gig and I travel with the full time job.

I appreciate the suggestion very much, but I'm interested in what people thoughts and opinions are on Powder River, WW and Preifert for that matter.
Thanks again!

 

[Bryan L]

Here's one too.
http://talk.newagtalk.com/classifieds/C ... x?id=20871

Thank you sir!

 

[Bryan L]

I have the PR sweep and palpation gates. I really like them. I have the portable sweep. I use to have a huge, solid wall PR sweep with an S shaped ally, but it took up a lot of space. It was more than what I needed so I downsized. I have an older squeeze that is need of some repair, but gets the job done. I like my PR stuff, but think I would buy a Priefert squeeze if I had the bucks.

Branguscowgirl,

Good info! Thank you. As I talk with other people, there's no question about the quality of the powder River equip, it's just really expensive. As my thinking about the topic evolves, I'm not sure I want to spend quite that much. There are features and benefits about the WW and Preifert systems that I like as well and there are priced a bit better. What to do?
Thanks,

Bryan

 

[greybeard]

Priefert is good but some of their sweeps is too light. I have one of their head gates and sweeps--the head gate is good, sweep is ok, but the alley is too light. They some better alley panels, but I cheaped out and regret it. Buy the heaviest stuff your budget allows for.

 

[dun]

I vote for Preifert, sweep and chute

 

[Bryan L]

Priefert is good but some of their sweeps is too light. I have one of their head gates and sweeps--the head gate is good, sweep is ok, but the alley is too light. They some better alley panels, but I cheaped out and regret it. Buy the heaviest stuff your budget allows for.

Greybeard,

That's good to know! Preifert makes the premier, rough stock and sheeted sweep and alley. The premier version does 'look' lighter than the other two. I haven't looked up the weights of each style. Are you referring to that one? Thanks in advance.

Bryan

 

[branguscowgirl]

Bryan I don't know how many cattle you need to work, but the PR portable sweep is plenty stout. I saved some money by making my own alley out of just heavy duty panels. My pens are set up so I only push a few into the sweep and alley at a time. Just depends on the volume of cattle and how your pens are set up. I can look it up, but I did now pay that much for my system.

 

[Bryan L]

Bryan I don't know how many cattle you need to work, but the PR portable sweep is plenty stout. I saved some money by making my own alley out of just heavy duty panels. My pens are set up so I only push a few into the sweep and alley at a time. Just depends on the volume of cattle and how your pens are set up. I can look it up, but I did now pay that much for my system.

Branguscowgirl,

We're currently running 20 head of registered Brangus and Ultrablack's and will expand to 30 head maximum. My plan is to also run a 15-25 head commercial herd (5 head currently). I've got 1 registered Brangus bull with plans to add another. I work them twice a year and all the heifers we keep are AI'ed.

The main barn on my farm was built in 1940 by my grandfather and dad. The southern barns of that era almost always had a hall running thru the center of it and mine is roughly 40 feet long and 10 feet wide. My idea was to install several gates there to serve as sorting pens and have the sweep at or near the end. I could also use it as a 'bud box' if push came to shove! The stalls are 12 feet wide on either side of the hall and there's lean to's ( if I spelled that right) on either side of the stalls. I say all that to give you an idea of the set up and my thinking. I want to put the equipment in the barn because it keeps it out of the weather, it keeps me out of the mud and it's well lit.

I will run the alley at a right angle to the hall with the headgate, chute and palpation station under the lean to. From there turn them back out into the pasture or to a loading chute. I never owned one but, the idea of an adjustable alley really sounds appealing to me. Any thoughts are welcome!

I ran across the WW chute with the built in palpation station. Does anyone have an opinion of those?

Thanks in advance,

Bryan

 

[branguscowgirl]

It sounds like you have a very nice barn to work under! You also have plenty of space to work with, so I do not blame you for wanting a nice system. I do not know anything about WW. Hopefully someone here will.

 

[jallen]

I recently bought a prefiert, love that thing. Simple to use and sturdy as can be

 

[jedstivers]

WW is very good stuff.

 

[greybeard]

Priefert is good but some of their sweeps is too light. I have one of their head gates and sweeps--the head gate is good, sweep is ok, but the alley is too light. They some better alley panels, but I cheaped out and regret it. Buy the heaviest stuff your budget allows for.

Greybeard,

That's good to know! Preifert makes the premier, rough stock and sheeted sweep and alley. The premier version does 'look' lighter than the other two. I haven't looked up the weights of each style. Are you referring to that one? Thanks in advance.

Bryan

Yes the Premier. The curved parts and the aley sections that the squeezechute and head gate attach to are heavier than the standard 12' Premier panels, but a regular 12' Premier panel is pretty light. Ok for calves and docile cattle but I wish I had gone with the rough stock panels for the whole pen.
A standard 12' Premier panel weighs 90 lbs and chains together.
A standard 12' Rough Stock panel weighs 122lbs and pins together.
I have not had any wrecks with my pen and sweep/headgate, and to be honest, I do like the chain connections too, better than the pin together panels I've used before--makes it easy to move and set back up in a different way and allows for uneven ground. I don't remember the # on my headgate, but it's the auto catch, which you can also use manually.

 

[cow pollinater]

I have both preifert and a powder river chutes. I greatly prefer the powder river for anything even a notch over dog gentle. I haven't used any panels or gates other than powder river for years but that's for a reason for that and I won't buy anything else. They'll hold whatever you put in them. They're expensive but it's a one time investment.