Priefert s04 and palp cage. With load bars

[Chapin81]

Hey everyone I'm finally getting to installing the chute, palp cage and Truetest HD1010 load bars. I do have a question.

Obviously the chute is sitting higher than the palp cage because of the load bars. The cage now is hanging off the ground but secured to the chute. I zeroed my scales on the indicator and place a 95lb bag of cement and it read 95lbs perfectly. Due to this extra weight in the rear/palp cage. Will I get false readings from time to time? As long as I make sure zero shows on the indicator before I let another cow in should the weight be accurate all the time or will it be a false weight??

Thanks to all in advance

On a side note I was thinking of just laying cement underneath so it's sitting perfectly. What do you guys think. FYI I deal with cows that are scared of their own shadow only my bulls are calm(somewhat)

 

[bird dog]

As long as nothing is touching something permanent like a post. You are good to go. The chute should shake on the load bars. If it doesn't, the bolts are to tight.
Do you have the scales bolted down? Also the brackets that that connect the chute to the bars need to be tight against the chute to where it angles to the wider part of the bottom. Otherwise the cows hitting the head gate will move it forward. Last it might be best to run the scale cables inside a piece of PVC under the chute. Zip tie all the cables to where nothing is loose.

 

[Chapin81]

As long as nothing is touching something permanent like a post. You are good to go. The chute should shake on the load bars. If it doesn't, the bolts are to tight.
Do you have the scales bolted down? Also the brackets that that connect the chute to the bars need to be tight against the chute to where it angles to the wider part of the bottom. Otherwise the cows hitting the head gate will move it forward. Last it might be best to run the scale cables inside a piece of PVC under the chute. Zip tie all the cables to where nothing is loose.

Ok got it! Everything you mentioned is done except bolting the scales to the concrete which should be done in the next day or so. And I was thinking of running a metal resistant Flex tube looks like a mesh to protect the load bar cables and of course using zip ties.

 

[Philip-TX]

I built my own palp cage, but this is what I did for unlevel ground.
Brackets/mounts that slide up/down.
Pics =1000 words.

 

[Lucky]

@Chapin81 We have the same setup but have a Pearson chute and palpation cage with the HD5T load bars. Instead of bolting the cage to the chute we anchored it to the concrete about 1" from the back of the chute and then bolted it to the alley way. The step up doesn't bother the cattle and the cage being high like that will definitely cause someone to trip over the bars stepping out of it.

 

[jshep]

View attachment 57630

View attachment 57631
View attachment 57629I built my own palp cage, but this is what I did for unlevel ground.
Brackets/mounts that slide up/down.
Pics =1000 words.
View attachment 57628

what is the cost of the add on?

 

[bird dog]

My palp cage is not attached either. Its done like Lucky's. Bolted down and attached to one side of the alley. The other side of the alley is adjustable. I didn't like it where the calves had to step over the bars and then step up to get into the chute.

Another problem with the palp cage is that the calves can turn around in it since its wider that the narrowed down alley. This was fixed with a small panel that is wired to the adjustable alley. If you have a bunch to palp or blood test, I just unwire it and move it out as its only needed for calves under 200 lbs.

 

[Philip-TX]

what is the cost of the add on?

Maybe $50, for the 5 sticks of 1 1/2" emt pipe off craigslist ($10ea).
Some welding wire, steel from the scrape pile, and a cpl nut/blolts from the bolt bin.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

The scale bars raise everything up so I cut the rear bottom bar out of the palp cage so that it wasn't a tripping hazard. Haven't missed it.

 

[wbvs58]

From my point of view working behind cows palpating and inseminating I avoid anything that is going to put the cow higher I even have a small platform that I place behind big cows to raise me up. My old arms seem to be a bit limited in their rotation and I like to be a bit above the big old cows.

Ken

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I'm tall enough that the increased height of the scales is helpful. I don't have to hunch down as far.

 

[Lucky]

The scale bars raise everything up so I cut the rear bottom bar out of the palp cage so that it wasn't a tripping hazard. Haven't missed it.

I was talking about the bar under the doors. I could see myself or someone else opening the door and stepping in then forgetting that bar was 4-6" off the ground and tripping over it on the way out. The palpation guy generally sticks one foot in for about thirty seconds so may not be an issue. Getting in there to pull a calf could be.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

In all the years I've had that setup I don't think anyone has ever tripped on the bar under the door even though it's up off the ground.

Now smacking your head on everything up high happens all the time.

 

[Chapin81]

View attachment 57630

View attachment 57631
View attachment 57629I built my own palp cage, but this is what I did for unlevel ground.
Brackets/mounts that slide up/down.
Pics =1000 words.
View attachment 57628

Very nice!

 

[Chapin81]

@Chapin81 We have the same setup but have a Pearson chute and palpation cage with the HD5T load bars. Instead of bolting the cage to the chute we anchored it to the concrete about 1" from the back of the chute and then bolted it to the alley way. The step up doesn't bother the cattle and the cage being high like that will definitely cause someone to trip over the bars stepping out of it.

That's definitely an option I'm looking into. It did cross my mine that someone not being careful would probably trip or eventually trip.

 

[Chapin81]

The scale bars raise everything up so I cut the rear bottom bar out of the palp cage so that it wasn't a tripping hazard. Haven't missed it.

by cutting the rear bottom bar is the cage flimsy? Or still solid?TIA

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

It's still solid (the bar i cut out i moved to the top above head height). A few thousand head of everything from calves to 2k lb bulls have been thru and there's never been an issue.