Sizing up the Bull

[tcolvin]

I have been working on a catch place in my chute for my bull. I have a feed stop at the front in and a butt board and anti kick plate set up in the rear to hold him between two points. He is not the biggest bull ever but he is too big for my head gate. What I need to know is an estimated length from his chest to his butt. Right now I have it set up for 68" and adjustable to 72" inch space. I expect he would push 1800-2000 pounds. He stands at about 4-1/2 to 5 feet from ground to top of his back. All these figures are my best guess-ta-ments. I'm hoping when he comes through that I have the time to get my 2 x 12 x 36" long butt board and anti kick board in place before he decides to back up. That's why the feed box just over the front stop plate. Any ideas or photos on how you work your bulls will be a great help. I want to give him 2 shots and a nasal dose of once PM in. Also any warning of actions he might pull when he is caught. I don't want him hurt and certainly not my help or me. Last year I caught him in the head gate and it was just barely big enough to for him. I'll post pics if I can tomorrow or Monday so you can better envision my setup. Pray it works.

 

[wbvs58]

Best of luck with him. What is wrong with your existing facilities but just don't catch his head and put a rail behind him. I will often just open the head gate enough for the bull to get his head comfortably through but not try to close it on him and then put a rail behind him so he can't back out or close my kick gate on my crush to keep him up there. my crush has a simple ratchet system for putting a rail in and then moving it up as required.

Ken

 

[tcolvin]

Is it possible to take a pic of the crush your talking about? What I have set up doesn't hold his head. It kinda places his chest against one end and a butt and kick stop on the other end. I really hope he doesn't try jumping up. The reason I can't use my head gate is that first it's an automatic catch gate. Second when it's set out to as wide as it can go it still not big enough for his neck. When he put his head thru it and pushes forward it closes and latches down around the neck area. It's adjustable for calves and cows but when the bull gets full blown his neck is too big and if he pushes it close it may cut his air off and might be a very big deal trying to release him because of the jam it will be in. Last year like to have been too much, so I don't want to chance it. I'll send pics before I catch him.@&@

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Just put a bar across the very front of the chute (inside the chute), so he cannot go all the way forward out the headgate and use a bar behind him. When you are done, pull the bar behind him and back him out.

 

[tcolvin]

Just put a bar across the very front of the chute (inside the chute), so he cannot go all the way forward out the headgate and use a bar behind him. When you are done, pull the bar behind him and back him out.

I've got something similar to that set up except I have a side gate for him to exit. Thanks for reply as I get nervous when catching him because when he was younger he climbed my shoot entrance and broke the top 2 x 6 board into. I have caught him since I'm the head gate but as I said early, last year he had it loaded to the max. So this year I decided to put in a side gate and some stops to hold him in. I'll be glad when he is done with his shots.

 

[tcolvin]

I've got something similar to that set up except I have a side gate for him to exit. Thanks for reply as I get nervous when catching him because when he was younger he climbed my shoot entrance and broke the top 2 x 6 board into. I have caught him since I'm the head gate but as I said early, last year he had it loaded to the max. So this year I decided to put in a side gate and some stops to hold him in. I'll be glad when he is done with his shots.

I forgot to mention that I raise the entrance to shoot 12" to prevent that climbing out.