Squeeze Chute options

[HOSS]

OK....I have located a manual head gate for sale near me. I do not run over 10 or 12 head at any one time. Would it pay to install a commercial built squeeze chute or can a chute be built out of heavy wood and concrete set posts that will hold the average size steer or heifers? I do not plan to have any grown bulls just steers, cows and heifers from small calf size to 1200 lbs.

If anyone has any ideas on how to start building such a chute please share that with me if you can. I would be very appreciative. Please suggest materials and basic dimensions.

Thanks :?:

 

[certherfbeef]

Not sure if this is what you are after.
You can attach your head catch to something like this. Gate on the upper side will squeeze in a bit. Gate on the lower side opens at the head so the cow can go out the side if needed. 4 corner posts are telephone poles. Not the main working facility but gets used enough.
Roof does not work...you still get wet.

 

[HOSS]

certherfbeef, that is what I have sort of invisioned in my head. Any idea on the width dims? Should the side walls squeeze down to the same width as the gate frame? About how much angle should I use when going from the widest portion of the chute to the narrowest end at the headgate?

All other replies still welcome.

 

[Brandonm2]

It is your money; but I would go ahead an buy a squeeze chute or at least a head catch.

My grandfather made his own from materials cannibalized from the original barn and from construction job sites. I don't have the dimensions and I probably could not duplicate it; but it consisted of two parallel heavy (at least 4" thick) oak planks running up and down bolted at all four pounts to 4 heavy pieces of angle iron running from side to sidel. Two heavy solid steel rods which had been shaped to fit a cow's neck were the actual catch. They formed a V shape and were attached to the bottom two angle iron via two parallel short pieces of pipe which rested on heavy bolts that went through the angle iron. The whole thing was a gate set on to a telephone pole by two very heavy steel hinges on one side and latched by two iron rods which went through two holes drilled through another parallel telephone pole and into the oak of the actual gate. The gate was set at the end of a long heavy oak chute, all bolted to telephone poles There were heavy oak gates both at the beginning of the chute and one cow length behind the head catch gate.

The thing worked via a rope looped around one of the steel head bars,A cow stuck it's head through the gate and you pulled the rope tight as humanly possible and hung on. Then you grabbed the two steel rods and held them together while you tied them and the cow off to the telephone pull to her left. He was a BIG, very powerful man with catlike reflexes, who COULD and did work 100++ head in a day with this setup. This was designed for small cows (frame score 2s and 3s which were thin in vogue). We did continue to use this as cattle got bigger and it did hold some 2000 pound horned bulls (with some difficulty); but I was cheering when we replaced it with a factory built steel head catch.

 

[certherfbeef]

HOSS, the chute is as wide as the head gate. No taper front to back or top to bottom. Simple and straight through. No back gate, that is what the boards are for that are leaning there. Just a dirt floor. If you want, I'll measure it for you when I go out to check the cows.

 

[dun]

I would make some arrangment to swing open one side or the other, like a gate. Never can tell when one will go down and it's a bunch easier to get them out through the side.

dun

 

[HOSS]

certherfbeef, I appreciate the offer to measure but I do not want to put you through extra trouble. If it is the same width as the headgate then that is probably how I should build mine. I like the idea of one side being able to open in the event that one gets down. I would mostly use this for basic medicine administration, preg checking etc.

Would I be wise to build a kick guard of some type that could be swung behind the animal and locked into position in the event that work needs to be done from behind?

Like I say I am not set up to run very many head. It is basically a hobby / relaxation job. I really enjoy messing with cows and calves, watching them graze etc..

 

[dun]

A "kick guard" isn;t really required. Depending on what part of them you need to work on it would probably just get in the way. Depending on the length of the animal it may be either too close to do any good or too far away.
I tried to AI some wild cows throw the back gate of a squeeze once, didn;t work very well. As soon as I ran my hand up their., the moved forward and I couldn;t reach far enough into them to do what needed to be done.

dun

 

[mitchwi]

We bought a head-gate, and made our "chute" as well. We do have intermitant spacers, for lack of a better term, so we can shove a steel bar through the two sides of the chute. Not so much to "hold" the beast, but more for keeping it from backing on down the chute if it so happens to change its mind from sticking their head through the gate.

 

[RainMan]

I am not the pro you need to get the latest and best idea, but I finished building a chute with a headgate a couple months ago. Googled a lot of the info. My inner finished width is 28 inches X 5 feet tall. Seems to work fine right now, but might be to narrow for bigger framed cattle. Guess if the chute is to wide calves can turn around in them. Just have an old Powder River manual head gate on the end. I did build a side door 7 feet back from the gate that swings inside the chute for entry behind the animal. The door is the width of the chute and is locked into position. I just run a couple head into the chute, squeeze the first, insert pipe at the other end of the chute to hold the second, open the center door, and I have two animals in working position. I'm a small time operator and probably will get laughed at for posting this, but works for me and mom. Looking at the previous posts it looks as though I did make a mistake by not adding a side door. Wouldn't have been that hard to add. Sounds like another project.....CW

 

[Susie David]

Hoss, looks like you have some good ideas...how about another...head gate mounted to railroad ties and two steel six foot, six rail gates hinged to the ties...can swing open for the fat ones and squeeze with the help of another person and a rope or chain lock...slip a 2x6 across the rear for a tail stop.
Low budget but with some thought you could make it work.
We use an old Powder River manual head catch, suits our needs and gives the bees a place to nest for the summer.
Dave Mc

 

[Bama]

If your gonna have some really big one 30" is plenty. This is to wide for most cows and calves. 28 is the norm. A piece of 4"pvc pipe slung down the side by ropes will narrow it up for smaller calves.

 

[HOSS]

This is some good stuff. Great ideas. That's why I like this board so much. If it can be done someone on here has done it.

 

[bgm]

Here's a couple of places to look at some plans. Not sure they are what you are looking for, but they might give you some ideas.

http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/abeng/plans/BEEF_PLAN.htm
http://www.cerc.colostate.edu/Blueprints/Cattle.htm
http://www.woodworkersworkshop.com/resources/index.php?&cat=418&offset=180

Good luck,

Bryan

 

[myakka145]

Another source of ideas is: http://icecubetopper.com

They combine drawings from many sources in one location and they are all free.

Post pictures of the project when your done Then we can learn from you! 8)

 

[flaboy]

Not sure if this is what you are after.
You can attach your head catch to something like this. Gate on the upper side will squeeze in a bit. Gate on the lower side opens at the head so the cow can go out the side if needed. 4 corner posts are telephone poles. Not the main working facility but gets used enough.
Roof does not work...you still get wet.

Hey certherbeef I have the same head catch except I painted mine JD green after I rebuilt it. I use it in the small replacement heifer pens. I use a WW squeeze for the main groups and I don't know how I ever used just the head catch for so many years.

One thing I recommend for a head catch pen is use treated 3/4 inch plywood along the bottom about 20 inches up the sides. This will prevent them from sticking their feet through the boards. I thought several times I would have broken legs from cows going down or sticking feet/legs through the bottom boards. Like Dun said also make one side swing out. You can catch it off with some home made catches that release with a single pin. If you need help with this let me know I will draw up a picture.

 

[dj]

Like flaboy and certherbeef, I had RR tie uprights with 2x6 oak sides and headgate bolted on. That systm has been built and rebuilt since the first calf didn't get caught
The present "contraption" has a big side gate.Sliding backup gate. You can also use it's pulley to work with hind feet.Sling rails along the top.A walk in gate behind the backup gate. 4x4 plywood panels normally hang on the top fence rails. It's still not done yet needs a roof ;-) And lighting. And .......oh painting :lol:

 

[Jake]

Like flaboy and certherbeef, I had RR tie uprights with 2x6 oak sides and headgate bolted on. That systm has been built and rebuilt since the first calf didn't get caught
The present "contraption" has a big side gate.Sliding backup gate. You can also use it's pulley to work with hind feet.Sling rails along the top.A walk in gate behind the backup gate. 4x4 plywood panels normally hang on the top fence rails. It's still not done yet needs a roof ;-) And lighting. And .......oh painting :lol:

I will add that if you use metal gates, (which I would suggest using as the sides) Make sure you get them so that the bars are spaced tight enough that a 3-400# calf can't stick their head through.

 

[dun]

I will add that if you use metal gates, (which I would suggest using as the sides) Make sure you get them so that the bars are spaced tight enough that a 3-400# calf can't stick their head through.

And the heaviest weight (strong) gates you get.

dun

 

[Bobg]

I built my head catch out of square tubing and pipe. I only run a few lead of longhorn cows calves and have never had any problems. I use portable corral panels right now, but will be building a more permanent structure.

Bobg