Squeeze chute techniques

[Alan]

I'm not following the philosophy that cranking the tail is too harsh but hitting them with a hot shot is not.

While my cattle do not fear me I have them so I can walk among them, but they move out of my way when I get in their space, about an arm length away. Just how I want it. Also the cow I always look for, out of fear for my safety, is our 2 yr old bottle raised heifer. She doesn't move out of the way, nor does she move well in the chute. She has no respect and no fear, she won't come after me as an anger cow, but I fear she will treat me like another cow and give me a good head butt to get me out of the way. In my eyes the most tame cow we have is the most dangerous cow we have.

Alan, only been doing this over 3 years now. I had the Robertson County University of Kentucky County Agent at my farm today. She said I have the tamest and best conditioned herd she has seen in the county. In fact, I received the comment that I cannot do it any better. Most of my cows will even let a stranger put their hands on them. But all of my cows (w/o exception) view me as the dominant member of the herd. I groom my cows on a daily basis, maybe missed doing it 10 times in the last 365 days. I discipline them with a riding crop, they get a firm slap and hear the loud noise made my the leather pads at the front of the crop. Does not hurt them but they know it is a demonstration of my dominance. I believe from my experience that the greatest risk is getting run over. I realize a head butt would cause a disabling injury or death. But since all of my cows are tame, then that makes them all dangerous. I watch for danger and monitor it constantly. But everyone working cows are at risk by the nature of the vocation. A couple of my cows move out of my way but most stand assuming I am going to scratch or groom them. I, therefore, treat them all as an equal risk. The only injury has been when they step on my foot. Thus, I wear safety toed boots with an instep guard. None of what I have stated is intended to diminish your input and I thank you for it.

Okay, :tiphat:

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

When my halter cows decide that they do not want to go down the alley or enter the chute, no amount of tail cranking is going to move them! I agree, the gentle cows are the absolute worst. I always give them a chance on there own, and with a grain reward first. But then they get the hot shot! :devil2:

We don't use a hot shot here, but I agree the halter broke ones can be the hardest to get moving. We just lay out enough halters to work the cows we have, and slip a halter on them in the holding pen. Then, when it is their time, instead of fighting and hitting, we just give them a tug and shake a grain bucket and almost every time they go in willingly. The worst is when WE lose our temper because we are in a hurry, and then they seem to sense the tenseness in our movements, and they freeze up. We have used a hard object, usually a pen, to run from the tail head area up towards the head. Usually, once the pen gets to the rib cage, they engage forward. Almost like they are ticklish there. I did have someone once use a knife to sit and poke at the cow lightly to get her to move forward (it was not my animal), and she then started to bleed small droplets where he poked her along her spine. I DID NOT like that! Unnecessary!!

 

[Jessica06]

The key to a hotshot on gentle cattle is to give them a warning. Go through your normal routine with them and then when they're still not moving poke them hard with it without zapping them and then as a final poke give a little zap. Before to long your normal routine will be plenty and a poke without the zap will get most of them moving.

Yep.

 

[greybeard]

Been my experince as well. Once with a hotshot, then you don't "usually" have to press the button to move them along.

Ron, next time you need to get her in, run another one in ahead of her, and let that one just go on out or thru. The problem cow is more apt to follow-or least that how it works with mine.

Same with loading. The first one in line never wants to take that step into the trailer, but once it's in, the rest seem to just jump right on in------------most of the time. 8) :|

 

[inyati13]

Been my experince as well. Once with a hotshot, then you don't "usually" have to press the button to move them along.

Ron, next time you need to get her in, run another one in ahead of her, and let that one just go on out or thru. The problem cow is more apt to follow-or least that how it works with mine.

Same with loading. The first one in line never wants to take that step into the trailer, but once it's in, the rest seem to just jump right on in------------most of the time. 8) :|

GB, thanks. Good suggstions all.

 

[Ohrmundt Simmentals]

What are the sides of the alley before the palp cage? If they are open, maybe close up the sides 6 or 8 feet before the palp cage. Maybe also put a couple of baler belts on sides of the chute. Hopefully doing this would help keeping them moving further into the chute. We have our scale in front of the chute so we stop them then open the chute. This kinda triggers them to move forward. We also have an alley stop so when they bump their butt on the stop there still on the scale. They get the idea after a few times.

The only reason we have a hot shot is for down cows that we need to get up or hard calving cows just make sure they get. Used 2 or 3 times in 10 years. They do have there uses as long as there not abused.