Tagging ideas needed!

[cowchew]

How would I go about tagging my cows ( or any other way of identifying them), without a head-gate and a squeeze- shoot? I do still have a corral and a single file line of fencing leading to where they can be loaded up in a trailer. The squeeze shoot is the only way I've ever seen it done. Are there any other ideas out there? Thank you very much. retty: :?

 

[john250]

I hope you can find a chute to borrow. Tagging makes mine upset.

 

[Suzie Q]

If you have a race that they can't turn around with and are able to put a gate in front of them so they can't jump over and a piece of wood behind lower than there rump so they can't back, with a lot of time it can be done.

Put you hand safely on their shoulder and without getting hurt if they move only remove your hand when they stop moving. Remove your hand when they are moving and you teach them to move. Work your way to their head and to being able to hold their ear. Once you can hold their ear without them moving, you put on the pliers and press very quickly and take them off when they move.

We call them cattle crushes here. They are actually not that expensive and one of the best things we ever bought. I suggest you get one.

 

[pdfangus]

if you qre going to run cattle without facilities then i would suggest a good horse or two and a good rope hand or two.

another alternative is to do it the way too many of my neighbors do it.....just let god manage em cause no one else is doing it. they have a gather every now and again and sell some of what they can catch when they need cash.

and folks wonder why I don't consider buying at the stock yard.

 

[Kingfisher]

How would I go about tagging my cows ( or any other way of identifying them), without a head-gate and a squeeze- shoot? I do still have a corral and a single file line of fencing leading to where they can be loaded up in a trailer. The squeeze shoot is the only way I've ever seen it done. Are there any other ideas out there? Thank you very much. retty: :?

Add a " Medina gate " to your alley.

 

[cowchew]

Thanks everyone,
I am researching all these ideas. If all else fails, I'll have to hire me a "cow-hand." :nod:
Thanks again. retty:

 

[fit2btied]

Depending on how your trailer is designed, you might be able to 'pack' 'em in it and work 'em from above.

 

[gberry]

See if you can rent a portable squeeze. Your vet may have one and if the cows need working, it wouldn't be much trouble to add tagging if he or she bring their chute out.

 

[cowchew]

All great ideas.
Thanks for your help everyone, I'll keep you posted on my progress. retty:

 

[Livestock-D]

How would I go about tagging my cows ( or any other way of identifying them), without a head-gate and a squeeze- shoot? I do still have a corral and a single file line of fencing leading to where they can be loaded up in a trailer. The squeeze shoot is the only way I've ever seen it done. Are there any other ideas out there? Thank you very much. retty: :?

Guys and Gals,

Read this post on Tag retention, it gives some good tips on how to improve rfid tag retention.

http://livestock-id.blogspot.com/2010/0 ... ntion.html

 

[hillsdown]

Tag guy you should do a poll as to how many people in the US actually use RFID or would even consider using it. ;-)

Bretsam do as gberry suggested, it is the safest way for you. Sure would hate to hear that you got hurt or worse :shock: , trying to do it without a chute. You can vaccinate them and deworm them as well when they are in the chute which sounds like you haven't done yet .. At the very least invest in a head gate and mount it with panels secured as a holding area.

 

[tytower]

What about paint branding them . Will last a few months if waterproof

 

[BRYANT]

30 years ago we worked all of our cattle with out a chute. I tell my son he is spoiled to a good cattle working setup and should have had to help his great grandpa work cows with a junked together lot , made from old wood pallets that was about 6ft tall with some telephone buried real deep in the lot. You would rope the cows then sench them up to one of the poles and a couple guys help hold them then you would work them. It can be done but it aint fun, remember there were cows before there was all these nice chutes. Let me add these were Brahman or Brahman cross cows.
That said go buy a cheap head gate and some panels, the less stired up you make a cow when working the better off you are
I t may mean selling some cows and taking that money to invest in the right equipment and expand the herd later but you need what it takes to work your stock. It was the best thing we ever did was to get rid of the telephone poles and buy a head gate that we used for several years then we went out an bought a squeez chute later on and that was a good investment.

 

[Suzie Q]

Ty Tower here cattle have to be branded by law. It is not just for identification for you in the paddock, but by authorities if your cattle get stolen. If someone steals your cattle they could remove the paint if they wanted to.

The home made head chute here was a ratchet type. It was a nightmare. You had to have it tight to hold the beast still and then because of the ratchet you had to tighten it to loosen it off. Poor cows. They were continually putting their heads in the wrong side, which meant you had to back the beast off and put it forward again. You needed 3 people virtually to work each beast.

We bought the cattle crush (squeeze chute) with a vet door. Now one person can handle a beast, for many different operations. It makes putting a calf on a cow very very easy. Just open the lower half of the door.

 

[mtncows]

You already have an alleyway.Ifit isnt too wide,Put two 6X6's at the end and mount a headgate.A nice simple one that has worked great fo me is a Tox-O-Wic brand.I also have a Big Valley squeeze chute.Used to help Dad worm calves by running them behind a gate and using a halter and have roped calves for pinkeye treatment when they couldn't get to the pen :cboy