RDFF
Well-known member
My alley is 29" wide between posts (with 1 1/4" horizontal rod drilled through the main posts on center). Straight vertical sides, BUT, I mounted guard rails, two high stacked one right on top of the other (so the top of the rail is about 24" or so above the floor height), as the bottom "rails". This then keeps the calves from turning around, without hindering or causing the cows to feel like their feet are set "too narrow to balance". THIS IS IMPORTANT... they want to set their feet out wide enough to maintain balance easily, particularly when they're in a confined space. Minimum width of a cow path obviously... but a little wider room here is going to be better for flow through. So my alley then ends up being about 21" between the guard rails. Their belly's will rub along the top of the rail, but that's their "soft part", so not a problem. We run 150 pairs through this alley several times a year (embryo work), and never have calves turn around in it, unless we might have a VERY small one that accomplishes it. Most roll right straight through without stopping. I have a cut gate on the front and the back of the 21' long alley, to control them. Just about every time, if an animal isn't moving forward in the alley appropriately, it's because there's a man outside of the alley... like working the front end up by the squeeze chute (the alley has open sides above those guardrails), and he's not paying attention to his body position and the incoming animal's reaction to him. If he just works his way back past the cow that's been trapped in the alley, most of the time she'll move forward as he goes past her shoulder toward her back end. I'll load 3 and close the cut gate. When the guys at the chute get it down to 1 left in the alley, I'll load some more (they'll always go in better if there's already an animal in there). I have a Medina Hinge in the Box on the back end of the alley, which can allow me to load an extra couple of animals in the ready (extends the alley length another 12'), if I want to.You are 100% right that the width of the back of that bud box was a problem but it was manageable. My big issue with the bud box is not getting them to flow. I know how to pressure and move cattle based on presence and movement. My issue was they would hit that alley and stall right at the mouth. They were at 90 degrees to the gate, they had sufficient dayllight, etc but just way too much time spent seeing them stall out, then having to push them to the back of the box and get them flowing back again. Part of the issue is trying to have a one-size fits all alley that really just meant I had an alley that a 400 lber could still turn around in but a 1600 lbs cow couldnt fit down well.
Vet absolutely loves working with us because of how smoothly everything goes... says he wishes they all went like they do here!
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