What type of head gate would you suggest?

[wvcowgirl]

I am getting ready to buy a head gate. I have heard different people say they have had trouble with the automatic head gates not working right. We had a homemade gate, but it has seen its better days, since a guy down the road borrowed it from my dad ten years ago and didn't do well with the upkeep. Haven't really had a need for a gate, but I am getting more into dealing with cattle and have ran into a few times here lately where one would come in handy. Don't want to sink alot of money into something without first knowing what I'm getting.

 

[rattler]

Cowgirl
Check out the Big Valley line of headgates.I own a auto have had no proublems with it to date.Might want to look at the Priefert line also I have used a manual one worked very well. Cost a little more .

rattler

 

[rross]

W.W. or 2-W

 

[dun]

I prefer the Preifert slide closing type overthe swinging closer types. We have the former in an automatic and haven;t had any problems. The swingign type we've had cows figure out how to bump them, jerk their heads back then run through the opening. Never (knock on wood) have missed an auto catch with the Preifert.

dun

 

[D.R. Cattle]

I'm with Dun. I've got a Powder River swinging type automatic. It doesn't miss any but it doesn't always catch when they hit it and they back up to try again. Can't get any cattle with horns through it and end up working the few horned girls without the catch. They use a big hydraulic WW at the workplace which obviously has the scissor type catch. Nothing too big or small for it, horns don't matter and nothing gets past a good operator.

 

[MikeC]

Be sure and get one big enough. You'd rather it be too big than too small.

 

[joe]

had trouble last year with a self catch on the vets palp cage/chute. heifer got stuck at the pin bones and couldn't budge her. took almost 2 hours to take the whole thing apart and get her out. like the scissors!