Width of alley?
- Thread starter Pharmer
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All my cows are stout - 30 inches works for them. Still some rubbing but it works.
Everyone will have a different requirement. What do you use in your handling system? I would go with that size.
Nice if you can get something that is adjustable - keeps the calves from turning around.
Bez
Everyone will have a different requirement. What do you use in your handling system? I would go with that size.
Nice if you can get something that is adjustable - keeps the calves from turning around.
Bez
bwranch
Well-known member
Depends on the size of your cows. It's been my experience that a 1400 lb heavy bred has a real tough time with 28 inches. 28 works well for weanlings and most yearlings. If I were building a non adjustable alley, I would make it at least 30. Mine are 30 with plywood sides and the big girls have to squeeze pretty hard. The solid sides seem to make the little ones less inclined to try to turn around.
Lee
Lee
sidney411
Well-known member
Our chute is 8 bars of 2 7/8 drillstem. The inside width is 30 inches. The calves turn around in it but there is a gate at both ends so they can't get out. The big girls are tight sometimes but they manage. The only thing we didn't account for is if someone goes down in the chute. That has not happened but if it did the only way to get them out would be in pieces.
Our alleys are 29 inches and even very broad cows make it through. It's a tight fit and they rub, but it doea help to get their sides shed out this time of year. If I was building it all over I'ld go with 30 inches. One inch doesn;t sound like much but it's makes things easier on the girls, especially when they're due to calve.
dun
dun
Farminlund
Well-known member
Again, depends on animal size. I am working with large framed angus with average mature weights around 1300-1400. I originally built my working chute based on some old university specs many years ago @ 28" wide - tore it down within 6 months. Like Dun says, an inch or two doesn't sound like much, but it's a world of difference if a cow feels squeezed or comfortable walking down the chute.
Remade the handling/breeding chute such that it was 28" wide up to ~2' high & then opened up to 31". Then I made my dirt/sod 12' long cattle truck loading chute 32" wide to insure a smooth flow of cattle onto the truck. The only issue at that width is occasionally a couple of 5-6 wt calves will try to enter as a pair - but one usually wins & both make it up the chute just fine. I will say that a dirt/sod base seems to be much easier to move cattle up than the wooden floor design as it is "natural" for them to walk on sod - not so for wood. It took a little more work to fill it in with dirt & plant sod but I have no regrets - advice from an old cow man that was in the business longer than I was old at the time
Remade the handling/breeding chute such that it was 28" wide up to ~2' high & then opened up to 31". Then I made my dirt/sod 12' long cattle truck loading chute 32" wide to insure a smooth flow of cattle onto the truck. The only issue at that width is occasionally a couple of 5-6 wt calves will try to enter as a pair - but one usually wins & both make it up the chute just fine. I will say that a dirt/sod base seems to be much easier to move cattle up than the wooden floor design as it is "natural" for them to walk on sod - not so for wood. It took a little more work to fill it in with dirt & plant sod but I have no regrets - advice from an old cow man that was in the business longer than I was old at the time
Bama
Well-known member
Mine are 30" also. I have a 4"x6"x12" piece made up that I can drop down one side for the smaller ones.
Workinonit Farm
Well-known member
Mine is also 30" and works well for me (my cattle).
Katherine
Katherine
jerry27150
Well-known member
i would think you would want your loading chute a little wider than a working chute
sidney411
Well-known member
My loading and working chute is one in the same.
Bernard
Well-known member
Pharmer":e0ltgl46 said:
This isn't exactly in line with this post, but Id like your opinions on chutes that taper in at the bottom. The one I saw the other day was made of two pieces of welded sheet metal. I didn't measure it, but it looked about 20"- 24" wide at the ground and "veed up" to a point roughly below where an adult cow's barrel would pass. At that point the taper stopped and another sheet of metal was welded to it, going straight up. I'd guess it was 30" wide at that point. This "tapered section" was about 24 feet in length and was installed just before a squeeze chute. The guys working the cattle said it kept calves and smaller cows from turning around as much, and big cows and bulls could still pass through "pretty good". It looked "expensive" to me. There was no palp cage, nor method to load cattle into a trailer.
Bama
Well-known member
Tapered chutes work better at keeping them from turning around. But you will will come up with some new cuss words if one ever gets down in one.
