Handling systems

[Beanmetalworks]

Hi guys,

I'm not trying to sell anything, I'm actually wanting your help and views!

I'm a metal fabrication company with a farming back ground, working with cattle and using tractors so know far bit about farming.

I'm looking at getting in handling systems, crushes for Tb testing mainly as I think some of the ones I have used seem very over priced and not actually that easy to use. What I'm wanting your help with is answers to few questions.

If you already have a crush or system what things would you like to have been on it now you have owned one for a while?

Would you be interested in a medium price but well built crush?

What things would you like on a system to make it easier for Tb testing, or speed it up?

Also what do you look for when buying a crush, price? Build quality? Name?

Thanks guys for any help or views!

 

[Doc]

Are you meaning handling systems or just the crush at the end of the system. The cattle crowder and equivalents (IAE, Bateman) look very good to me as a concept but seem expensive for what they are as is the stock cube. I've only seen one used and it worked very well into a race then crush. Good stock flow. If you can make similar more reasonable I will order one.
A crush ideally needs to be flexible enough to cater for varying sizes and have loads of access gates - TB, caesars, mothering calves on, stripping a quater, back clipping, foot trimming and even easy removal of a vast beast. I like the squeeze function available as it helps keep stock quiet from my experience.
You can manage with most but the good ones are a pleasure to use.
Check out RPM rural for ideas.

 

[Doc]

I meant cast beast rather than vast beast.

 

[foxbox]

Make sure it's quiet; most of the big manufacturers forget that something which rattles when it's being used around stock is very annoying for the operator but more importantly it upsets the animals.

So; when buying a crush my list is as follows (probably with some extra bits I've forgotten too):

Name is irrelevant - seeing one in the flesh and the experience of others is far more important and TFF is brilliant for that.

Strength is important but design can overcome this to some extent. We've got a 40 year old crush made mostly from 1 & 2 inch round tube; it works because the design works. It lacks size (made for smaller natives), multi-use (as @Doc mentioned) and a vet box.

Build quality is important, sounds like you can weld already though!

Operator safety is vital at both ends of the beast; Tb testing (skin testing on the neck and blood testing from the tail) needs to be thought of with each crush as it's likely we'll all be doing it forever at the rate APHA are dealing with it at the moment.

Price is a secondary consideration too in my view; it'll be here a long time and hold value well so it's more important that it does the job required.

Ability to fix the crush to weigh beams and the race (without affecting weighing accuracy).

Ability to operate the head yoke from the rear is an advantage on our current crush, it lets itself down with too many open bars allowing nervous animals to see the operator though. And it's noisy as hell at times.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Make one like the clywidian and half the price and you're onto a winner

 

[Gulli]

Needs to be quiet and safe to work animals in. Key to this in my opinion is the ability to immobilise them. Tb testing can be a bloody nightmare when the cattle are constantly moving back and forth while in the crush.

 

[Beanmetalworks]

Thanks for all the posts already