New handling system

[saly123]

Over the next couple of weeks, going to be making a new handling system. It's going to be for sucklers, so cows and and calves. Still in the thinking process at the moment. Got a rough idea. Just wondering... it'll have a approx 20ft race. The race will be made out of a couple of runs of box metal. Can't decide whether to sheet the race. What people's opinions.? Just thinking if it wasn't sheeted you could do abut more with the animals in the race instead of having to stop them all one by one in the race. Any thoughts please.? [emoji1303]

 

[S J H]

I think one side needs to be sheeted and the other half sheeted, so they can see you to push them up the race. And it doesn't close it in too much.

Imo the main thing to make sure, is that the race entrance is one side square to the race, and the other at a 30 degree angle. If that makes sense.

 

[davidroberts30]

Mines not sheeted
I think the best thing is to put them through the race regularly to keep them used to it

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Sheet it once you used it a few times if you think it's necessary?

 

[Whitepeak]

Have a read of some of Temple Grandin's work on handling systems. You'll look at them completely differently afterwards.

When we had a temporary system we always struggled to get stock down an unsheeted "race", particularly suckled calves. I tried tying some stock board to one of the gates, the difference in animal flow was incredible!

 

[som farmer]

all the systems I have seen, all say the 'curve' is important, and sheeted, ours isn't, with tb testing you get used to handling cattle, as much as cattle get used to being handled, Our system has just been classed as excellent, in a report by min vet !!! All we have, is good crush, 20 foot strong race, small forceing pen, that doubles as a loose box, or to hold couple cows back, and our collecting yard, that will split into 2. The bit the vet liked... all undercover! But you have to give cattle no choice, if they think they can turn round etc, they will, and then its hard work, biggest problem we get, is if an awkward one ,'backs' up the race !

 

[Andrew]

Watch as many of Temple Grandins videos on Youtube as you can find.

I would sheet the race to a height 6” above the head of your tallest animal in the ‘head up’ position. Fit a walkway and overhead mirrors as well. You will be amazed how much difference it makes.

Will take some pictures of my build later. We blood tested 110 cows with calves at foot on Tuesday in 2 hours - and the vet was teaching 5 students for the first time. When scanning we regularly average below 40 seconds a cow, again with calves at foot. 2 people.

 

[Werzle]

Mines fixed along the side of a shed so 6ft high concrete wall the one side of the entire filling pen and race system but young calves upto 5mths old turn in it which is a bloody pain, wish i had a separate smaller race for young things.

 

[Andrew]

Will take some pictures of my build later.

Never mind, found the thread.

Cattle Handling System Build

Back in the second half of 2015 we demolished an old pole barn and replaced it with a big portal frame, the fitting out / desin of which is in this thread: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/cattle-shed-build.102186/ The original, overall design plan of the building is here and has...

thefarmingforum.co.uk

 

[Haydn Lloyd]

We have just finished ours now works amazing well.

 

[som farmer]

looks good, and strong. How did we manage with a few gates and string ? I suppose the answer is, we didn't handle cattle the same, TB test, a bloody nuisance once every 4 years !

 

[Haydn Lloyd]

4 year testing. We are on 12 months here. Works reply well and simple really. Cost very little. Had all metal kicking about. Bought the gates and pens from an old market that was taken down at scrap value. And reused.

 

[Andrew]

looks good, and strong. How did we manage with a few gates and string ? I suppose the answer is, we didn't handle cattle the same, TB test, a bloody nuisance once every 4 years !

We used to manage with a bit of string and a few gates as well. We’re on 4 year testing as well but with all the different vaccinations, weighing, weaning, scanning it gets used most weeks. Can’t remember what it cost, but it used to take 4 people 2 days to what 2 people can do in an afternoon now so it’s worth it alone on that. Not to mention it is so much safer.

 

[saly123]

Thanks for replies so far. A lot to think about. Any more pictures would be great...! Once I make a start il try take pics and keep them updated here. Going in an old cubicle shed so kind of blank canvas. At the mo were testing every 60 days. Cattle will soon get used to system.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

We went for fully sheeted sides...all I can say is it works very well

 

[som farmer]

i'm jealous, but you need a roof!

 

[Andrew]

Thanks for replies so far. A lot to think about. Any more pictures would be great...! Once I make a start il try take pics and keep them updated here. Going in an old cubicle shed so kind of blank canvas. At the mo were testing every 60 days. Cattle will soon get used to system.

Where is your system at the moment? We moved our old system and experimented for a good while before making it permanent.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

i'm jealous, but you need a roof!

I don’t want a roof over it

 

[saly123]

Where is your system at the moment? We moved our old system and experimented for a good while before making it permanent.

current system is in our calving pens. Open a gate into a crush. No race as such. It doesn’t work to bad. There’s about 5 pens so we can split the cattle into smaller groups and then get them through one at a time. Worst problem like today when Tb testing, got to empty all the pens to run the whole herd through etc. The shed were putting the new handling system is along side the calving so will work very well.

 

[Inky]

Fully sheeted ours and have since added some more after watching the animals go through and pausing at certain points.

Having a few drafting option after the crush is really useful.