Crush Headgate

[AYF]

Fully opening sides are a must have for cleanning an animal for slaughter, makes life much eaier and far safer. The morris design has plenty of room to get in to do just their backs without opening the sides. They have a small 'vet hatch' also, that helps even more.

We were clipping some beasts last week, we simply have an arm mounted on top that swings the machine from one side to the next.

 

[headcase]

hope ye dont mind me askin lads, do you find the opening side gates are handy enough to use or are they a bit fidly opening and closing them, like would you say it would be easier if it was a bit lower and you could reach in over it just to do there backs?

basically, im looking at the first side panel on our crush atm, going to build a new panel for it as, its to high when working on weanlings, but a bit low when theres big cattle on a platform scales. Im thinking of making a panel with 4 doors, 2 up top for shaving backs/working on smaller cattle, and then 2 under for the odd times feet need to be worked on.

anyone else got anything they would add to a side panel if they were doing one? kinda throwing all the possible ideas around in the head atm as would like to get it set up right the first time.

dont need to set it up for calving or caesareans as we have a seperate pen set up for that should the need arise,

fill yer boots
i just hang bottles of wormer on thhe top bar

 

[AYF]

Oh and if you have weigh bars, be ware when welding on the crush, it can be the death of them.

Mines the same crush as headcases. No need to hang anything from a loader! Baler twine on the side of the crush does fine!

 

[drew]

fill yer boots
i just hang bottles of wormer on thhe top bar

thanks for that! much better than any of the pics any of the manufacturers have on their sites!

Oh and if you have weigh bars, be ware when welding on the crush, it can be the death of them.

Mines the same crush as headcases. No need to hang anything from a loader! Baler twine on the side of the crush does fine!

haha no need to worry bout load cells here! its a fixed chute along a wall here, but the side is done with removable panels so will be just changing the one side.
id say it mainly due to the difference in scale but over here the majority of crushes are fairly basic fixed jobs or else basic portable, whereas across the water with ye it seems that majority work with a basic chute leading up to a very good portable unit

 

[AYF]

Know what you mean on the removable pannels, our old one had removable panels, proper balls of a job if there were a few animals to clean.

I wouldn't worry about the 3 or 4 sections, make it two big gates, maybe with a small hatch in the front one, and have a solid bar running the length of the crush to stop animals moving sideways when the doors are open. (second pic in Headcases post)

Have the bottom half (or whatever) solid to avoid feet getting through, then your away!

And if you rreeeeaaalllly want to be clever, have the two doors in a frame hinged on the top, and latches in the bottom, to allow you to close the sides in to hold them a bit more steady!


Good crush is a big must here, we fatten up to 200 head a year so lots of cleaning in winter!

Have grand ideas for making a curved race set up here somewhere, current system involves far to much of being in a pen with the beasts. Most are fine but only need the one idiot to make life hard, and dangerous!!

 

[drew]

Know what you mean on the removable pannels, our old one had removable panels, proper balls of a job if there were a few animals to clean.

I wouldn't worry about the 3 or 4 sections, make it two big gates, maybe with a small hatch in the front one, and have a solid bar running the length of the crush to stop animals moving sideways when the doors are open. (second pic in Headcases post)

Have the bottom half (or whatever) solid to avoid feet getting through, then your away!

And if you rreeeeaaalllly want to be clever, have the two doors in a frame hinged on the top, and latches in the bottom, to allow you to close the sides in to hold them a bit more steady!


Good crush is a big must here, we fatten up to 200 head a year so lots of cleaning in winter!

Have grand ideas for making a curved race set up here somewhere, current system involves far to much of being in a pen with the beasts. Most are fine but only need the one idiot to make life hard, and dangerous!!

Panels only really get opened once in a blue moon here generally when something goes wrong, but it's handy to be able to do it at the same time.

Thinking of 4 doors still as we only clip backs, so would be rare any need to open the lower panels, just would be handier to have it than not. It will definitely be sheeted at the bottom, and probably most of the way up, it's currently sheeted to 4ft with stokboard, which is a big help focusing them on heading the right way, but is also causing the problem of access to the sides of smaller animals,

Would love to rip the whole lot out and re do the lot, but that would take a lot of convincing, and would cost a fortune by the time Id be done :D and it just wouldn't be justified...

 

[michael7740]

Going a bit off topic now, but do many shave the cattle's backs before applying pour on? How much would you shave? Just one run of the clippers?

 

[tm120]

Going a bit off topic now, but do many shave the cattle's backs before applying pour on? How much would you shave? Just one run of the clippers?

We do run either side of spine

 

[headcase]

Myself i dont like pourons

 

[massey 6480]

Going a bit off topic now, but do many shave the cattle's backs before applying pour on? How much would you shave? Just one run of the clippers?

Would give 3 to 4 runs here gives a nice clean area on there back . As for pour ons only one we use is to kill lice . After that they are way too dear compared to the injection version of the same dose .


Get busy living or get busy dying.

 

[drew]

Going a bit off topic now, but do many shave the cattle's backs before applying pour on? How much would you shave? Just one run of the clippers?

Shave a strip along the spine when in shed the last couple of years and it certainly seems to help from the sweating point of view, the width varies from beast to beast, if it looks like it is a bit sweaty I tend to go wider. When you see the depth of hair on them it surely has to improve the uptake of pour ons in whatever form they are

 

[6600]

2 crushes we have here. Pictures aren't the greatest. One in the slatted shed is an IAE and the other a Morris. The IAE has a rumpbar that you can drop down behind an animal. Catch them in the headgate and competely immobilised. Opening doors in it and the gate along the crush can be opened also.

The Morris has a calving gate so the rumpbar wouldn't work so we put the ratchet teeth in. Gates open along the crush and the 'vet gate' is very handy for tightening up a bunch in the crush. This is in the main cow house and can get a cow into it from anywhere in the shed. The race is fierce handy to check on cows at night too especially if you need to get past a lively freshly calved lady.

 

[6600]

..

 

[nashmach]

[MENTION=2064]6600[/MENTION], I thought you were right handed? Or maybe your Dad is left handed.

Reason I ask is our simple crush here the cattle run left to right.

My kind neighbour let me use his old crush yesterday for a bunch and it runs the other way. I found it not as handy to use and wouldn't like to be dosing out of it.

It could just be me now! And of course familiarity with our own setup.

One thing is for certain, his is far too wide.

It goes to show though, you need to use one and not just look at photos to see how it would work in your yard.

 

[6600]

[MENTION=2064]6600[/MENTION], I thought you were right handed? Or maybe your Dad is left handed.

Reason I ask is our simple crush here the cattle run left to right.

My kind neighbour let me use his old crush yesterday for a bunch and it runs the other way. I found it not as handy to use and wouldn't like to be dosing out of it.

It could just be me now! And of course familiarity with our own setup.

One thing is for certain, his is far too wide.

It goes to show though, you need to use one and not just look at photos to see how it would work in your yard.

Nothing to do with being right handed or left. A caesarean is a lot trickier with poorer outcomes if done from the right. When putting in a calving gate this was the first consideration.

Wouldn't notice any difference going right to left. We have one of each after all!

I am handicapped by the left handed affliction btw, if it wasn't for that I'd be normal!

 

[nashmach]

Nothing to do with being right handed or left. A caesarean is a lot trickier with poorer outcomes if done from the right. When putting in a calving gate this was the first consideration.

Wouldn't notice any difference going right to left. We have one of each after all!

I am handicapped by the left handed affliction btw, if it wasn't for that I'd be normal!

Ah ha, I was thinking it was more for the cows I'm with you now.

I think it is probably just me so

I'm odd, was told that when I played hurling I played as a left hander and still do a lot of stuff bar writing and spannering with the left.

 

[JOHNNY BOY]

Ah ha, I was thinking it was more for the cows I'm with you now.

I think it is probably just me so

I'm odd, was told that when I played hurling I played as a left hander and still do a lot of stuff bar writing and spannering with the left.

I'm the same here, they have a name on it something to do with the brain i think, buggerd if i can think of it and it's not ambidextrous.

 

[fbarron]

im impressed with all the glowing reports on the morris gate but i have one query. is it strong enough for 600 kilo lim heifers, putting in a whole new yard so in the process of choosing gear.


Thanks.

 

[fbarron]

Tinman. nice setup by the way, planning a new yard outside farm and im looking at head gates. youre very impressed with your morris gate, Where did you buy it.

 

[headcase]

im impressed with all the glowing reports on the morris gate but i have one query. is it strong enough for 600 kilo lim heifers, putting in a whole new yard so in the process of choosing gear.


Thanks.

It will be fine
I got beasts here up to 800kgs and had no issues

 

[fbarron]

do you use the gate in front to stop the buggers escaping

 

[headcase]

do you use the gate in front to stop the buggers escaping

Now and again
Usually just catch them with neck

 

[fbarron]

thanks headcae, something to think about. not really gone on semi -auto gates, id say once bitten twice shy

 

[tinman]

Tinman. nice setup by the way, planning a new yard outside farm and im looking at head gates. youre very impressed with your morris gate, Where did you buy it.

i bought it from t more engineering at the time.
they are a dear gate but after having about 4 different types here ist the best by far.

i have the cage on mine, i wouldnt be without it, handy for when there is calves involved, the smaller ones would skit out through the crush bars without it.
also handy for that awkward lim cow...

i also use it when catching them, they get cute for the gate in time and tend to go as far as it but not past it, so id go to open the cage and as she thinks she is getting out i catch her.

it looks a light design, but its well strong in fairness to it, i seen my last5 bull giving it a lot of abuse and it was well fit for him.
morris all the way for me im afraid.

 

[fbarron]

Thanks Tinman going to try and see one in operation this week.
Trying to price steel and round forcing pens and all the gear and its not easy. A neighbour has a cattlemaster gate and he swears by it at €2500. well hes putting in another one.
Planning this yard is breaking my nuts.
just want a handy set up that i can dose, seperate and load cattle without stress and swearing.