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Western Nebraska | Someone had asked earlier about our Bud Box so I am posting pictures of it. We haven't used it much yet but what experience we have had I really like the results. It is 12' wide and 20' long. The loading alley coming off it is 6' wide and narrows down to about 3'.
For people that aren't familiar with the idea it is pretty simple. The box is just a blind alley that has runways coming off at right angles next to the gate coming into the box. You run the cattle into it and close the main gate. Then you open the runway gate and step into the side of the cattle. They will spin around you and run into the runway. A cautionary note, this isn't for people with wild cattle. If your cows threaten you I wouldn't have anything to do with this design.
The other thing that we built into our corral that I love is a double alleyway 12' wide. It is great for sorting loads of cattle. We run smaller bunches of cattle into one alleyway and you can easily sort off the ones you want and dump the rest into another pen. At first it seems completely unnecessary, the boss thought it was unnecessary, but when a single person is able to sort a hundred head in about a half an hour I am a believer.
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 100_3742 (Small).jpg (64KB - 1274 downloads)
100_3744 (Small).jpg (92KB - 1302 downloads)
100_3745 (Small).jpg (91KB - 1070 downloads)
100_3753 (Small).jpg (92KB - 1068 downloads)
100_3754 (Small).jpg (61KB - 1199 downloads)
100_3755 (Small).jpg (67KB - 1052 downloads)
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North Mo. | I was the one asking the size of your box. We have a similar size box but sometimes the cattle balk at going into my Powder River alley. Soon I am going to move the complete package to a concrete floor left over from a barn that blew away. I hope that solves my problem.
My son NEMO Scott says it would be a dangerous system with wild or mean cattle coming from a sale barn. I argue that its no different that pushing them up to the alley you have to watch out then also. I think when I build our new one I will put a side gate in so you can walk on the outside if necessary. Thanks for the pictures. Ben |
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Western Nebraska | There was a vet going around giving speeches on cattle handling last year in our area. He had video of one that was built at a feedlot that was used to load fats and the guy loading the cattle never got into the box with the cattle. He did all of the work from the outside of the box. All he had was a flag on a pole that he pushed between the bars and he could load trucks really fast with it.
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Callao, Missouri | I am posting this to clarify Dad's statements about MY opinion.
I believe that a bud box is dangerous with wild cattle, whether they be from a sale barn or your own herd.
I also believe that it is even MORE dangerous with TAME cattle. People do not get killed by wild cattle, they get killed by the 1400# family pet, or Ol' Bessy that has been around since time began. I've seen time and time again that wild cattle have a pronounced flight zone, but tame cattle turn that into a FIGHT zone when you least expect it. You don't expect it because she has never behaved that way before, and it's too late to do anything about it.
I think a bud box will probably work excellent 99.9% of the time. The other .1% will not be pretty. It's foolish to put yourself between the cattle and the exit. Yes, you are to the 'side' of the exit, but trust me, you are still along the way if the cattle would like to make a detour. Then you are also in the trampling zone for however many cattle are enjoying a circular jog around your low stress handling system.
Now, a bud box system without a person actually inside the box is cool with me. Or if you had a quick exit/block to duck behind, it would be alright too. But expecting your help to be able to read a bovine's mind, and jump the gate before the cow connects is setting up the senario for the worst.
The cattle might not flow well in an improperlly designed tub system, but at the end of the day, everyone still gets to go home. If designed correctly, everyone gets to go home earlier.
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Harltine, Washington | Nemoscott, you make a good point on the safety issue but, that issue is there anytime you are in a pen or pasture with cattle. My neighbor was getting his normally docile bull out of my pasture this summer on his dirt bike (which his cows are used to). The bull did not want to leave and ended up getting him on the ground. Luckily he was not seriously injured.
I do agree, anytime I can move cattle without being at risk is better. I also use dogs anytime I work cattle. I would think you could put in a block like they use in the sale barns to step behind. Placed correctly in the alley way it may work very well. |
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Bud Box
