|
| Just got done with recent upgrade to our calving barn. In the past, the big pen to the left of the chute had always served as a storage area for the skid steer and about a pickup box full of worthless junk. The pen that the chute occupies now stored a semen tank and about another half a pickup box full of junk. Since we never use the wash rack now, we got rid of 20 years worth of junk, moved the skid steer to the wash rack, and got ready to put in a calving pen that was suppose to be built 24 years ago.
The barn has all inch and a quarter pipe panels and gates, and we had everything on hand, minus the 4 foot gate bracing the right side of the chute. I had to build that one.
The gate layout was designed to allow the chute to open into a wedge to allow space for using a jack to pull a calf. Or use the short gate to the right, the big gate to the left, to brace the chute gates and use it for AI’ing, ET shots, or getting a calf to latch. The left hand chute gate was cut in half to allow calf nursing or C section access.
The big pen to the left has a gate that swings in to meet another by the headgate so a pair can occupy that space and be shut in to allow access to the chute.
The headgate will not allow an animal to go forward because of the wall, but we don’t think it will be a problem with how we will use it as long as the cattle don’t balk to much at it. The gate layout allows one man to swing gates as needed to get the cattle to it, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
With both sides of the chute swinging free, we had to brace the headgate somehow, so we welded extensions onto the post in the cement and ran the overhead bracing into the saddles on the end of the extensions.
In the past, we had always used a halter on the cow to pull a calf. That is still the plan as it allows a little more freedom for the cow to do what she wants, but still have her head in a corner and unable to turn.
It took about a week and 234 arguments to design, but I don’t think we could of done any better for 1/3 of what a turnkey pen costs. This is way stronger built than anything on the market and custom tailored to what we need it for. I’d recommend anyone looking at a calving pen to evaluate their capabilities before spending a couple grand on a ready to go pen.
Edited by 2 Bravo 1/5/2019 15:59
 (975B4674-CBAC-46A2-819D-F9DBB97F87D8 (full).jpeg)
 (3DF9497A-5097-4647-AC9E-6451BE4490D8 (full).jpeg)
 (2217C7B6-123A-439F-A8A1-8035384D9D99 (full).jpeg)
 (3A495B43-153C-48E6-964D-06E839116312 (full).jpeg)
 (38E01DED-C8B4-4A7C-A912-F3AD75F9637E (full).jpeg)
 (DDD610D9-EA4E-4AA9-9B47-D5F96177883B (full).jpeg)
Attachments
----------------
 975B4674-CBAC-46A2-819D-F9DBB97F87D8 (full).jpeg (152KB - 158 downloads)
3DF9497A-5097-4647-AC9E-6451BE4490D8 (full).jpeg (154KB - 129 downloads)
2217C7B6-123A-439F-A8A1-8035384D9D99 (full).jpeg (176KB - 113 downloads)
3A495B43-153C-48E6-964D-06E839116312 (full).jpeg (170KB - 126 downloads)
38E01DED-C8B4-4A7C-A912-F3AD75F9637E (full).jpeg (163KB - 128 downloads)
DDD610D9-EA4E-4AA9-9B47-D5F96177883B (full).jpeg (149KB - 149 downloads)
| |
|
Calving pen build (Pics)
