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NNW Nebraska | Borrowed my neighbor's cow country to see how it worked.
Then built my own with some changes to make it work better with smaller calves. Took me a lot longer than I expected! Made the alley width adjustable, the body & neck clamps longer, so they reach under smaller calves, made neck clamp so it can be slid back several inches so the back end of a small calf is still covered by the body clamp. Made the alley a few inches shorter.
Alley has back stops. Gate behind chute, slides to the side easily.
I much prefer the design of the front head gate on the cow country vs the rupp, which slides. My (cow country) head gate is unlatched as the table is tipped. Gate leans slightly so there is no need to open it, it opens on its own.
For the size calves you want to do, cow country would work fine. Nearly the same as a rupp, but made manual, hydraulic tilt, or full hydraulic. I believe rupp is only made hydraulic. There some others with the same design. All seem to somewhat copy the old Johnson, which I don't think is made any more.
For that weight calves, I would definatly get one with that type of design versus one that catches the head and the whole table tips. Then you have to open the bars to work on the calf which takes time.
With this design, it works best to clamp the body clamp slightly before the neck clamp. One hand on each lever so only about a second between. & open the neck first.
Personally after using one, of this design, I don't see the need for hydraulic. But then I do my calves younger. A number of 300# calves would make the hydraulic more attractive. 350# calves may be getting towards the upper size to work in the cow country. Don't remember what they say.
My old one tipped the whole chute and that did take more muscle.
My old one is a Valley, and is for sale cheap.
For bigger calves different design & hydraulic may be better.
Took 3 of us, a little under two minutes to brand, cut, vaccinate, so 60 head almost 2 hours. More help & some one that can cut faster them me, could knock a fair amount of time off that, possibly half.
Edited by Nebraska Sandhiller 6/26/2020 00:23
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Calf table
