How can I build a "squeeze" in my cattle allyway?

[SEA]

I built a permanent allyway in my pole barn to run cattle through up to my squeeze chute.  I nailed boards against the outside wall of the pole barn and then buried 6" x 6" treated posts upright, and then nailded 2" x 8" boards to them across from the pole barn wall to make the ally.  Perhaps I built it too wide and need to redesign it.  

The width is just fine when I run big bellied fat cows getting ready to calve through.  However, when I run yearling heifers or weaning calves, they can turn around on me.

In advertisements, I have seen adjustable metal pipe squeeze-gates attached to a metal bow pipe system,  but nothing that I could purchase to install in my barn.

How do you do it at your place, if you have anything similar?

Anyone have some ideas, thoughts, drawings, layouts, websites to go to with info?  All responses would be appreciated.  

PICTURES WOULD BE GREAT!!

Thanks!

 

[savaged]

Sounds like your ally width is pretty well set, unless you add a new wall to your existing one to narrow it. You could do that pretty easily by putting nailers on your posts then new boards to that.  The other thought is to figure out why they are wanting to turn, which you need to address anyway regardless of the ally width.  The ally must have some feature that causes this behavior.  They shoud feel like they are "escaping" and then want to go through the ally.  Look at it from the cow eye view.  Does it position people in their line of sight, or make them feel restricted in some other way?

 

[kfacres]

I stumbled onto a whole trailor load of oil pipe and sucker rod a few years ago, and at the time I had a whole set of plans made to develop a new working system and adjustable chute. 

I had seen a system very near to this about a month before I designed mine-- It had one side adjustable for a squeeze type ordeal...

Let me look and see if I can find the plans...  and will get back with you.

 

[JimF]

a very simple solution might be to just nail some boards on the inside of the lower boards to narrow the width for shorter, more narrow cattle and leave the upper width the same for mature cows - the thickness of the boards could be determined by your desired width at the bottom - essentially this would made that desired "V" shaped cattle alley -

 

[kfacres]

I have the plans found.. can email them to you..

In all reality though- this is going to be a much better system- and in all honesty-- would likely require you to tear out your existing boards-- and rebuild this from pipe... 

So you most likely won't want to do that...

I've seen people put pipe gates in too wide existing walkways-- which would be about as cheap and easy to do...

 

[Till-Hill]

We have an alley we put car tires inside permanent wall and then use corral gates to narrow it up for calves. When they get bigger we use some old sheets of plywood with some 4x4's screwed to the back of it. Seems to work real well for us. I would sure like a metal one like your talking too. It is a pain moving the tires/gates or plywood but it takes less time then the vet waiting for a calf to get turned the right way.

 

[LLBUX]

Build a gate(s) out of 2x6 lumber you can put in the alley when you need a smaller opening. 

It will reduce alley width 3". If still too wide, use them on each side.

They can be easily wired/screwed to the outside and removed when necessary.

 

[nate53]

We got a couple corrals made out of guard rail and we have the same problem.  When we work calves we roll in a couple old semi tires and fasten a portable gate up to one side of the alley with the truck tires in the middle, and then fasten a second portable gate on to the one with the tires to act as a funnel (5 min to set up).  Little bit of wire or chain, 2 gates, 2 truck tires.  Places will give you tires of any size you want.  It's cheap and it works, no screws, nails, no boards that break.  A little imagination one could make just about anything work just depends on the amount of money you want to spend and or if you keep your original setup?
Or could get some heavy pipe or square tubing and weld you up a frame and make it adjustable with holes in to just slide it in or out.

 

[CAB]

I have a formost squeeze chute and you could make a squeeze apparatus similar to what there squeeze mechanism for your alley. You may be able to find pictures of how theirs works on their website. It is kind of a hinged cam centric deal.

 

[Freddy]

Not sure what you want. but Daniels MANUFACTORING at Ainsworth Ne. has a adjustable Alley that we use behind our Silencer chute in the Barn and it works great...Has pins with holes for adjustment or you can pull them and take panel clear out if critter goes down ....

 

[knighthawk]

Cut The BS, could i possibly get your plans you drew up? Thanks

 

[kfacres]

Cut The BS, could i possibly get your plans you drew up? Thanks

send email to
[email protected]

 

[JWW]

pallets - put pallets nailed against the alleyway boards,  two/three nails and you can pop them out for bigger cattle.. it can narrow the alley down by 6 inches or so


JWW

 

[kfacres]

think I have email sent to all who asked.. if you have not got it- please re-ask, will resend.

 

[SEA]

think I have email sent to all who asked.. if you have not got it- please re-ask, will resend.

Thanks Jody!!  Much Appreciated.  I shall study it further when I get time.

 

[kfacres]

sent to 4 more people.. if you didn't get it, or still would like a copy-- ask..