cattle corral ideas?

[Banleno007]

Anyone have a simple design for a cattle corral?
Would like two holding pens that one could sort cattle into, with a chute leading to the head gate, and a simple loading chute.

I have a small cattle operation and all the designs I found on the net are for 50-100 head operations, which lead to substantial costs.

I would like a simple design that I could use to sort calves, and preform basic mantiance of the cattle.

All thoughts and ideas will be welcomed.

Thanks in advance.

 

[pharmvet]

A few ideas:

1) If you can afford it, a squeeze chute is far superior to just a head gate mounted on posts. A good manual squeeze chute will make life much easier. WW and Priefert are good brands. WW if most of your cattle are polled, Preifert if you have some long horns. Also, go ahead and get one with a palpation gate. Even if you dont have your cattle preg checked, eventually, you will have to pull a calf or put in a prolapse. You need a way to get behind the cows without crawling over the chute. Again, if money will permit, a simple overhead covering the chute and the area around it (about 8 ft on either side and to the front and rear is nice for working in the rain OR SUN. Also, it will protect your chute from the elements.

2) Have your squeeze chute (or head gate if you must) turn out into a pen, and not the pasture. Eventually one will get by you and you will still have it contained.

3) Do some research before you build your chute. Most build them much too wide and cattle will constantly turn around on you. The problem gets even worse with calves. If you dont mind spending a little time and green, you can weld simple jacks horizontally to one side of the chute and make it adjustable. Design it so that a swing gate forces them into the chute from a larger ally.

4) Build it heavy enough. This doesn't have to be pipe corral, but good posts (bois d' arc or cross ties) with portable pannels work well.

5) Size matters, and most build allys, chutes, and holding pens too large and too wide. A 10x16 pen can hold several cows. Gates are essential, and it is essential that they swing the proper direction and lay back against the fence where they should so cattle dont hook their hips on them as they run by.

6) A well designed working setup makes worlds of differences. PM me if you would like and I can get some basic designs to you. good luck.