Dads DIY Shed Plans

Working facilities are needed to carry out basic management practices. Some small producers feel working facilities are too expensive, but without proper facilities, basic management practices are often not carried out. Eliminating such basic management practices such as castration and dehorning can lead to economic losses as a result of discounts on your calves. Handling facilities also increase the safety for humans when handling animals.

PLANNING:

The goal of a successful design is one that accommodates your working needs while making safe and efficient use of available labor and reducing animal stress and bruising.


SITE SELECTION:

Accessibility is paramount for a successful working corral. People, trucks, and trailers must be able to access the facility site even in adverse weather. Normally, the easiest place to pen cattle is along a fence line, especially in a corner of a pasture. Ideally, this location would be where several pastures converge. The pasture fence in proximity to the corral may get additional pressure from cattle crowding it. Larger posts and additional bracing may be needed in this part of the pasture fence.

 

Assess the time of day you will be working and loading your cattle. Since it is more difficult to load or herd cattle into the sun or a bright light, point the working alley and the loading chute away from the sun.  Cattle fear harsh contrasts of light and dark. This is particularly frustrating when handling cattle in loading chutes, scales and working areas. Alternating light and dark patterns cause cattle to balk and they may refuse to cross a shadow. Balking can also be caused by a bright spot in the chute. Handlers should be cautious about causing shadows. Keep light intensity and patterns as uniform as possible; there should be no sudden changes in floor level or texture.

 

Cattle tend to move towards light. When loading cattle at night, a frosted light positioned inside the truck so that it does not glare in their faces helps attract cattle. Livestock will balk if they have to look directly into the sun. Face loading chutes and squeeze chutes either north or south to minimize the effects of bright sunlight.

Look for high, well-drained sites. Avoid locations with slopes of greater than 10 degrees or 2” per foot. Build the facility near electricity and water when possible. Avoid building adjacent to residences where dust, flies, noise, and odor may become a nuisance. An inexpensive working facility may be built in the corner of an existing barn and lot. If cost is a factor, at least pour concrete in the squeeze chute area of the working alley. Some basic dimensions for building working facilities are provided in Table 1.