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Bud Box Questions

4

4Diamond

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Missouri
My dad and I are in the process of building a small corral on one of our farms. Maximum head at one time would be 40 pair. I would like to try a bud box in there. I am looking for advice on the dimensions to build the box and alleyway. A portable squeeze chute will be used, and load out will be down the same alley. Any helpful hints and suggestions would be appreciated. Pictures and drawings would be better! TIA
 
I would say just don't make it too small. When I researched one online I seen a lot of 12 x 20 as the dimensions. Well I started building one and 12 x 20 seemed way too small, probably alright if you only want 2-4 in the alley at a time. I built mine 12 x 32 and it works great with 7 or 8 yearlings or 5 or 6 cows. Keep in mind I have a 44 ft daniels double alley in front of it so it can handle a few animals. If you don't have much of an alley the 12 x 20 would probably be fine. Just my two cents.
 
Your Bud Box needs to hold twice as many cattle as your working alley, I think that is what Bud said. So if your alley will hold 3 cows your box needs to your box should be big enough for 6 cows, even though you will only fill with 3 cows at a time. When using a box remember that you want your working alley close to empty when you fill and to never put more cows in the box than will fit in the alley. My experience is that it is better off to build your box on the wide side than too long. If you use it correctly you should never have to step behind your cattle they should always walk by you. If the box is too long you can not pressure the cattle enough to walk by and go down your working alley, instead they just walk by and you have to step in behind them to try to force them down your working alley.
 
4D, We've been using one for quite a few years now and wouldn't have any thing else. on one of our places where we built a little system with a sweep I've been trying to figure out a way to tear it out and put in a box with the least amount of disruption. You know we buy a few cattle every year that have NEVER seen a box and they go through great the first time and get better each time after. IMO, one major rule. NEVER store cattle in the box. Just load what will fit in the chute each time.

Another reason for you to come up and see us. BTW I guess you know our bull selling buddy made a change.
 
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=bud+box&qpvt=bud+box&FORM=IGRE#a

Here is several schematics and some pictures....
 
We have a 16' X 24' box. The one this latest box replaced was only 12 feet wide and that was just a little bit tight with our cattle and our cattle aren't very rowdy. The 16' is a little bit more comfortable to work in, but it does take a little different technique to make work. You should never go to the back and push every thing towards the alley. The cattle should be made to walk by you one or two at a time. I am not real sure that a double alley is necessary coming out of the Bud box. We have a Bud box for our load out that is only a single alley and the cattle will actually flow into it easier than they do into our double alley.

I have a bunch of pictures of our facility we just built in the photo gallery. Search for my screen name and they are the most recently added.
 
I like about 12 x32.
remember--not only can't go back, also don't want them to see back.
I hinge that gate opposite side of single file alley. last daylight they see looking back is on that side.

I also sheet last panel on hinge side.

if you can run them right on thru and not catch them a couple times it really pays off.
 
MO STOCKER said:
4D, We've been using one for quite a few years now and wouldn't have any thing else. on one of our places where we built a little system with a sweep I've been trying to figure out a way to tear it out and put in a box with the least amount of disruption. You know we buy a few cattle every year that have NEVER seen a box and they go through great the first time and get better each time after. IMO, one major rule. NEVER store cattle in the box. Just load what will fit in the chute each time.

Another reason for you to come up and see us. BTW I guess you know our bull selling buddy made a change.
Click to expand...
I've been told to never store them in the box. It makes sense not to, running them in the box and into the alley should be one fluid motion IMO.

I did run into your son at a tractor pull a few weeks ago. He said you were off loafing!

Yes our bull friend has made a big change. From my view it's very rewarding to work for and with your dad each day.I hope it all works great.
 
I bred a neighbors cows in a bud box alley. He made his alley very tall like a bud box but we actually bred cow in a old squeeze chute rattle trap that defeated his purpose all together. He did not make a gate in his alley or stop.

As for the Bud Light box it works well at late night breeding's just make sure the semen tank does not have any bucking bull semen in it
 
Ours come in to it like you describe. It takes a little bit to figure out exactly where you need to be to move them around the corner and into the box. Once you have that figured out it is no problem at all.
 
Ours is 10'x23' from the gate to the end. Our Sorting alley is 10'x20 in the same angle as the box then the alley angles 45 degrees to the right and is 12'x40' we normally bring cattle around in a circle and sort 6 cows at a time. Our chute holds 8 cows but from my experience with our system 6 cows flow alot better if we try and over stuff the chute it gets pretty miserable.Mine is'nt done yet and the whole construction is metal panel constrution which works fine the gate that close's needs to be sheeted.Our cows have been thru this system about 4 times now and one thing I notice is alot of cows walk in and turn right up the alley without the gate even shut.
 
http://talk.newagtalk.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=504990&mid=4105602#M4105602



Here is a drawing of what I kind of had in mind. I have limitations with the way the ground lays. Feel free to tell me what you would change or add.
 
if I understand your drawing, your flow is (big pen) sort alley, bud box, work alley.

what I was hoping to see would be (big pen), sort alley, go past entrance to work alley to enter bud box. 'can't see back thru' gate on bud box is then closed behind cattle, cattle stall out for a few seconds, then attempt to return the way they came in---not only can't do it, can't even see it----enter work alley as 'alternate return route'

one might call your 'bud box' a ' rectangular shaped forcing pen', set at right angle to working alley entrance---I would not call it a 'bud box'
 
littlejoe said:
if I understand your drawing, your flow is (big pen) sort alley, bud box, work alley.

what I was hoping to see would be (big pen), sort alley, go past entrance to work alley to enter bud box. 'can't see back thru' gate on bud box is then closed behind cattle, cattle stall out for a few seconds, then attempt to return the way they came in---not only can't do it, can't even see it----enter work alley as 'alternate return route'

one might call your 'bud box' a ' rectangular shaped forcing pen', set at right angle to working alley entrance---I would not call it a 'bud box'
Click to expand...

You are correct. My latest idea is move the work alley 16' east. That would create a 12'x16' holding pen which would the go into a 12x20 box. Would that work better?
 
Remember that cattle like to go back in the direction they come from and other cattle will attract them. That being said with the diagram you have, I would suggest that you move your bud box and working alley east and make it so that your box fills at a right angle out of your sorting alley. If you want the best flow you will want to have the working alley on the same end as the gate that fills your box. I have worked in several different setups both permanent and portable. Whether your box is an extension of your sorting alley or perpendicular doesn't seem to be as big of an issue as having the working alley at the latch side of the bud box gate. I like a wide alley and box compared to a narrower one. I like to work horseback, but enjoy working on foot and find that one does not work any better than the other. The biggest advantage to using a horse is he is walking the miles instead of me. :)
 
flyingS said:
Remember that cattle like to go back in the direction they come from and other cattle will attract them. That being said with the diagram you have, I would suggest that you move your bud box and working alley east and make it so that your box fills at a right angle out of your sorting alley. If you want the best flow you will want to have the working alley on the same end as the gate that fills your box. I have worked in several different setups both permanent and portable. Whether your box is an extension of your sorting alley or perpendicular doesn't seem to be as big of an issue as having the working alley at the latch side of the bud box gate. I like a wide alley and box compared to a narrower one. I like to work horseback, but enjoy working on foot and find that one does not work any better than the other. The biggest advantage to using a horse is he is walking the miles instead of me. :)
Click to expand...
strictly a foot operation here. Plan is to move work alley 16' east. Drove 6 posts and driver broke so it maybe a few days before we get back to it.
 
I'm not trying to be contrary, just trying to get a clear picture. Are you planning to move your working alley to the opposite end of your box or are you moving the box and alley? There is a big difference.
Just sharing a thought. Have you thought about changing the location of your sorting alley and putting it on the east side of your pens? Cattle may flow easier out of the east side of your holding pen if they have just come from the feed pen, especially if there are still cattle being stored in your feed pen. It would also give you a possibility for 2 more sort options. You may never use them, but the option will be there.
 
flyingS said:
I'm not trying to be contrary, just trying to get a clear picture. Are you planning to move your working alley to the opposite end of your box or are you moving the box and alley? There is a big difference.
Just sharing a thought. Have you thought about changing the location of your sorting alley and putting it on the east side of your pens? Cattle may flow easier out of the east side of your holding pen if they have just come from the feed pen, especially if there are still cattle being stored in your feed pen. It would also give you a possibility for 2 more sort options. You may never use them, but the option will be there.
Click to expand...
moving work alley east
 

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