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Calf catcher

G

Grassfarmer

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 21, 2005
Messages
998
Location
Central Alberta, Canada
Thought I'd post a few pictures of my "calf catcher" that I use for tagging calves. Overkill 99% of the time but I can't afford the risk of the other 1% after getting in a wreck a few years back with a broken collar bone, ribs and punctured lung. :mad: :mad: :cry: :cry:
My calf cage built from junk on the previous owners scrap heap - I'm more a "Jock Cheap" kind of operation than a John Deere one :lol:
cage.jpg

In action - I prefer this to quad bike type set ups - if need be I can get out of the cab, climb along the loader and back again in complete safety.
tract.jpg

Nice to have the cows grazing again - banked grass over wintered.
cows.jpg

Close up - my favorite kind of hay
banked.jpg

Opened up the sward a little to show the green still present. This area is mainly blue grass and Quack grass which cure really well. In a couple of weeks we will start to get new growth and those first shoots of new green will spice up the feed value just when the cows need it.
green.jpg
:lol:
 
I have done about the same thing but I just pick up a round bale feeder with the bob cat - - -- works great on the unrully ones - - - -most of the bad cows are gone now as I feel it is better to let them move to a plate!
 
The first sign of the apocalypse-I'm pretty sure any good range cow would of her calf picked up and on the high trot before you could drop that contraption over it-if she didn't I'd can her. Like the carryover grass though.
 
Thats what I was thinking! :D Any ol' desert cow worth her salt would of hit 4th gear with calf in tow at the sight> :D It is a good cage but i'll bet ya better tag them when they still have afterbirth dripping. On the desert ranges we work in pairs. If a sister gets snorty one works the calf while his partner snubs the cow. We work off horses though. I have helped a nieghbor tag calves who goes in with his flatbed truck. We grab the calf and put him on the flatbed if momma is fired up. I've had a couple cows get their front feet and brisket on the bed and make laps. It just motivates ya to tag faster! :wink: I'm glad your contraption works well for ya! Cows look nice and that grass sure must be nice as well! :D
 
Nah, I'd rather can the "high trotters" I'm not operating on open range so I don't need that kind of cattle. It does take some dexterity with the tractor to catch a few of them - I usually go round twice a day and catch the newborns. If we don't get them on day one we don't get them at all!
 
The reason I like the round bale feeder and the bobcat is the cows are used to the bobcat feeding and pay little to no attention to it and it is very mananverable
 
I think the ultimate is a cow that lets me tag the calf without a cage or contraption, and knows the difference between me and a predator. I like a cow who'll protect her calf against anything and everything, even dumb curious heifers that can trample babies. However, if a cow does anymore than beller in my face while I'm tagging, and her head makes physical contact in some way, her head will eventually make physical contact with a bullet.

That's my 2 cents worth. Always try and improve 'em.
 
I agree with Pure Country... if they sit there and watch me handle thier calf, I will over look a few other problems they may have....but if they get a little wound up, they go to town. with the wife and kids helping on the cattle, I will NOT take chances with wild cows.
 
Big difference between a good mother and an EXT-we had a few abandon their calves after we tagged them they reminded me more of a whitetail doe than a beef cow to be honest. One thing about farmers if they've got iron and a welder they'll 'invent' a cure for anything.
 
I think the ultimate is a cow that lets me tag the calf without a cage or contraption, and knows the difference between me and a predator. I like a cow who'll protect her calf against anything and everything, even dumb curious heifers that can trample babies. However, if a cow does anymore than beller in my face while I'm tagging, and her head makes physical contact in some way, her head will eventually make physical contact with a bullet.

That's my 2 cents worth. Always try and improve 'em.
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That's fine in theory PureCountry and I totally agree with you in principle - we still will not tolerate crazy or dangerous cows and will ship them on temperment. I only got hit once in 26 years of tagging cows and it was a lesson that it can happen to anyone at any time. I was lucky that the cow in question didn't spend another minute finishing me off because she could have. If you are prepared to take the same risk I did every time you tag a calf I hope you continue to remain lucky. The odds of going through life doing walking up tagging of fresh calved cows and not getting into a wreck at some point are pretty poor in my opinion. I'm just not prepared to take that risk any longer - deciding to ship them if their head makes contact with you is making the decision too late in my opinion. Someday you won't get that time to ponder her fate.
As an aside, growing up with Galloways, they are the breed with the highest percentage of cheeky old "stroppy at calving" cows I've encountered. :wink:
 
Northern Rancher said:
One thing about farmers if they've got iron and a welder they'll 'invent' a cure for anything.
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:lol: ouch, you nailed that one!!!!

sems like if you spent half as much time with a rope and practiced as you did welding there wouldn't be any need to weld up a contraption.
 
Grassfarmer said:
sems like if you spent half as much time with a rope and practiced as you did welding there wouldn't be any need to weld up a contraption.
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Don't know if that's aimed at me lonecowboy - if it is you are off the mark I've never welded in my life.
Click to expand...

Nope, no offense intended toward you, to each their own, I was thinkin about calf tables, calf catchering devises and such in general after readin NR's remark which I was responding to.
 
Thanks Grassfarmer for posting pictures. I think people are always too negative and critical of anything that isn't "cowboy". We use every available contraption from calf cages on 4 wheelers to calf tables to make the work more efficient and SAFER! Not to say we can't and don't rope off our horses when needed, but in todays tough ranching enviorment I think its just wise to use all the tools in the toolkit.
 

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