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Calf Sled?

J

JF Ranch

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 6, 2006
Messages
508
Location
North Fringe of the Nebraska Sandhills
For many years we've used a home built sled to move a newborn calf, with the anxious mother trotting along behind. It has worked well either attached to a saddle horn or behind a 4-wheeler.

Unfortunately the years have taken it's toll on it. It has been upset, bent up and broken up so many times, it is hardly worth fixing again.

I did a quick search and found a couple available but am not sure what to think of either of them:

1. Koehn Kozy Kalf Sled http://www.koehnmarketing.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=26&products_id=57

2. Sun-Tag Sled http://www.suntagsled.com/

Has anyone used either of these? Or do you know of any others that work well for you?
 
We have used a Koehn for years, it has held up good for us, have had cows step in it and been knocked around and still in good shape, the netting can be a pain at times but holds a calf in well. Good luck 101
 
The Koehn sled works good. I threw away the net and bolted a back board to the tapered end of the sled so that they don't flop themselves out and it works great.
 
Before you buy either of them, talk to Flyin S about what happened to him. I like one with a cage around it better. More to keep the cow out, then the calf in.
 
What you need, JF Ranch, is an old IHC Scout like ours. :D We have a
calf carrier that (I think)
is made out of pipe and is hooked to the
back of the Scout. You attach it to the ball of the vehicle and it goes up
along the tailgate. The calf is in it with his feet hanging down.
You can secure them with a seat belt or whatever. The old cow
likes it that she can see the calf really well and she just comes right along.
Best thing we have ever found!

Our local 'inventor genius' made it for us and one for himself.

Oh, and we just happen to have one for sale. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :P :wink:
 
Have to say my preference is for one with a cage as well. Used sleds for years and ended up with calves stepped on, broken sleds, and sore shoulders from a cow stepping in the sled when I wasn't looking and jerking me a$$ over tea kettle.

My Grandad built one out of square steel tubing with runners on the bottom and 4 sides done like prison bars for the sake of simple explanation. The front and back are full gates which is real handy for loading/unloading the calf. The straight hitch pulls real easy behind his quad.
 
Neighbors built one with snowmobile skis for runners. The frame is high enough for the cradle to hang in and the calf to be off the ground. Cradle is a piece of heavy canvas with 4 leg holes and a fifth hole to keep the navel clean from previous riders.

I just carry them on the back of the four wheeler. Most cows will follow once they realize the calf is off the ground.
 
JF, I have a Koehn. I took the net off ad just tied the calves and set them in it. Works great until Mama crawls in it with them. I have used some pretty good ones that are simple to make if you wanted some ideas. Probably the best one was mounted on the back of a polaris ranger via a 2" reciever hitch. I have also seen similar sleds built that you could pull. It is more like a cradle that holds the calf's feet off the ground. A neighbor has a sled built on wooden runners so it has about 6" of clearance and it has a cage that is mounted on hinges so that it folds to the front. You just set your calf on the platform and set the cage over him. The cage is very sturdy and handles quite a bit of abuse. My preference would be to provide more protection for the calf. A good mother will stay right with a calf and eventually you will end up breaking the leg on one.
 
This is similar to the cradle I was talking about, the one I used was home made. I like these the best, they make it so a cow can't step on her calf or knock a sled over and they are also handy for tagging if you are buy yourself. You can just set your calf on there and go about your business and writing records down without him fighting to get away from you or running off. It also leaves a calf out where a cow can smell him without having to reach over or smell through a cage.

http://apacheequipment.com/userfiles/file/Calf-Kradel-Literature.pdf
 
I would go with a color other than black . I have 2 black sleds & cows have a hard time seeing their black calves in em sometimes
 
Don't laugh to hard, but on the rare occasion where I needed a sled I have used an old pick-up truck hood- - - can't be pulled easily by hand but works great behind an ATV.

You can stack 10 square bales on it as well.
 
Must be getting older, because I really like Peach's atv mounted calf catcher contraption. provides protection for both the calf and the operator. just haven't found one similar up here yet. have used one of these for several years now, but have the same issues as everyone else.... http://www.koendersmfg.com/sled.html#calf
 
If I were building a sled similar to the Palco that is in the link I posted, I would make it so that the calf sets cross ways instead of lenght ways. I would also make sure that there is at least 6" or better of tubing extended past the cradles so that no matter which way I put the calf on there would be something to help support his head, I might weld strap or something to make it wider and line it with baler belt to keep calves from freezing to it. If I were to make it on a pull type sled I would want to make sure the runners were far enough apart that I could comfortably walk between them to set a calf on the sled and make sure that the cradle is high enough that I can comfortable set the calf on and take it off as well as tag or whatever I might accomplish while he is on it. One other thing that I found to be nice on the one I used, there was a bar between the cradle arms that way you supported the calfs rib cage and he couldn't squirm around and fall out of it. If you are interested in something like this JF let me know. I could probably call Sparky on the phone or draw it on a napkin and he would have one built in a couple of hours. Or if you have the iron I can come give you a hand. I can't do much else with this broken collar bone.
 
hayguy said:
Must be getting older, because I really like Peach's atv mounted calf catcher contraption. provides protection for both the calf and the operator. just haven't found one similar up here yet. have used one of these for several years now, but have the same issues as everyone else.... http://www.koendersmfg.com/sled.html#calf
Click to expand...

I thought it was Soderglen at Strathmore that invented the "Shark cage". :?
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
hayguy said:
Must be getting older, because I really like Peach's atv mounted calf catcher contraption. provides protection for both the calf and the operator. just haven't found one similar up here yet. have used one of these for several years now, but have the same issues as everyone else.... http://www.koendersmfg.com/sled.html#calf
Click to expand...

I thought it was Soderglen at Strathmore that invented the "Shark cage". :?
Click to expand...


Airdrie actually, now being made by 2w, heavy and tow behind http://www.two-w.com/shark_overview.htm am guessing that it wouldn't "bounce" though :wink: :lol:
 
This calf catcher is one that a i had made by the neighbour welder i gave him an old bale feeder and wheels off a old combine pickup header and he welded it together works great can weigh,tag, band and give the shots safely [/URL
 
You guy's must not have any mud. There would be 3 weeks here dureing calveing you could'nt get around to use one of those contraptions.They look handy but my place is a mudhole has been all spring this year.
 
Thanks for the many nice responses. Sorry, I've been away from Ranchers.net since I put up the original post.

My old home made sled has a cage which keeps the momma safely away from the calf. It has a rear gate that allows you to pull or push a calf in if he's standing up, or pull him in with a hind leg if he's laying down.

The disadvantage with the "cradle type" like the PALCO style, is that you need to lift the slimy newborn into position, getting your gloves, etc. pretty wet. I use a short hook with a T-handle to pull the messy newborn into my cage, keeping me relatively dry & clean. Plus, if the cow is protective, I can snag the baby at a relatively safe distance without getting creamed by the mother.

I'm curious if anyone has experience with the yellow Sun-Tag Sled in the second link I posted? It has a front slot for holding a back leg (see the photos). This idea appeals to me for the reasons mentioned above because I could use the hook above the calf's hock to pull the him into the sled and still get the leg into the slot without manhandling a wet baby.
 

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