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Which Manual squeeze chute should I get.

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Titan West is simply the new owner for Linn Enterprises. Titan Trailer Manf recently bought out Linn. The two businesses aren't 20 miles apart near Waterville, KS.

I have a Powder River manual chute with the automatic head gate and one side that opens. The only thing I don't like about it is the lever that controls the rear gate is located toward the front of the chute. Makes it hard for a one person operation to get the gate closed if the headgate doesn't catch the critter.
 
Red Barn Angus said:
Titan West is simply the new owner for Linn Enterprises. Titan Trailer Manf recently bought out Linn. The two businesses aren't 20 miles apart near Waterville, KS.

I have a Powder River manual chute with the automatic head gate and one side that opens. The only thing I don't like about it is the lever that controls the rear gate is located toward the front of the chute. Makes it hard for a one person operation to get the gate closed if the headgate doesn't catch the critter.
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That would be an older Powder River model. I used to hate that as I always had a manual headgate , so it was a race to the front of the chute to trip the rear tailgate before the cow started backing up. the newer ones have a rear trip handle. It would not take much to modify an older one....

Rawhider, you filled in a lot of the blanks as to what that chute is, thanks,

PPRM
 
As far as just a manual headgate only. I really like the Foremost. Works well for baby calves to mature bulls. I don't think I"ll buy another self catch headgate again, and will probably switch back to a manual.
 
Most every vet around here runs a Formost 450 or maybe the next size up.. Some of the others have Strongholds but I think that is only one or two offices. this could be because of a good dealer of Formost around here, I really liked their big chute that my old vet had.. Just didn't like him charging me money for using it when I told him my chute was perfectly fine.. Really didn't like it when he charged me for using his 450 when my 450 was already in place....
 
I bought a Powder River last year. I looked at the cataglog and said "if it's good enough for Chris Ledoux, it's good enough for me". Then I found out later that George Strait uses Priefert.

Besides that, Powder River and Zimmerman were the only ones represneted at our Livestock Expo here. I'm happy for the most part with the Powder River. I have the Automatic head catch, not recomended for horned cattle, and the scissor gate. Good setup, watch your head on the squeeze lever. My biggest complaint about the Powder River is the paint, I don't thihnk they use a primer. I did find out later that a farm service company who delivers all over the state is a Priefert dealer, are those powder coated? We just bought the Horse stocks from priefert. Looks well built, I'm sure the cattle equipment is as well. At least it looks good in the catalog.
 
I looked on the priefert website and it says their squeeze chute is "dip painted".

I was almost certain that at the stockshows this year we seen some of prieferts stuff that was powder coated, but it must have been WW or some other brand. I know the one's I was thinking about weren't blue...they were a dark gray.
 
IL Rancher said:
Most every vet around here runs a Formost 450 or maybe the next size up.. Some of the others have Strongholds but I think that is only one or two offices. this could be because of a good dealer of Formost around here, I really liked their big chute that my old vet had.. Just didn't like him charging me money for using it when I told him my chute was perfectly fine.. Really didn't like it when he charged me for using his 450 when my 450 was already in place....
Click to expand...
I have a formost. I like it. It's about the same as the afore mentioned Lynn except the branding gates swing left and right instead of dropping down. I prefer swinging but some like the drop down. Mine has a roll up tailgate behind the palp cage but the new ones have a split tailgate which I would much prefer.
 
PPRM - Terrific Post! You said almost everything that was necessary, and put it in a nutshell! Most "problems" can be solved by having the correct equipment and the right size to accomplish the job. You can't do any job right without the right tools!

One of the primary problems that I have encountered in my work revolves around "BUDGET RESTRICTIONS!" People establish a certain figure in their budget - and then REFUSE to exceed that figure in spite of the fact that a little more expenditure will usually do a lot more of a JOB for them! But they are BULL-HEADED and can't see the Forest for the Trees! But - - it is easy to say if you have the money - hard to do if you DON'T have the money! But there is usually a "happy medium" in there somewhere - you just have to find it. And accept it!

DOC HARRIS
 
DOC HARRIS said:
PPRM - Terrific Post! You said almost everything that was necessary, and put it in a nutshell! Most "problems" can be solved by having the correct equipment and the right size to accomplish the job. You can't do any job right without the right tools!

One of the primary problems that I have encountered in my work revolves around "BUDGET RESTRICTIONS!" People establish a certain figure in their budget - and then REFUSE to exceed that figure in spite of the fact that a little more expenditure will usually do a lot more of a JOB for them! But they are BULL-HEADED and can't see the Forest for the Trees! But - - it is easy to say if you have the money - hard to do if you DON'T have the money! But there is usually a "happy medium" in there somewhere - you just have to find it. And accept it!

DOC HARRIS
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There was a guy in milton freewater, Oregon that had struggled with an old Powder River Squeeze chute on a 600 cow outfit...for years they fought it. It was a great chute in its time, but undersized for today's cattle. Would have been a great yearling chute, but couple that undersized unit with a a wooden crowd alley thatdoes not adjust width and no Sweep tub and it was an all day fight to work cattle. Imagine doing that for 25 plus years....

They finally broke down and bought a sweep tub, Adjustable crowd alley and an XL Manual Chute. It was like night and day....They still were fighting some things and had me come out to look it over....

They did not know the bottom adjustd and for some reason the front was set narrower than the back. So it was kinda pushing the cows back and not working for them. That and a few other adjust ments and the guy said, "this will work, but it is not what I want." I started showing him the Powder River Hydraulic and he said, "Nope, this deal is so much better, I don't want to Skimp"...I sold him a Silencer (Sent him to the guy that deals them)

The Ironic thing is how long they choose to fight stuff and then once they had a taste of how easy it can be they weren't going to settle anymore....

Good equipment makes it less work for you, safer for you and the cattle, easier on the cattle and your Vaccinations and medicines work better.......


A lot of the Chute deal is regional....Stuff I am familiar with and is readily available may not be so much for others....Some of the Chutes in this thread aren't available where I am. That is why I thought it would be more help for more people to talk about features more do than brands...

I will say I can put any other brand out on a lot where I live and the Powder River will outsell it 6 to 1......Combination of features, price (Frieght s not a deal breaker here) and what people are familiar with,


PPRM
 
Another really good company for Livestock handling equipment including the squeeze chute is REAL-TUFF. They really have a very good option with lots of features that help with handling the cows on our farm. We have been very happy with ours for years now. Working cattle with our squeeze chute is very quick and efficient. Our vet sure appreciates it too.
www.realtuff.com
 
I have Thorson, that I really like. It will hold weaners to bulls tight. Well built and has ropes for controls, so no levers catching you in the head.
Waitingforanothervictim.jpg
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I get to work cattle in all sorts of setups due to my A'I business-the best equipment will not cover up poor stockmanship skills-most people-me included would benefit from going to a bud williams or dylan biggs clinic on cattle handling before a major investment in cattle steel. You can work cattle smooth and quietly through a $500 setup or have a mess in a $50,000 one. As to crowding tubs the biggest sin with them is people want to overfill them. I own a pearson chute myself but have worked with most of the major brands except a silencer-I'd like that opportunity some day. Stampede Steel makes a very good chute and alley-the knock on them is their back up bar is set a bit low. Alot depends on what kind of outfit you run too-if you use your chute only a couple days a year pregging cows or vaccinating calves you can probably put up with a few more bugs than the outfit that uses theirs steady. Our own setup is six foot high Morand panels and a 12x24 foot pen with a right turn into a straight alley-we usually load the alley on horseback but it works ok on foot.Someday I'd like a rolling gate at the back of the alley and some width adjustment. The bad part of this is where the panels join-an animal if they jump can catch a foot up there-EXT's and bucking bulls found out that flaw.
 
ksgrassfarmer said:
Which manual chute is the best? I know probably like asking the Ford or Chevy ?. I have kinda narrowed it down to a Pearson or a WW. What do you think or should I consider another brand? Any comments, pros or cons on any chute brand would be great. thanks
Click to expand...

The one you like the best..... Bottom line it's what YOU like and can use to fit your operation....
 
We run a 75' plank alley with a self catch REAL industries headgate that is around 30 years old. No tub, no squeeze, works great.
We also have a REAL industries portable 1/4 tub with adjustable alley with a squeeze on the front that we use to AI. It is OK for a portable, but I would hate to have to use it and/or a squeeze on a regular basis. The squeeze is kind of nice for branding yearlings. :lol:
 
Northern Rancher said:
I own a pearson chute myself but have worked with most of the major brands except a silencer-
Click to expand...

We have a Pearson as well, but I need to figure out a way to modify the head catch handle. I mostly let them catch themselves, but when I do need to use the handle, my hand is in their line of vision... does anyone know of a good way to modify it?

And you're exactly right, how cattle are fed into an alleyway makes a big difference. I keep my very best help in back, loading the alleyway, and keeping the flow going QUIETLY :wink:.
 
We got a Northquip Q-Catch head gate last year and I really like it. It's quiet and the cattle seem to be quieter going through it. At preg testing this year I caught 400 head in 3 3/4 hours and wasn't tired. Would have went faster but we tested a lot of heifers. I'd like to have the Northquip squeeze as well. They are so quiet it's almost like a day off when working around them.
 
Why do makers of headgates always have to get artistic and use curved pipe? If they would just use pipe that is straight up and down, cattle would have much less chance of choking. We have two Priefert chutes that I like real well except for this factor. Cows that drop their head tend to choke, so the operator has to be on hand to give instant slack to prevent this problem.
 
Soapweed said:
Why do makers of headgates always have to get artistic and use curved pipe? If they would just use pipe that is straight up and down, cattle would have much less chance of choking. We have two Priefert chutes that I like real well except for this factor. Cows that drop their head tend to choke, so the operator has to be on hand to give instant slack to prevent this problem.
Click to expand...

I've always thought the same, and this is another feature of the Q-Catch I like.... it's straight all the way down, no taper. I see the new ones have a little add on so they can't go all the way down, I don't know if I'd like it. Here is a pic of what is our head gate with the black add-ons in the center of the head gate. It may work.

qchg.jpg
 
Silver said:
Soapweed said:
Why do makers of headgates always have to get artistic and use curved pipe? If they would just use pipe that is straight up and down, cattle would have much less chance of choking. We have two Priefert chutes that I like real well except for this factor. Cows that drop their head tend to choke, so the operator has to be on hand to give instant slack to prevent this problem.
Click to expand...

I've always thought the same, and this is another feature of the Q-Catch I like.... it's straight all the way down, no taper. I see the new ones have a little add on so they can't go all the way down, I don't know if I'd like it. Here is a pic of what is our head gate with the black add-ons in the center of the head gate. It may work.

qchg.jpg
Click to expand...

Looks like a handy user-friendly headcatch, complete with a straddle bar to keep them from going down in front. I'll bet it works like a charm.
 
We like our Morand chute we bought in 2001. The headcatch is
straight up and down as well.
Really like the back door--it's on rollers and a little kid can run
it...even me... :D :p :lol: :lol: :lol:

http://www.morandindustries.com/cattle-squeeze-chutes.html
 

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