Let’s say the system has been used to assist in administering vaccinations, deworming and performing castrations on your beef cattle herd as a part of your spring cattle working.

A few weeks pass. You gather your herd again and run them through for the booster vaccinations and follow-up.

From this point, your working facility could realistically sit there until fall when you have your cattle pregnancy checked, or possibly even until next spring, when it is once again time to start the process all over again.

The question is: What do you need to do with this equipment to make sure it lasts as long as it possibly can?

There are several management practices that can give additional life to a working facility.

1. Is your system under some type of roof cover or in a barn? A combination of sunlight, snow and rain can cause moving parts of a working system to seize up and make it more difficult to move the cattle through efficiently.
   If possible, build a canopy or shed of some kind over your working facility, even if it is only over the head catcher and chute portion, since that is where most of the moving parts are located.
   Not only will it protect your system, but also you if you are working animals in bad weather.
2. Once you have completed your herd working, spend a few minutes to go through and spray off or clean off any manure, blood or dirt from the system or at least the “moving parts” areas.
   It will also make this process easier if your system is on a concrete pad or at least a 3-inch or 4-inch layer of DGA (dense grade aggregate).
   This will keep excessive moisture away from your unit, thus minimizing the potential for rusting and seizing.
3. Your new system, complete with head gate, chute, sweep and alley, should be equipped with grease fittings.
   It will improve operation if the unit is greased before and after each use. Keep in mind if your system is outdoors, unprotected from weather, having grease in cavities where parts move or potentially rub together will help eliminate rusting in these areas. Therefore, a before-and-after grease regimen is certainly recommended.
4. Give your unit a quick once-over, checking bolts to make sure they haven’t loosened, touching up any exposed metal with paint and lightly oiling adjustment screws and other friction points.

This will ensure your system is ready to go for the next round of herd work.

The purchase of a cattle-working system is a major investment for any farming operation. Making it last as long as possible is a management practice that will add to your bottom line over the years.

By incorporating these simple procedures, your cattle- handling system will function as it was designed and last many years.

Todd Harne owns and operates a beef cattle and hay farming operation in central Kentucky and is the tube mill plant manager for Tarter Farm and Ranch Equipment.

Photo:

Courtesy of Moly Manufacturing.