Self-Locking Feed Wagon Equipped With Automatic Head Catchers

Self-Locking Feed Wagon Equipped With Automatic Head Catchers LIVESTOCK Feeding Equipment 24-4-10 Automatic head catchers on this home-built feed wagon let Texas cattleman Mike Yarbrough work on up to 28 animals at a time as they feed. The 7-ft. wide, 30-ft. long feeder is designed to feed big round bales as well as silage or grain. Cattle feed through self-locking gates on the sides, front and rear of the wagon. Controls at the front and rear of the wagon allow him to catch and release all animals simultaneously on each side of the wagon. Each gate can also be set to catch individual animals. Yarbrough can easily climb inside to work on the animals through a front opening. The back opens up to allow loading up to 5 big round bales. "It speeds up veterinary work because we can work on up to 28 full-grown cattle at a time," says Yarbrough. "It works a lot better than chasing animals one at a time into a chute because the cattle are calmer and less stressed, and so is the operator. Also, catching them is easy and virtually hassle-free. When we want to work on the animals, we simply set the gate controls so cattle lock themselves in as they reach through to eat. Cattle aren't even aware that they're caught so there's no bucking or ramming. It sure beats chasing cattle and it's easier on the fences, too. "We've used it to treat sick cows, put calves on heifers, artificially inseminate bred cows and heifers, draw blood for disease testing, milk out cows, apply fly tags, and to apply pour-on wormer and injectible wormers. We've also used it to vaccinate and sort animals that we want to move or sell. We can individually release the ones we don't want and then use a portable panel and the gate on back to load the cows we want. "The sides of the feed troughs are sloped to ensure that cows get all of the feed. There's very little waste." The wagon is mounted on springs and pulls better than many livestock trailers, says Yarbrough. Drop legs on front hold it stationary when in use. "Even 1,600-lb. Simmental cows haven't been able to move it," notes Yarbrough. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Mike Yarbrough, Rt. 1, Box 267, Honey Grove, Texas 75446 (ph 903 378-7291).

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