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Cold Winter Climates
2.2.8. Yard Posts
Gateway posts should have a cap rail attached to prevent posts from spreading or moving apart. The cap
rail should be high enough that it will allow a person, a horse, or a small vehicle or tractor to drive under without
touching it Fig. 2.28. If the cap rail is made of pipe it can be bolted or welded to the gate posts. All pipe posts
should be covered at the top or illed with cement to prevent water getting in and rusting them out.
The base of all posts should be surrounded by a ring or collar of concrete to prevent rusting and rotting at
ground level. This collar should be 200mm to 300mm high for both steel and wooden posts, and 200mm to
300mm in diameter for a steel post or 75mm to 100mm around the base of a wooden post.
2.2.9. Electronic Scales
An electronic weighing facility is an essential component of any cattle yard design. The weigh crate or pen can be
constructed as a fully contained module that is mounted on top of the weighing load bars. Load bars may be
Figure 2.28. Example of cap rails on gates to stop posts from spreading. Source: Proway.
installed under a crush that has an internal loor, or installed inside the crush and with a weighing platform
mounted on top of the load bars Fig. 2.29.
In each case, a sliding gate must be installed at the entry and exit of the weighing unit. In the case of load bars
installed under or inside a crush, the sliding gate at the entry to the crush and the head bail will serve the same
function.
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Beef Breeder MANUAL
2.2.10. Crush and Head Bail
A cattle crush or at the very least a good quality, secure head bail is an essential management tool
for beef cattle, and a central part of good cattle yard design. They are used for many procedures such as
administering vaccines and oral anthelmintics, treating sick or injured animals, pregnancy diagnosis, and also
artiicial insemination. In both cases the crush or head bail should be made of strong material capable of
holding a large bull securely and safely.
An investment in a quality cattle crush that has good operator comfort and safety is highly recommended
at the outset.
KEY ATTRIBUTES OF A DESIRABLE CRUSH INCLUDE:
3 Strong, robust construction 3 Split level opening side gates on
both sides 3 Drop-down squeeze head bail
handle for operator safety 3 Operation of the squeeze from the
front and rear 3 Vet access compartment, with
sheeted lower kick door 3 Anti-backing device
3 Side squeeze mechanism Examples of veterinary crushes and
head bails are shown in Fig. 2.30 and 2.31.
Figure 2.29. Weighing load bars installed under a cattle crush equipped with an internal loor. Source: National Stockyard Systems.
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Cold Winter Climates
Figure 2.30. Desirable attributes of a high standard cattle crush with
veterinary access. Source: Magnus Australia.
Figure 2.31. A head bail may be installed at the end of a race instead of a crush, but it has limited functionality,
and is best suited for small cattle herds. Source: Holdem Cattle Handling Equipment.
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Beef Breeder MANUAL
Figure 2.32. Water trough positions. Water troughs should be placed in fence lines A, C andor D and not in the middle of the pen B.
The cattle crush should be installed on and bolted securely to a reinforced concrete plinth to ensure
that it is not able to be moved by cattle when they are contained inside. Similarly, because head bails are
aixed to the end of a race, the end posts of the race must be well reinforced and cemented in the ground so
that they cannot be moved or broken when animals are restrained in the head bail.
2.2.11. Water Troughs
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