Cattle Care Equipment

Cattle rearing can challenge even the most skilled ranchers. Cows may appear calm and docile animals from a distance until you need to handle them. Therefore, your success in livestock farming depends on how well you care for them.

You will need to invest in the right tools and equipment. Cattle can be stubborn but easily scared, making control difficult. Cattle rearing is a worthwhile investment, but returns depend on effort. 

Cattle rearing is a lucrative investment, but only if you can do it well. Besides constructing a massive ranch for your animals, it would help to invest in cattle care equipment to ensure the health and productivity of your livestock. 

The following are valuable cattle care equipment. 

Livestock Trailer 

As a livestock farmer, you often want to haul or move your cattle at some point. It is a valuable piece of equipment when purchasing or selling cattle. You can also use it as a utility trailer to move cattle feed and other farm supplies. 

Drinking and Feeding Equipment 

There are various types of feeding equipment since this can sometimes be a complex activity. You can choose steel rings to simplify feeding. The rings come in varying sizes, with some large enough to simultaneously hold more than one cattle. 

Troughs are the most common feeding equipment, but alternatives like feed bins and creep feeders make drinking more seamless. On the other hand, you can find many cattle waterers, but it would be best to choose galvanized steel instead of plastics that damage easily. 

Ranch Handcart 

You need a lightweight cart for several cattle care tasks. A handcart is the most convenient option. It helps you carry heavy loads in and around your farm and across uneven terrain. You can use it to move newborn calves, manure, or feed. Handcarts are best used where a trailer cannot reach. 

Cattle Guard 

A cattle guard is a mechanical device with several metals between bars, leaving sufficient space to prevent grazing cattle from escaping their enclosure. It works well when planted firmly in a ditch. While the spaces between the bars can trap cattle hooves when crossing over, they are narrow enough to allow human foot traffic. It is also strong enough to support a vehicle. 

When an animal crosses, it might lose its hoof grip and slip between the bars. When this happens, others see it as a trap and avoid that area as they see a possibility of falling into the ditch through the bars. 

A cattle guard is valuable, especially for people with disabilities, as it makes it easy to operate a ranch. Therefore, if you have challenges engaging in strenuous tasks like getting in and out of your farm vehicle to close the ranch gate or guiding livestock back into their enclosure, a cattle guard is your solution. A bump gate can also serve the same purpose. 

Cattle Crates 

Commonly known as a cage, a cattle crate keeps cattle stationary during inspection, processing, or marking. Steel makes them durable, and you can find them in varying sizes to suit your needs. 

Many companies selling cattle crates also offer various accessories for the cage. Cattle crates ensure the safety of the animals and farm workers as they care for the animals. 

Cattle Chutes 

A cattle chute is a narrow passage meant for controlling or guiding cattle movement within an area. It comprises fences enclosing a gap to allow an animal to pass through comfortably without turning around. 

It is indispensable equipment when sorting animals or examination for treatment. Herds can comfortably flow through chutes without distraction or friction. It smooths farm operations since all tasks run for the expected duration. 

Manure Spreader 

You can expect to have plenty of manure if you keep livestock. Rather than disposing of this animal waste, you should use it to improve your farm. However, you need equipment to perform this task without wasting manure or land. 

Manure spreaders are available. It mixes manure with soil evenly, improving soil fertility and reducing the menace of flies. In addition, it helps minimize contaminated runoff. It is among the must-have pieces of equipment for every cattle breeder. 

Calf Squeeze Tilt Tables 

A calf squeeze tilt table is essential cattle care equipment, especially during calving. It squeezes the side of the animal and supports the neck. In addition, it tilts the neck to a 45-degree angle to allow medical examination, treatment, and other essential cattle-handling activities.

A calf squeeze tilt table is indispensable during branding, vaccination, and clipping hooves. Besides cattle, you can also use them on other animals on your ranch, including sheep and goats.