s i o n of A g UNIVERSITY Beef Handling and Feeding Equipment Reuben Albaugh C. F. Kelly H. L. Beltoit IRAL it Station on Service CIRCULAR 414 REVISED Here is a good corral for handling cattle. Its plan is shown on page 4. The corral is arranged in such a way that cattle can move toward the loading chute Livestock damage from bruising and shrinkage can be prevented by careful handling and the use of proper equipment. Good corrals and equipment should provide facil- ities for branding, dehorning, loading, unloading, weighing, dipping, parting, and working cattle. They should be built for convenience and laid out and planned for economy and serviceability. THE AUTHORS: Reuben Albaugh is Agriculturist in Agricultural Extension, Davis. C. F. Kelly is Associate Agricultural Engineer in the Experiment Station, Davis. H. L. Belton was formerly Associate in Agricultural Engineering in the Experiment Station, Davis. REVISED JANUARY 1958 when being worked through the branding chute and dipping vat. Gates open to form "wings" with chutes; the scale is located out of the direct line of traffic. This circular suggests plans for various types of handling and feeding equipment — corrals, loading chutes, scales, feedlots, and the like. There is no one plan to fit every need, but those given can be adapted by the individual stockman to suit his own require- ments. Estimated costs and materials for a feedlot corral and a work corral are also included. Drawings were made by J. V. Galindo, draftsman in the Division of Agricultural Engineering, Davis. The cover photo shows Ki Silacci, prominent cattleman of Salinas, California, on his top cow horse, with good practical working equipment for handling cattle. [4] Beef Handling and Feeding Equipment REUBEN ALBAUGH C. F. KELLY H. L. BELTON FOR WORKING CATTLE When prices of cattle are favorable to the cattleman, he is wise to spend money in constructing or remodeling equipment for handling and feeding his stock. Well-planned corrals and other devices make handling of stock easier, save labor, and, most important of all, cut shrinkage, bruising, and other damage to a mini- mum. Money spent on good handling equipment is one of the best investments a cattleman can make. Of 163,444 head of cattle included in the National Bruise Survey, 10,414 were bruised. This amounted to 6.37 per cent, or a monetary loss of $5.71 per animal. The plans suggested in this circular have been developed to prevent bruising and shrinkage. However, careful handling is also necessary to avoid these losses. There is no one plan for equipment such as corrals, scales, chutes, and dip- ping vats that would be best for all ranches. However, certain features and construction details of a general over-all plan might be usable on any ranch. A good, practical set of corrals and equip- ment should afford facilities for brand- ing, dehorning, loading, unloading, weighing, dipping, parting, and working cattle. Drinking water should also be made available. In certain areas, shade and some weather shelters are desirable. Corrals and other equipment should be strongly built, and painted to preserve the material. They should not only be built for convenience, but also should be laid out and planned for economy and serviceability. First build your holding corral The corral should be in the center of ranch operations to reduce distance in movement of stock. If possible, choose a site that is on well-drained, sandy-tex- tured soil. One of the most important considera- tions is the loading chute. This must be so located that large trucks and trailers can easily reach it. After the location of the loading chute has been established, you can build the rest of the corral around it. For fencing, 2" x 6" unsurfaced lum- ber is suggested. Double construction on the insides of corrals is recommended so that the outside of the posts will not damage and bruise the cattle. This also makes the corral stronger and more dur- able. The fence boards may be fastened in place with 20d nails, but %" or y 2 " bolts are preferred. The fences should be 5% to 6 feet high. [5] Posts for a 5-foot corral JU mmto& /L_ o 22ZZ Deadman 6"xS' Gate posts and deadmen should be made of redwood or other decay-resistant material. The top piece is nailed on outside of post, just below the ground surface; bottom pieces are on the inside, so that nails do not carry the pressure. Use posts of redwood, cedar, or some other decay-resistant wood, set 6 feet apart, and at least 2% feet in the ground. Set corner and gate posts 3 or 4 feet deep. Solid tamping of posts is one of the most important features in constructing cor- rals for cattle. To preserve the posts, treat them with a 5 per cent solution of pentachloro- phenol. This material is sold under vari- ous trade names, one of which is Perma- [6 wood. Treatment costs about 5 cents per post. It is a good idea to reinforce large gate posts with two 2" x 10" redwood pieces 3 feet long, as shown above, to act as "deadmen" below the ground. In addi- tion to the deadmen, a 2" x 6" may be desirable to tie the tops of the gate posts together. We do not recommend setting posts in concrete. They are more likely to rot, and if broken off, they are difficult to replace. ] Gates are very important There is an old saying that you cannot have too many good gates, and that the efficiency of any ranch is judged by the condition of its gates and the ease with which they operate. It is usually best to place gates in the corners of corrals or other convenient places where it is more or less natural for cattle to go. Wherever possible, the gates should open in the direction in which the cattle are being driven. If practical, gates should be swung so as to make a "wing" with chute corrals or scales into which the cattle are to be moved. Gates should be built of the same material as that of the corrals, and both bolts and nails should be used in their construction. Build the hinge end of the gate out of two 2" x 6"'s in order to give sufficient surface for the hinge. Parting gates may or may not be placed in a chute. Some cowmen prefer to run cattle through a chute and part them with a two-way gate. Some may even want to make arrangements to cut them three ways. Our plan (page 4) calls for a parting gate at the end of the squeeze. It is so placed that cattle can be cut two ways. Other cattlemen prefer to part or sort their cattle in corrals, be- lieving that it is easier on the cattle and causes less bruising and shrinkage. Of the many different types of gates and latches, the one below has been found satisfactory on a number of ranches and is cheap and easy to make. A dump-rake tooth acts as a spring to keep the gate from being opened by the cattle. A 12-foot corral gate with rake-tooth latch spring. Use heavy hinges or get Plan 90, "Farm Gate," from the local Farm Advisor's office. ,1 K> a«JL [7] Branding chutes The cattle-branding chute shown on opposite page is more or less a dual- purpose chute. Used for branding, spray- ing, or parting cattle, it is so constructed that both small and large cattle can be worked through the same chute without having the smaller animals turn around and the larger ones become lodged in it. Sides are solid. The chute is 17 inches wide to a height of 2 feet, above which it widens to 33 inches (see detail, p. 10) . For economical construction, five 2" x 6"'s alternating with 1" x 6"'s may be used above the 2-foot level. The floor should be concrete, with a broomed finish. Brace the chutes by nailing 2" x 10"'s in the ground 6 inches below the bottom of the chute from post to post. It is not desirable to brace the posts by nailing cross ties across the top. This construc- tion interferes with operations such as spraying. Details for constructing these cross ties at the bottoms of the posts are shown in the plan on page 10, with an alternate method, using a concrete cross beam, detailed directly below it. An adjustable chute has been de- veloped by Julius Trescony of San Lucas. One side is a solid, vertical fence or wall 5 feet high, bolted to preservative-treated posts set 3 feet in the ground. The other side moves in and out on wheels so that the width can be varied from 16 to 31 inches — narrow enough for a calf, wide enough for the largest animal. Three wheels, 10 inches in diameter, will sup- port the movable side of a chute 30 feet long. The side is forced back and forth by two large, horizontal screws at each end of the chute. One of the screws has a hand crank. A chain running over sprockets makes it possible to turn both One side of chute shown below moves in and out on 10-inch wheels. Side is locked into position by notched arm. Detail at right shows hand crank, chain, and sprocket for adjusting movable side . \ i " 1 L. . \ \: % m screws at each end by one crank (see photo, p. 8) . The movable side is locked in position (after it has been moved to the correct width by means of the cranks) by a notched arm which tem- porarily, but solidly, connects the side to heavy posts set in the ground (see photo, p. 8). If you wish to build this type of chute, see Plan 95, page 19. Walk-ways are desirable on any kind of chute. Sliding gates should be con- structed at either end of the branding chute by crossing 1" x 6"'s and nailing them well. Detail for this construction is also shown in the sketch on page 10. Some cattlemen like to build curved chutes, thinking the cattle will enter them more readily. This type is more difficult to construct and is not so convenient to incorporate in the general corral plan. Most cattle chutes are straight. Cattle usually want to return to the area from which they came, therefore chutes lo- cated so that the animals can be driven into them in that direction are desirable. A hoist for raising cattle which may go down in the chute is shown on page 11. The cattle squeeze is highly im- portant. Here most of the work of brand- ing and dehorning is done. Many types are available. Probably the best and most economical over a period of years are commercial squeezes that can be bought on the market. Ranchers who want to make their own squeeze chute can follow Plan 5465. (See p. 19 for list of plans.) A calf-branding table can be pur- chased or it may be built from specifica- tions in Plan 201. If such a table is used, it can be placed at the end of the squeeze; or the squeeze can be removed and the calf table placed at the end of the chute. Branding chute, looking down the entrance end. Note flared ends near the bottom to guide cattU into the chute and prevent bruising. A squeeze can be set up at the far end. [9 IB * 2; Pipe for ^tiding \ Gate: Made of 1x6" doubt 4 crossed as shown- 2x6 Filler 1 — ; — r — r i ; > 8 J i. i Grade ! ^2V8" zr~* J2.-ST -2*10 -2"*4" ^v CO r-5 ^ i i w i i i 6x6- W I I L J 4 Cone SlaM I 4 "^"^^ p^xlO RyoTie I lJ Construction details of the chute shown on page 9. Treat bottoms of posts with preservative; give concrete floor a rough finish. An alternate method of making a chute on rocky soil. Chute is kept in place by weight of the concrete sleepers placed every 6 feet. Detail of man walk is also shown. [10] Making a portable hoist Cotter Pin ■Z\2Vz\Ve" Channel Stock Bearing ^ Chain Hool? Rod^ V/z*\Vz\ '/a'* An£le NWeld Veld- Chute Width. f Washer /^3/eld Vashers, tt x j CHUT£ [ '/2"Boir 2 Hoist I Pipe Plan for making a portable hoist for raising cattle that go down in the chute. The distance between the channels should be the same as the width of the chute. The portable hoist, for which plan is shown above. [ii] A portable loading chute Since most cattle are transported by truck, it may be necessary, on many ranches, to have a portable loading chute. Such a chute is convenient be- cause it can be hauled from field to field and can be used for loading and unload- ing in temporary corrals, such as in beet fields and irrigated pastures. The portable loading chute shown in the photo here can easily be hauled be- hind a truck or trailer and can be oper- ated by one man. It is mounted on re- tractable rubber-tired wheels. A well-designed portable loading chute. ft 6 (/n side) 1x6" Boards Plan for a portable loading chute that may be towed behind a truck. [12] Loading chute with sliding gangplank Locate your loading chute so that both large and small trucks and trailers can reach it conveniently at any time of year. Pages 14 and 15 show a plan for a strong, well-constructed loading chute with 16- inch gangplank movement. A desir- able feature of this plan, for adjusting the end of the chute that comes into con- tact with the truck, is shown in detail on page 12. It is also important, for easy loading, to have the loading chute long enough so that there is a gradual incline from the corral to the trucks. Reinforce the loading chute by tying the posts at the bottom rather than at the top. The width should be 3 feet in the clear. Construct walk-ways on both sides of the chute. If they are put on one side only, the left side is the more convenient. Where corrals and equipment are con- structed on land that is rather stony, in which setting posts is difficult, chutes can be successfully built on top of the ground by the method illustrated on page 10. Concrete sleepers placed every 6 feet will keep these chutes in place. Stepped-ramp loading chutes are be- coming popular in stockyards, replacing the sloping ramps. Some cattlemen be- lieve such chutes are safer than the ramps. They require a little less space to install. A run of not less than 18 inches and risers of not more than 4 inches have been found to be the correct pro- portions for the steps. Details of man walk for loading chute on pages 14 and 15. 3-0" wzzzz^s^^^za \ 3-0 ^x8" j j*A Sliding Gan$ Manj?j Steps- Man Wait / V 'ng Gate Loading Platform Chute [13] Stepped-ramp loading chute. Steps should be at least 18 inches wide, not over 4 inches high. [14] Lever A, welded to 2" shaft C which turns in bearings B, moves gang- plank back and forth on rollers F through linkage of pieces D and E. Rollers F, 2V2" in diameter, turn on shafts that are supported by angle J, 4" x 4" x Va". This angle is bolted securely to the wooden platform. The roller tracks H are of 3" x Vh" x IV2" x Va" channels welded to the steel pieces G (14" x 3" x 4'-0" cold rolled steel). These pieces are bolted to the moving platform. To simplify the detail, wing gates are omitted in the drawing. Construction details of loading chute. For details of man walk, see plans at bottom of page 13. [15 1 This scale house was built over the scale and rack. One disad- vantage of such a house is that the scale rack cannot be removed for weighing trucks or other large equipment. Scales are important and need good care Scales are one of the most important pieces of equipment in the cattle busi- ness, and too much stress cannot be placed upon their proper care, treatment, and location. It is very desirable to have them located so that cattle can be worked in the adjoining corrals without passing over the scales. The only time cattle should cross the scales is when the ani- mals are being weighed. Scales should be of the pit type, and the pit should be built of concrete. Make the pen slightly smaller than the scale platform so that it rests entirely upon it — in other words, the pen becomes part of the weighing platform. Where this is not the case, accurate weighing is im- possible. On some ranches it is desirable to re- move the scale rack from the scale plat- form in order to weigh hay or grain on a truck or wagon. This can be accom- plished by placing the scale rack on a small track so that it can be removed when necessary. In this case the scale house or shelter must be high enough to provide clearance for the loaded vehi- cles. If you do not wish to remove the scale rack, bolt it solidly to the platform. The type of construction recommended for the scale rack is similar to that of a rack on a cattle truck. Scales work more satisfactorily if they have some kind of housing or shelter over them (see above). Such housing should be large enough for working space around the scales. The latch for the scale gate recommended here has been found workable and practical. De- tail of a rack incorporating this latch is shown on opposite page. [16] ^5"«5»& Angle welded to pipe frame M2*lVzJi Angle I o o o o o o o o o o 7 L 2x12 6-0' *Fi. Scale rack and gate details. The 3" x 3" x 414" angles are welded or bolted to the scale bed, and the 3" pipe rack frame is welded to the angles. The double latch insures rigidity. A branding-iron stove The branding iron stove shown at right is easy to make and inexpensive to operate. It was developed by Julius Tres- cony, a cattleman of San Lucas, Mon- terey County, California. The stove is made from an oil drum with one end left open. Use an acetylene torch to cut a 12" x 12" opening in the middle of the drum, on one side. Do not cut away the lower part of the drum as it serves to support the branding iron. When the irons are to be heated, a wood fire is built in the bottom of the drum. Branding irons are inserted in the opening. Such a stove heats the irons quickly and evenly and at the same time reduces the fire hazard. [17] A dipping vat may be necessary On some cattle ranches dipping vats may be needed to control external para- sites, especially lice and ticks. The plan shown on this page features a wade-in, which conserves dipping material and makes it easier to drive cattle into the dip. If the wade-in is eliminated, a 30- foot vat is large enough for most ranches, although it can be made larger if neces- sary. The plan shows longitudinal and alternate cross sections of a concrete dip- ping vat. The sloping-side type will save a little liquid. The concrete mixture recommended is 1 sack of cement to 2% cu. ft. of sand and 3 cu. ft. of gravel. To insure water- proof concrete, use a minimum amount of water — not more than 5 gallons per sack of cement for this mix, if the sand is moist. (For more detailed information on waterproof concrete to be used in con- struction, write the Portland Cement In- formation Bureau, 564 Market St., San Francisco.) A waterproofing paint may also be applied to the vat after it has been con- structed. One-half-inch steel rods placed 18" on centers horizontally and 24" vertically are recommended for rein- forcing the concrete. Approximately 10 cu. yd. of ready-mix concrete will be needed or, if the mixing is done on the job, 60 sacks of cement, 7 cu. yd. of sand, and 8 cu. yd. of gravel (largest )S-0 10'- 0' -%- Vater Line 2790 Gal. 6" Concrete 3*-0" J* Water Line L^t-2 »/*> Rods o.c. Vertical 18"o.c. Horizontal JV.GaliN»o-9i Longitudinal and alternate cross sections of a concrete dipping vat. The sloping type (left) will save a little liquid. [18] -side size 1%-inch). A total of 525 pounds of the %-inch reinforcing steel will be necessary. In constructing the vat, pour the walls first and the bottom as soon after as pos- sible. The drain corral in connection with the dipping vat is arranged so that unused liquid is returned to the main vat. The catch basin shown on page 19 may be constructed in the line between the drain corral and dipping vat. The basin keeps the dip clean by removing debris, and helps prevent waste. It should be installed in the return line from the drain floor to the dipping vat. The lum- ber used in making forms for the vat can later be used as fencing material for the corrals. Wood Cover Outlet 4: ^s& baffle Wai a: v.f C\J 4 V 2-0 . |4L 3-0" 6-0 A catch or settling basin for removing debris from the dip. This may be installed in th< return line from the drain floor to the dipping vat. YOUR UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA FARM ADVISOR CAN SUPPLY THE FOLLOWING CORRAL AND STRUCTURE PLANS or order from Agricultural Publications, 22 Giannini Hall, University of California, Berkeley 4, California Plan No. Price 17 Ring latch for gates. Closes automatically; opens easily 10 90 Gate, 16' wide, 4' high. Wood. Diagonal brace to hang gate from post 7' high. Details of hinge 25 95 Adjustable-width cattle-branding chute 25 107 Step-type cattle loading chute 50 111 Cattle guard. Wood, wood and concrete, or concrete and steel construc- tion. Will support 5-ton truck 15 148 Cattle stocks — animal is held by wooden neck stock and canvas sling wound up on side rollers 25 174 Cattle holding chute, 24 ft. Crowding pen, stanchion gate, and parting gate. {Not a squeeze, see 5465) 50 184 Cattle dipping vat — slightly larger than the plan shown on page 18. Detail of parting gate and drain pens included 15 201 Nevada calf table and squeeze — a combination squeeze-operating table. Table tips to horizontal position. Wood construction 25 5465 Nevada dehorning chute — a heavy, rugged squeeze, using 8" x 8" posts for the frame and 2" pipe for both sides of squeeze. Adjustable head stock 25 5681 Movable chute for loading cattle 15 ESTIMATED COSTS FOR CORRAL PLANS APPEAR ON PAGE 41 [19] FOR FEEDING CATTLE Keep these factors in mind: (1) labor efficiency, (2) good drainage, (3) pro- tection of feed from weather, and (4) protection of animals from weather. The labor cost of feeding cattle is sec- ond only to the cost of feed. In the feed corral, arrangements must be made to get the feed to the animals and haul away the manure with a minimum of labor. Gates and the yards themselves should be large enough so that you can operate mechanical equipment for clean- ing. If feed mangers are located along the sides of the corrals they can be filled from the outside, without your entering the yard. Otherwise, stationary or port- able bunks may be arranged inside the yard. In either case, access to the bunks by trucks or teams must be maintained in all weather. A concrete slab about 12 feet wide may be constructed the full length of feeding mangers. This struc- ture keeps cattle out of mud and facili- tates cleaning. Whenever possible, the feed yard should be placed on a slope with natural drainage away from the lot. If this is not feasible, construct mounds of dirt in corrals away from the feed bunks. This will afford a place for cattle to lie down. If there is a choice, the yard should be run across the slope of a hill so that the feed road and mangers will be on the high side. Also, the shorter the distance in the direction of the slope, the better the drainage. Although pavement is expensive, in some cases it may pay to have a strip of concrete 10 or 12 feet wide along the feed mangers. Harvey McDougal, feeder at Collinsville, California, has found that redwood 2" x 4"'s placed on edge, and extending back from the manger 20 feet, will keep the cattle out of the mud and serve as a place for them to lie down when the feed lot is very muddy. The 2" x 4"'s should have a slope of 1 foot in 10 feet, away from the mangers. In cleaning this type of manger apron, at- tach a piece of rubber belting to the bull- dozer blade to protect the 2" x 4"'s. "Blacktop" paving will not stand up for long under continuous use by cattle, but it makes a suitable road for the feed trucks. Allow about 220 sq. ft. of corral space per animal unit. One hundred fifty head is about the maximum number of cattle that can be successfully fed in one lot. Smaller numbers per lot are often more desirable. Cattle should be sorted for feeding on the basis of grade, size, sex, and whether horned or dehorned. General view of a feed yard. Mounds of earth in the yard would provide dry places for cattle to lie down. A good gate hinge The gate hinge shown here is simple and economical. It is made from the ends of two automobile springs. A %- inch iron rod passes through the holes in the springs to make the gate secure. Because the metal of the springs is very hard, holes cannot be drilled in it with- out first reducing the temper. It is there- fore necessary to heat the metal and allow it to cool slowly before drilling. Make strong fences The fence for a feeding corral can be either wood or wire. It should be at least 5% feet high with the posts set 8 feet apart. Suitable lumber for corrals is 2" x 6" spaced about 6 inches apart. These boards can be either nailed or bolted to the posts. Woven wire or cable fences are cooler than wooden board fences in hot cli- mates. Boards slow down air motion and reflect solar heat back on to the cattle. Studies in the Imperial Valley indicated animals in a woven wire corral sur- rounded by green alfalfa gained 0.4 lb. more daily than did animals in a conven- tional wooden corral. A simple gate fastener is" This gate fastener, for which a drawing is shown above, is simple to make and is very effective when used on wire gates. ^$mmm ; Feed mangers and feed bunks The requirements of a good feed bunk for beef cattle are strength, tightness, and correct shape and proportions. Where the animals have access to only one side of a manger, allow about 2% feet for dehorned animals, Z 1 /^ for horned ani- mals, and about 2 feet for calves. A good type of manger for feeding hay along the side of the lot is shown on this page. It is supported on the corral posts spaced 6 feet apart and the front or side next to the animals is made of three 2" x 8"'s. No bottom is used. The feed rests on the ground, or on concrete if the lot is paved. The height of the guard rail, to keep the cattle out of the manger, should be made adjustable from V 6" to 3' 0" above the manger front by means of holes in the line posts, to allow for growth of the animals. A manger of the same general type appears at the top of page 23, but with an added backboard that keeps feed from being thrown forward. The guard rail is replaced by a ^-inch steel cable run- ning through holes in the line posts. If log rails are available, they can be used for a manger as shown at bottom of page 23. The poles should be peeled. If they are flattened on the side next to the line, posts can be nailed in place with 60d spikes, or held with a wrapping of heavy, smooth wire. A type of manger well suited for me- chanical feeding of mixed chopped feed from a truck with auger is shown at the top of page 24. The bottom of the man- ger is made of sheets of galvanized metal 36" wide and as long as can be obtained. There are no obstructions to the free passage of the truck auger, and the bot- tom is smooth and easily kept clean. Fasten the sheets to the wooden rails with large-headed roofing nails. A satisfactory kind of manger for barn feeding of concentrates to young stock is also shown. The backboard keeps feed from being thrown forward. The ^-inch cable can be replaced by a 2" x 6" if desired (bottom figure, p. 24). Concrete makes an ideal manger be- This manger may be attached to the outside of the feed yard, and has an adjustable guard rail. [22] A manger for use in a feed yard; includes a backboard to prevent waste of feed, and a guard of Vi" cable. A hay manger that may be constructed against a corral of peeled logs and poles. [23] v> to * * tyieHoles for guard cable 6"x6'" 6"-0"0.C __ 3 /a"*9"/Aach ^V 3-0"24gQ 2"* 10" 2x4" w wmw4%mmmm 2-6' ^' 6x6 G> U cause it is durable and easy to keep clean. In some areas, prefabricated concrete mangers are available in 8-foot lengths at a cost of approximately $2 per lineal foot. Mangers can also be constructed of concrete masonry blocks. A plan (No. 226) showing construction details for eight different types of mangers (several of concrete) and four types of feeding floors may be obtained from your Farm Advisor (or see p. 35) . A manger with galvanized iron bottom for use with mixed feeds. Below: a manger that is suitable for feeding concentrates in a shed or barn. Portable feed bunks and racks Plenty of weight and width are neces- sary for a portable bunk used for feeding silage and concentrates in the corral, to prevent tipping. Such a bunk is also de- sirable for feeding concentrates on the range or on irrigated pastures. It can be moved by lifting with a fork lift on the front of a tractor, or 4" x 4" skids can be attached to the legs. A portable rack for feeding hay in the corral or pasture is also shown. When filled, it has a capacity of 300 cubic feet, or about % ton of long hay — enough to last 12 animals three or four days if fed at the rate of 30 pounds per head per day. A successful trailer for hauling feed is shown in the photos on page 29. It 24 was perfected by Stanley Cahoon of the Major Distributing Company of Sole- dad, California. It is 16 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 4 feet high, with a capacity of 3% tons of green chopped material. A 3-foot canvas is placed around the top to keep the hay from being scattered by the wind. An ordinary Fox field chopper is used to pick up the hay, chop it, and blow it into the trailer. Trailer and chop- per are pulled by a Farmall tractor. It takes about 20 minutes to load the trailer, which is then unloaded by 4 end- less chains equipped with angle-iron cleats placed every 4 feet. The cleats are 1% inches high. These endless chains operate from a power take-off from the tractor. The wheels on the trailer are air- plane type. The main body is steel and the sides are of wood. "T 4 -- -E — 3Z 2"*.3" If Desired 2*6-- -*|| ||^/xl2~-_ MCleat-e^- 2"x6 V4 Bolts (Machine) 2x4" Cross section of a portable bunk. Isometric drawing of the portable bunk shown in cross section above. A portable hay rack, suitable for 12 animals. It has a capacity of about % ton of long hay. [25] Self-feeders save labor Self-feeding of concentrates and chopped hay is a practical labor saver, especially in range feeding or in connec- tion with irrigated pastures. The feeder shown on this page is suitable for feed- ing cottonseed meal salt mix on the range. It has a capacity of 9 cubic feet per foot of feeder, or about 360 lbs. per foot, assuming feed weighing 40 lbs. per cubic foot. A 10-foot feeder will hold 3,600 lbs. of feed. Feeders of this type should be constructed to allow about 6 inches of space for each animal. Such feeders are usually placed about one mile apart on the range and always near an ample supply of fresh water. Self-feeding of chopped hay and grain mixtures requires that the sides of the feeder have a slight slope or "batter" to the outside, as shown at top of opposite page. The sides slope outward from a width of 3' at the top to 3'4" at the bottom. The side boards are run ver- tically so as to present a smooth sur- face to the hay. The capacity of this feeder is 18 cubic feet per foot of feeder, or (if the feed mixture weighs 10 lbs. per cubic foot) 180 lbs. per foot. A feeder 8 feet long will hold 1,400 lbs. of hay and grain mixture. Allow 1 foot of space at this feeder for each animal. Self-feeders for creep-feeding calves are usually placed near the water or other places where cattle congregate. The type of feeder illustrated on page 28 does not require any fencing. This plan was pre- pared by William King, Farm Advisor of Kern County, California. Nursing calves are usually allowed access to creep-feeders. This practice is followed when the feed supply is limited or when such calves are to be fattened at an early age to be marketed at about 900 pounds. Mltal o&. Wood $ &A&E.&- I"x6" buw.1 ' 2 '* e \)iW§?- 3 ' Log o^6"x6Y^p r^*f_ - 1-5' '1- 3-6" ~\-\'-3'—\ -er-o" Cross section of a self-feeder for salt and cottonseed meal supplement. It is made on skids for portability. [26] Self-feeder for chopped hay and grain. Note that the sides are 4 inches farther apart at bottom than at top, to prevent bridging. Perspective view of the self-feeder shown above. Perspective view of the self-feeder shown on page 26, but with 6" x 6" sk'ds instead of unfinished logs. [27] , r o § "O O i > uJ Vt o -J r 1 uJ <\