Hi I’m Mike.
If you have cattle, sooner or later you are going to need a cattle chute as a part of
your corral system.
Today, we partner with Arrowquip, innovators in the business of cattle handling and safe
low stress cattle handling equipment.
I’ll let you know how this partnership came into being and how it can help all of us coming
up on our Wyoming life.
We recently just surpassed 100,000 subscribers here on our Wyoming life.
For that I only have you to thank.
Without you, there wouldn’t be a channel and I think that, based on emails and messages
I receive almost daily, there would be a lot less people in the world who care about where
their food comes from and the familes behind it.
I also get a ton of emails from folks that are just beginning in the cattle business
or ranching and farming for that matter.
Its in part due to those that are new to the business that I’m extremely excited to announce
a brand new partnership between Our Wyoming Life and company called arrowquip.
Now if you haven’t heard of them, don’t sweat it, I hadn’t heard of them either
until I found out that one some of their executives where fans of our Wyoming life.
I’ll tell you that story in just a minute but first I thought we would take a quick
look at how important cattle handling is and why this partnership is good for all of us.
Cattle handling is simply put the task of moving cattle and managing the movement of
cattle.
There are many ways to do so.
Over the thousands of years that man has been breeding cattle, I’m sure there have been
thousands of theories and methods explaining the best way to get a cow from point A to
point B. Modern logic dictates that we think like a
cow, in order to move cows easier but in all reality many of these techniques have been
around for years.
By understanding flight zones, leader instincts, and even how noise, lights and shadows can
change how cattle move we can start to make life not only easier for the cows but for
us.
The science of cattle handling is always evolving, the equipment that we use to do it, is evolving
as well.
Just like here in our own corrals.
These corrals were originally designed by the university of Saskatchewan, unfortunately
even the best design can be limited by the equipment that is used within it.
This chute is the only one we have had for years.
I don’t even know what brand it is.
Its old, its heavy and hard to use and takes at least a couple of people to use it safely.
And to be totally honest, I have only used it a few times in this corral system.
When we need to work cattle, we pay our vet extra to bring out his hydraulic chute, which
is managed by one person and is safer and better to work the cattle into and out of.
The bad thing about that is that we are at the vets mercy when it comes to scheduling,
in fact, last year we missed preg checking all together because we couldn’t get our
schedule to line up with the weather and our vets.
We ended up with cows that weren’t pregnant as a part of the herd for an extra year, that
cost the ranch money and we were soon thinking that we needed to come up with a better solution.
A few months ago I got a call from the CEO of arrowquip, and it turned out he was a fan
of the channel.
And we got to talking about the struggles that ranchers deal with and we soon realized
that we were very alike.
We both cared immensely about agriculture and want to see it and the people behind it
succeed but also inform people about where their food comes from, what it takes to get
it to them and of course the people behind that process.
It was a great couple of conversations but like sometimes happens, that’s where it
ended, until this morning.
The saying, good things come to those who wait, well I don’t know who said it.
But I do know that it was Abraham Lincoln who added to it by saying.
Good things come to those who wait, but only whats left from those that hustle.
Dickenson north Dakota is 350 miles or so from the ranch, its gonna be a long day but
a fulfilling one as we will be coming home with a full cattle handling system that has
been made portable.
And once we arrive in Dickenson almost 5 hours later, we head to Steffan feed, where the
owner Gordon and his grandson, an unexpecting viewer of our Wyoming life come out to give
me hand hooking up the Q catch 86 series portable cattle chute, alley and tub.
Afterwards we head down the road back toward home, arriving just before sunset and with
little time to take a look at the entire system.
But today there is nothing slowing me down, I’ve got all my chores done, I spent most
of the morning and early afternoon cleaning up with lincolns help and now its time to
take a look at this beast.
This system weighs in at almost 5500 lbs.
In its towing configuration its nearly 40 feet long but its all work.
Today we are going to run through setting it up, mostly because I want to see how it
works and start thinking about how we can begin to tie it into our existing corral system.
Being portable will also be a huge advantage as we can take it down to the cows.
We can use it to doctor cows in the field and we can utilize it to load out cows or
even bulls that we may need to bring back home.
With out it, we would be walking the cows back the 5 miles from summer pasture, a feat
that we have learned from the past is rarely good, especially with a hurt or sick cow or
bull.
This system also includes electric jacks which make it easier to set up for use and pack
up to move and the new 3e bud flow system, using natural cattle behavior and light to
create flow as cows are instinctively drawn to areas where they can see more light.
Over time we will be taking a look at other features of the arrow quip system and the
use of it.
Today we are going to run through setting it up, mostly because I want to see how it
works and start thinking about how we can begin to tie it into our existing corral system.
Late this summer and fall not only will we be reviewing this system we will be taking
a look at how to move cattle through it and even if you don’t have anything like it,
the concepts will translate to how cattle think and move for you in your systems.
That's it for today it's easy to set up.
Obviously it passes the kids inspection but the real test comes this week as we get it
out and use it.
Taking down into the summer pasture and bringing back a few cows and their calves for the ranch
round up.
So next sunday you and I will get to see how it works
The folks at arrow quip have asked for my honest opinion and that's what they are going
to get.
I told you that we partnered together and that's exactly what this is.
A partnership to help us figure out what kind of cattle handling system is going to suite
the ranch best and for arrow quip they get real in the field testing and our honest opinion.
And before they take it back.
We also get to get it really dirty.
It's way too shiney right now
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Until I see you again.
Have a great week and thanks for joining us in our wyoming life.