Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[snowflake]

very cool cow holder, but if you are doing herds of cows, you could maybe afford such a gadget.

 

[1muttsfan]

Cow chutes work great and all the larger dairy herds use them, as dairy cattle tend to grow long toes since they get little exercise. Beef cattle usually are on pasture and wear their feet down. Something similar is used to handle farm elk and deer, with much more padding and it lifts them without tilting. As mindy says horses would panic and thrash around, very dangerous for them and handlers both.

They do make horse stocks which restrain them upright, but it is still a risky setup, training horses to tolerate foot work is always the best way.

 

[bigmrg74]

Horses cant be placed in anything like this unfortunately.
Very dangerous to both horse and owner or anyone.
The difference with horses vrs cows is...
Horses freak out once their feet leave the ground. The panic and will do some serious damages. Also they have such large lungs and heavy internals, they can suffocate and cause internal damages.
Cows are way more relaxed when flipped up like this. And also their internals can handle it a bit better.
It has been done, but very rarlely with horses due to all the dangers that can happen.
I will just keep doing what I do unil my body says np more.
Its all part of the job being a small equine and goat farrier.

Yeah, I had forgotten all about that.

 

[Folly's place]

Cattle are very difficult to train to hold up their feet for trimming! There are people who will haul their chute from farm to farm for a fixed price per animal, and the farm call. The other choice is to sedate the animal so she (he) lays down and can be trimmed. Neither way is totally safe, but cattle do need to be trimmed anyway. Horses are much easier to train to be trimmed, and also are much better about vaccinations and other indignities. mARY

 

[bigmrg74]

Cow chutes work great and all the larger dairy herds use them, as dairy cattle tend to grow long toes since they get little exercise. Beef cattle usually are on pasture and wear their feet down. Something similar is used to handle farm elk and deer, with much more padding and it lifts them without tilting. As mindy says horses would panic and thrash around, very dangerous for them and handlers both.

They do make horse stocks which restrain them upright, but it is still a risky setup, training horses to tolerate foot work is always the best way.

True, that is why we usually start that off right away when they're just babies. Its a whole lot easier to do that when they're little than when they get a little bigger and a whole lot stronger.

Although I have seen a horse dentistry outfit that had a stock in a trailer set up where they can just walk the horse in, lock them in and can go work on them. Pretty slick set up there with all of their tools right there handy.

 

[Amanda39]

Hello everyone! I'm not sure if I'm in the right forum. I'm looking for someone to hire to build me a permanent coop with outside fencing, possible electric for my 2 geese. I need electricity run to the coop, I need a pool well built( I already bought the pool) and I need it completely predator proof. On average, I have 10-12 raccoon in my back yard as well as fox and coyote. Please, anyone with experience. Spring is coming and I can't keep them in my garage much longer. If you know a reputable builder with references, I would really appreciate it!

 

[Trefoil]

I wish. You can try craigslist and ask for references. Chicken wire isn't going to be strong enough,just so you know. If you know enough about building to supervise you could hire "handy" men to do the work Maybe ask friends in your area to find a local builder. With some alteration a chain link fence would work for their fencing, you would have to either bury wire at least a foot deep around the perimeter or go 2' out. Either way should work. Just remember to make your dimensions such that its easy to put a top over it. Not much help, am I. Sorry, maybe someone here that lives in your area will have some names.

 

[1muttsfan]

I would also suggest speaking to friends and neighbors around you to find somebody local. any competent builder should be able to put together a shelter and pen for you, as long as you can tell them what you want. You might want to spend some time on the geese and the coops forums, making a list of what you want to include.

 

[Opa]

Once again Mother Nature teased us with a brief respite in the brutal cold, but this morning it has returned with a vengeance. -12 degrees when I awoke and no real relief in the immediate future.

 

[myfarm4579]

Yes brutal cold out currently -28. And fire went out last night woke up to 62 in the house