OLDS, Alta. – An easier-to-use cattle chute has come to Canada.
Built and sold by Australian Graeme Finn, the cattle squeeze is easy to use regardless of a person’s strength.
The chute is based on a system commonly used in Australia. It was modified for Canadian weather conditions so ice and water don’t collect on the moving parts, said Finn. It is made of two-inch drill stem pipe and all moving parts are controlled by levers and pulleys.
“Everything out there right now needs two hands and a bit of muscle,” said Finn.
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The chute can be opened from all sides so veterinarians or handlers can restrain an animal and still inoculate, test for pregnancy or do other medical procedures without the fear of getting kicked or bashed by an agitated animal.
At the head gate are two narrow side doors for neck inoculation or inserting eartags. A fast-acting parallel squeeze is in place so as soon as the animal comes through, it can be restrained quickly.
Made by Finn’s company, Southern Cross Livestock Equipment at Crossfield, Alta., the concept is already patented in New Zealand and Australia. The entire unit takes three days to manufacture and weighs about 1,800 pounds.
Finn came to Canada in 1993 from Australia where he was a manager at a purebred ranch. To pay his way as he toured the country, he started working on several operations as an artificial insemination technician and was surprised to see how the work was done here.
“I just about killed myself in some of the chutes over here.”
Made for Canada
Those hit and miss experiences spawned an idea to introduce the Australian chute with Canadian modifications.
There is also a chute modified to accept bison or elk so handlers can work safely with these more skittish animals. The bison chute includes a crash cage at the front and the elk system has screened sides. It can also be used to work with Longhorn cattle because the front opening is wide enough for them to put their heads through, said Finn.
