Selecting The Right Texas Longhorn Equipment

by: Darol Dickinson

Handling of cattle is not always easy, or totally safe, depending on personal skills and the right kind of equipment. Early in the Texas Longhorn business it was a rope and throw down for all branding. Later people designed their own squeeze chutes, panels and built their own trailers. In order to provide some safety ideas for cattle handling, look closely at these photos. Compare your equipment with these photos. It is about safety not only for people but cattle.

Doyle Johnson

At DCC we started AI-ing in 1973. This was our wooden, behind the gate squeeze.
The first registered AI cattle in the industry were a result of this chute.

Big Texas Longhorn Steer in Blue Chute

At this time it was up to each one to design their own system which is still done today. Some designs are not as good as others.

Powder River Longhorn Chute

About 1979 Powder River designed the Classic Texas Longhorn chute. They came up with the most innovative idea ever -- the horizontal side panels. This allowed wide horned cattle to move freely without obstruction into the head squeeze. There were only 2 vertical horizontal horn traps right before the head gate. The industry had never seen anything but vertical bars.

DCC Embryo Chute, 1070's era

In 1979 Dickinson Cattle Co designed a side squeeze just for really wide horns.
This side squeeze was the first design for many imitations that came later. Over 3000 embryo calves were conceived in this chute totally free of vertical parallels. No broken horns or legs ever happened here.

Prefert Blue Chute

During this period, before and after, chute manufacturers continued to build heavy costly squeezes with horn and leg breaking vertical parallel traps. This expensive chute has 24 horn and leg traps and should never be used for horned cattle or cattle with legs.

Pearson chute

This chute has 34 vertical parallel horn breaking traps and costs even more $$. Until they have a costly accident, this type of squeeze continues to be used. Until they have a costly accident this type of squeeze continues to be used.

Arm Breaking bars

Although over 98% of all squeeze chutes are designed with vertical parallels this is the most risky for broken needles, and fingers, when cattle jump forward or back. There is no place for vertical parallels in horned cattle equipment. If verticals are used they should be spaced much wider than this example.

Injections of cattle when hands are extended through vertical pipe chutes cause 87% of all broken bone injuries when working cattle. A 97% of all cattle chutes have vertical bars and yet safer chutes with horizontal parallels are available. Accidents will continue. It is not a freak accident, but an equipment flawed design. For safety see www.brychute.com Don't break your bones and call it an accident - it is bad planning -- unsafe equipment.

Horizontal Pipe behind cow is dangerious

When palpating or inseminating cows the area should always be open below the vulva. Cows when entered will resist, lay down in the chute, squat and have been known to break instruments and make some serious damage to the palpator's arm and themselves. The horizontal pipe in this illustration is dangerously high.

Big black cow in BRY chute

This is a BRY CHUTE designed and manufactured by DCC Equipment. All of the above mentioned design flaws have been eliminated in the BRY. It is the safest for cattle and people and also the most economical of all the chutes pictured, except the wooden one. The BRY is silent with no loud steel banging to scare cattle. Cattle are always more calm standing on dirt than slick steel.

BRY against fence

When not in use, the BRY folds back against the corral fence. Drop out bars for weak calves to nurse, or spaces designed wide enough to brand between the horizontal bars on either side. This is a must. Be safe, be sure. This is the BRY.

BRY chutes mount above the ground so the bottom never rusts out.

See the Bry You Tube at www.brychute.com $1,900.00 FOB Ohio - USA freight zones $350 to $575 in the USA.

Just because the design is for safe handling of horned cattle, it is even safer for poled cattle. Watch the Corral Design Video at:
https://rumble.com/voiiqh-cattle-corral-designs-for-efficiency-safety-and-economy.html

DCC Equipment, Barnesville, Ohio, 740 758 5050 or info@brychute.com