Wash Rack

I'm thinking of installing some metal posts, like a 4 inch round pipe about 36 inch's back from the tie up point, to keep the cattle from swinging around when I wash them.
Is this a good idea?

it seems like it

if you could make it where you can take them out and fill the hole you would only need to have them in their when you are just starting washing or breaking. eventually most calves don't need them but it would be nice until then

Make them tall enough that they can't get over the top of them.  You could have a wreck on your hand if they can get over them.  Otherwise it should work.  We have used T-post with PVC pipe over them to keep cattle straight in stalls and it worked fine.

clifflem said:

Make them tall enough that they can't get over the top of them.  You could have a wreck on your hand if they can get over them.  Otherwise it should work.  We have used T-post with PVC pipe over them to keep cattle straight in stalls and it worked fine.

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Ya my pipes are 6' tall , I welded them to some 1/4 steel sheet about 12" square and am going to anchor them in with molly's. We have one yearling heifer who like swinging side to side as we wash her and she pins you to the wall, not hard enough to hurt but likes to push you if she can. Good thing we raise Lowlines (clapping)

Ha ha, no kidding. Had an 1100# steer that liked that trick and it was a little more painful. I would like to ask though, have you ever heard of the lowline bulls Machine and Doc Holiday?

MYT Farms said:

Ha ha, no kidding. Had an 1100# steer that liked that trick and it was a little more painful. I would like to ask though, have you ever heard of the lowline bulls Machine and Doc Holiday?

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Check your PM's

I finally broke down and got tired of standing in the mud too.  I am putting one in right now.  I bought 1 1/2 galvanzied pipes 5 feet tall and barried them abought a foot and a half in the ground.  Made the slab 9X8 and put pipes in too.  I have a skid of quick crete on the back of the truck now waiting to be mixed and poored in this weekend hopefully.  I am eager to use it and see how everything goes.  It has been a week or two in the making now and just need a few people to get together to mix about 40 bags of concrete.  I used my clipping chute to get the measurments on how far back to put the pipes and how far apart they needed to be.  Put the rails in the up position and measured back from the front of the chute. 
Good Luck

MYT Farms said:

Ha ha, no kidding. Had an 1100# steer that liked that trick and it was a little more painful. I would like to ask though, have you ever heard of the lowline bulls Machine and Doc Holiday?

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Sure, we know of both Machine and Doc Holiday and we know TJ ( nice guy!), and as I understand it Machine was Kit Pharo's best selling semen.
We think we also have a winner in our Bluey' bull! As a matter of fact I think TJ has a couple of Bluey 1/2 blood calves.

If you can get pictures of that setup I'd love to see them Ruebush.

I built in some headcatches made out of 4" pipe.  The kids wash, blow dry, comb etc. all in the same spot.  We also dropped some outlets from the ceiling over each spot to plug in the blowers.  Make sure you use ground fault outlets.  Lots of lighting is nice also. 

klintdog said:

If you can get pictures of that setup I'd love to see them Ruebush.

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We are going to start pooring it in about an hour will try and get pics tomorrow when it is dry.  I built it outside, our barn is already concrete inside so we couldn't put it is new anywhere out of the weather but should be a great upgrade to what we have been using for years.  Got the drain and PVC ffrom Lowes and framed it up with 2 by 6 boards, could have gone with 2X4's but didn't want to buy some just for framing.  The galvanized pipes cost me $80 and they have screw on caps on the tops so they dn't catch water.  Needed about 30 feet of PVC to get the drain off out of the barnyard here, it is 3"  diameter, two conectors and a 90 degree elbow joint and a drain. I set the drain about 2 inches lower from the tops of the framing boards so it would be a slight slope down to the drain and the PVC I ran is at a down hill angle too so the water dosn't just sit in the pipes.  I can't wait to try it out come Sunday or Monday.  Have been fighting the mud a couple years and the more calves we have the more mud at the wash rack.  Back when I was in school washing one calf didn't make such a mess but having a couple in the string and calves of my own make it pretty sloppy.  Myt brothers will get to benefit from it now, hopefully it inspires them to clean the calves more often.  At least I hope it will.

This is what we have done.  PVC over the Pipe.  Has worked well and helps with our 5-year-old helping.

Did somebody mention Doc Holliday?  I may know a little bit about him.   

klintdog said:

If you can get pictures of that setup I'd love to see them Ruebush.

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Here are pictures of the new wask rack.  Haven't used it yet but we did take the framing out today and filled in around the concrete with dirt.  Will probably try it out tomorrow or Tuesday.

Might want the pad a little bigger, otherwise they're going to be standing in dirt.  Also, I wouldn't put the dirt at the same level as the concrete. 

Not really pretaing to wash racks but how big are your drainage pipe in your cooler rooms?

Ruebush Shorthorns said:

klintdog said:

If you can get pictures of that setup I'd love to see them Ruebush.

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Here are pictures of the new wask rack.  Haven't used it yet but we did take the framing out today and filled in around the concrete with dirt.  Will probably try it out tomorrow or Tuesday.

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That looks really nice.  I have a question for you.  How far apart are your two galvanized pipes?  Also how far from the galvanized pipes to where you tie to?  That looks like it would be perfect for what I do.  I like it alot!

Cattledog said:

Ruebush Shorthorns said:

klintdog said:

If you can get pictures of that setup I'd love to see them Ruebush.

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Here are pictures of the new wask rack.  Haven't used it yet but we did take the framing out today and filled in around the concrete with dirt.  Will probably try it out tomorrow or Tuesday.

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That looks really nice.  I have a question for you.  How far apart are your two galvanized pipes?  Also how far from the galvanized pipes to where you tie to?  That looks like it would be perfect for what I do.  I like it alot!

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I measured my clipping chute to try and get the measurments.  I measured the width of my clipping chute for the distance between the polls and the distance back from the tie really depends on what size calves you deal with the most.  I used the first slot for my clipping chute to put the upright polls becasue we usually sell our calves before they are a year old and only have 2 market steers and some heifers that we show each year.  The pad is 9'wide X 8 long.  Again used the chute for some rough measurments on length of pad and room on both sides for us to stand on too while washing.  The drain pipe is 3" PVC.  I think that might be a bit big but better to have plenty of flow out rather than have a puddle build up.  I would say build it to your needs that is what I went for.  The galvanized piping is really expensive but won't rust.  It ended up costing me about $200 and some manual labor.  If you need any more info let me know will try and help out.

How thick did you make the pad?  We are getting ready to put one in our new barn that we are building and was trying to get some info.  I have been told 4'' but I dont know.