Best dehorning Crate

ABitofsense · 05-01-2021 2:02pm #1

Whats the best dehorning crate out there for suckler LMx calves?
Some were too strong/big for our old crate (small for dairy calves) at 2-3 weeks old last year so i want to get a good strong crate for this yr. There seems to be a good few different designs out there now

Lime Tree Farm · 05-01-2021 4:40pm

we have this one - would definitely recommend it, especially the broad plate under the belly.

http://www.d1086930.cp.blacknight.com/osmonds.ie/images/10622_Osmonds_Calf_Dehorning_Crate.pdf

ABitofsense · 05-01-2021 5:12pm

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

we have this one - would definitely recommend it, especially the broad plate under the belly.

http://www.d1086930.cp.blacknight.com/osmonds.ie/images/10622_Osmonds_Calf_Dehorning_Crate.pdf

Thanks.

Interesting thats the same as the Condons one i was looking at. Must come from the same supplier

Lime Tree Farm · 05-01-2021 5:29pm

ABitofsense wrote: »

Thanks.

Interesting thats the same as the Condons one i was looking at. Must come from the same supplier

It came with a narrow nose strap which I replaced with a length of safety belt from a scrap car, much more comfortable for the calf, and they cant wriggle out of it.

893bet · 05-01-2021 6:54pm

How do lads get them into the crate easily and safely.

Ours are often 5 weeks before they have decent buds. They do be.....energetic!

Lime Tree Farm · 05-01-2021 7:53pm

Place the dehorning crate at back entrance to the crush and push them into it from there. We used to push them through twice, once for the anesthetic and back in again after it had taken effect to debud, but find it easier to inject them at the headlock.

50HX · 05-01-2021 11:25pm

Go the condon deluxe crate.....some job

Best restraining of a calf i've seen

Dunedin · 06-01-2021 12:14am

50HX wrote: »

Go the condon deluxe crate.....some job

Best restraining of a calf i've seen

I’ve heard good things about them. What sort of money are they?

tanko · 06-01-2021 12:35am

Dunedin wrote: »

I’ve heard good things about them. What sort of money are they?

They seem to be between €725 - €790.

Snowfire · 06-01-2021 12:50am

ABitofsense wrote: »

Thanks.

Interesting thats the same as the Condons one i was looking at. Must come from the same supplier

Yeah, bought one tru osmonds a few years ago, but I could have bought it direct from condrons for €150 less

charolais0153 · 06-01-2021 2:46am

893bet wrote: »

How do lads get them into the crate easily and safely.

Ours are often 5 weeks before they have decent buds. They do be.....energetic!

Keep them in a small pen , easier catch them, they don’t need to have big buds to do them , in a lot of cases it’s a 2 person job really

Dunedin · 06-01-2021 8:44am

charolais0153 wrote: »

Keep them in a small pen , easier catch them, they don’t need to have big buds to do them , in a lot of cases it’s a 2 person job really

+1 on the above. I have done calves as young as 2 days old. Essentially everything gets done on a Saturday with me that has calved within that week. Buds will be small but they will be there in pretty much all of them and it’s limos I have.

Huge difference in grabbing a lad 1 week old versus 2 weeks. 5 weeks would be hard ask.

ABitofsense · 06-01-2021 11:39am

Dunedin wrote: »

+1 on the above. I have done calves as young as 2 days old. Essentially everything gets done on a Saturday with me that has calved within that week. Buds will be small but they will be there in pretty much all of them and it’s limos I have.

Huge difference in grabbing a lad 1 week old versus 2 weeks. 5 weeks would be hard ask.

I got caught by a couple of LMx calves last year where they had nothing after 2 weeks but at 5 weeks they had and were too big at that stage to even handle safely, never mind fit in the little crate i have.

Ill go get that Condon one

Dozer1 · 06-01-2021 1:53pm

got the teemore one here, similar to the ones above, works well, though the head height adjusters are a pain to use

https://www.teemoreengineering.com/crushes-handling/dehorning-crate.php

Dunedin · 06-01-2021 2:51pm

Dozer1 wrote: »

got the teemore one here, similar to the ones above, works well, though the head height adjusters are a pain to use

https://www.teemoreengineering.com/crushes-handling/dehorning-crate.php

How much are these

Dozer1 · 06-01-2021 4:48pm

have it a since 2016 it was €700 plus vat....but I'm not sure what description was on the invoice ...cough cough

Dunedin · 06-01-2021 5:14pm

ABitofsense wrote: »

I got caught by a couple of LMx calves last year where they had nothing after 2 weeks but at 5 weeks they had and were too big at that stage to even handle safely, never mind fit in the little crate i have.

Ill go get that Condon one

There’ll always be the odd one. I had one calf a few years ago that didn’t put up anything for two months but that’s a rare exception. Generally I’d never have an issue at a week old.

893bet · 06-01-2021 5:38pm

Dunedin wrote: »

There’ll always be the odd one. I had one calf a few years ago that didn’t put up anything for two months but that’s a rare exception. Generally I’d never have an issue at a week old.

Just checked one there and he is 5 weeks to the day and not a thing showing. Lmx.

tanko · 06-01-2021 6:29pm

893bet wrote: »

Just checked one there and he is 5 weeks to the day and not a thing showing. Lmx.

He mightn't have any horns, is there a bit of Angus in him?
Had two 7/8 bred Lims here this year that have no horns at all, there would be about 4% Angus in one but no Angus in the other one.

893bet · 06-01-2021 7:48pm

tanko wrote: »

He mightn't have any horns, is there a bit of Angus in him?
Had two 7/8 bred alums here this year that have no horns at all, there would be about 4% Angus in one but no Angus in the other one.

Had a squint and the dam is 6 percent AA. Might be it. Will keep checking them weekly.

ABitofsense · 08-01-2021 7:07pm

Bought the Condon today. 650e +vat. Serious step up from the crap flappy sided one which is going on the scrap metal pile. Picked up the Buddex gas dehorner too while I was there so old electric one can go. Hopefully less stress for both man and beast this year now

Dunedin · 08-01-2021 10:35pm

ABitofsense wrote: »

Bought the Condon today. 650e +vat. Serious step up from the crap flappy sided one which is going on the scrap metal pile. Picked up the Buddex gas dehorner too while I was there so old electric one can go. Hopefully less stress for both man and beast this year now

Best of luck with it.

Say my name · 08-01-2021 11:03pm

ABitofsense wrote: »

Bought the Condon today. 650e +vat. Serious step up from the crap flappy sided one which is going on the scrap metal pile. Picked up the Buddex gas dehorner too while I was there so old electric one can go. Hopefully less stress for both man and beast this year now

Just if you use the belly support lever.
If the calf puts all it's weight on it after dehorning and it puts its back legs underneath the belly band thingy.
Don't do what we did here and release the lever at the back of the crate that pushes them up and keeps them in position.
That was done here and the full weight was on the belly band, a back leg was underneath the band. The belly band was released and the metal band with the calf's full weight came down on the leg and broke it.

If you use the belly band and the lever at the back. Release the belly band always first before the lever at the back. And watch out for back legs underneath the band when releasing.

Lime Tree Farm · 09-01-2021 8:21pm

Replacement Noseband Dehorning Crate.JPG

Pic of the replacement noseband

A length of safety belt was used, its anchor tongue secures it to dehorning crate. The other end of the belt is tied off on the right hand side of the crate.

Johnchaff · 13-01-2021 4:50pm

Thinking of getting a dehorning crate do ye think the Condon is the best on the market or is there a better one out there and apart from lowering the belly plate with the calfs legs under it is there anything else to watch out for?

Bitten & Hisses · 13-01-2021 6:53pm

Johnchaff wrote: »

Thinking of getting a dehorning crate do ye think the Condon is the best on the market or is there a better one out there and apart from lowering the belly plate with the calfs legs under it is there anything else to watch out for?

I also bought a Condon crate 3 years ago. I did a lot of looking and couldn't find anything else on the market which was worth looking at.
The advice above on operating the belly support is essential, but becomes part of the routine when you get into the swing of it.

K.G. · 13-01-2021 7:51pm

893bet wrote: »

How do lads get them into the crate easily and safely.

Ours are often 5 weeks before they have decent buds. They do be.....energetic!

I think crates are too slow.back them into the corner andwith your back to them put legand hip up against them rising their front legs off the ground.thenput your arm around their head and onto their nose and pull their nose back and under them and use other hand to work dehorner .this gives you control and the horns easy to get at.

Johnchaff · 13-01-2021 8:02pm

I think I'd rather the crate you must be a Savage of a man and how many arms do you have?

K.G. · 13-01-2021 8:32pm

Johnchaff wrote: »

I think I'd rather the crate you must be a Savage of a man and how many arms do you have?

Once the front legs are off the ground they have alot less power.

patsy_mccabe · 13-01-2021 8:46pm

K.G. wrote: »

I think crates are too slow.back them into the corner andwith your back to them put legand hip up against them rising their front legs off the ground.thenput your arm around their head and onto their nose and pull their nose back and under them and use other hand to work dehorner .this gives you control and the horns easy to get at.

You've never dehorned a lim bull that way. That's for sure. I was grapping one here once and he literally ran up the wall. His back legs were about 18 inches off the ground.

patsy_mccabe · 13-01-2021 8:47pm

K.G. wrote: »

I think crates are too slow.back them into the corner andwith your back to them put legand hip up against them rising their front legs off the ground.thenput your arm around their head and onto their nose and pull their nose back and under them and use other hand to work dehorner .this gives you control and the horns easy to get at.

You've never dehorned a lim bull that way. That's for sure. I was grabbing one here once and he literally ran up the wall. His back legs were about 18 inches off the ground.

Best dehorning Crate

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