A single bayonet gate for trapping range cattle

TitleA single bayonet gate for trapping range cattle
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication1980
AuthorsAnderson D.M., Smith J.N
JournalJournal of Range Management
Volume33
Pagination316-317
Date PublishedJuly 1, 1980
Keywordsincreased efficiency, range cattle, single bayonet gates
AbstractSingle bayonet gates are effective in trapping range cattle inside a corral in which water is located. These gates require less time to construct than similar-size double-bayonet gates and contain about half as much material. Labor costs are second only to land charges in the high cost of today's livestock production (Maddox 1970). When labor-saving equipment is added to a livestock enterprise, personnel are released to concentrate efforts on other areas of the ranching operation. The efficiency of labor use is increased if animal behavior is considered in livestock management decisions. By capitalizing on an animal's need for water, one can trap cattle with a single bayonet gate, thus reducing the stress, time, and effort involved in conventional roundups. The technique involves setting up a one-way maze in a corral at which the animals will water. If all other gates into the corral are closed and a single bayonet gate is located at the entrance, cattle can be trapped as they enter to drink water. Double bayonet gates (Low and Hodder, 1976), triggers [Ward, 1958; Freeman (no date); Welchart and Gray (no date); Hughes, 1978], or crushes (Ernst, 1977), as they have been called, are not new to the livestock industry. The single-bayonet gate described in this paper requires less material for construction than double bayonet gates, yet does not reduce the gate's ability to trap and hold animals in a corral.
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