Animal husbandry – Animal controlling or handling – Head or neck stock
Patent
1996-05-07
1998-07-28
Burr, Edgar S.
Animal husbandry
Animal controlling or handling
Head or neck stock
119723, 119725, A61D 300
Patent
active
057850062
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a 371 of PCT/GB95/02105 filed Sep. 7, 1995.
This invention relates to a crush for restraining cattle or ruminants, referred to hereinafter for convenience simply as a cattle crush. The invention is particularly but not exclusively of use with calves.
Recent EC Regulations require farmers to log each calf for identification purposes which includes, inter alia, the farmer having to place ear tags with numbers on each calf. This logging should be done within the first two weeks of a calf's life and has hitherto been done by a number of farm workers setting out to catch the calf in the field and restraining it by hand. Other operations may also be done at this time such as dehorning or injecting the calf.
This method of performing this operation is time consuming and not very efficient due to the needless waste of manpower. The process may also be very stressful to the calf.
According to the present invention there is provided a cattle crush for restraining ruminants being portable and comprising rear and forward side faces, end faces, a hinged portion being provided to allow the cattle crush to be opened so that the ruminant enters the cattle crush and is disposed between said rear and forward side faces, one end face having a formation which allows the head of the ruminant to be disposed through said end face when the cattle crush is closed.
Preferably, said cattle crush is provided with support means to support the ruminant held within the cattle crush.
Preferably, the support means is one or more straps fixed to the cattle crush at one end of the strap(s) and positionable around the underside of the ruminant so that each strap is fixable to the cattle crush at the other end of the strap.
Preferably, said cattle crush is made from a metallic material. Alternatively, the cattle crush or a part of the cattle crush may be made from a moulding such as a fibre glass moulding.
Preferably, said forward side face is adapted so that the ruminant is accessible from the side. This may be achieved by the forward side face comprising a wall, the wall being lower than the height of the ruminant held within the cattle crush. Alternatively, the forward side face may comprise a bar or an arrangement of bars allowing side access to the ruminant.
Preferably, the rear side face is attachable to a vehicle. In this way the cattle crush is portable. Alternatively, the attachment of the cattle crush to the vehicle may be provided at at least one edge of the rear side face.
Preferably, the hinged portion is provided in one of the end faces of the cattle crush.
Preferably, the cattle crush is lockable when closed.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a view from above of a closed cattle crush;
FIG. 2 is a view of the cattle crush shown in FIG. 1 fixed to the front of an ATV;
FIG. 3 is a view of the cattle crush of FIG. 2 opened;
FIG. 4 is a view from above of the cattle crush of FIG. 2 showing the support means;
FIG. 5 is the cattle crush having a calf restrained therein;
FIG. 6 is an end view of the cattle crush showing the tagging of the calf;
FIG. 7 is a view from above of the cattle crush fixed to the ATV vehicle showing a box with equipment used on the restrained calves.
With reference to the drawings there is provided a cattle crush 10 having a welded steel frame defining rear and forward side faces 12 and 14 respectively and end faces 16 and 18. The cattle crush 10 is of a size suitable for use with young calves and therefore is fixable to the front of an ATV, referred to as vehicle 5, (see FIG. 2) to enable the cattle crush 10 to be portable and easily manoeuvred into position for restraining a calf by a driver of the vehicle 5.
The rear and forward side faces 12 and 14 comprise steel sheets 12a and 14a respectively, the sheet 14a not extending to the full height of the forward side face 14 to allow side access to a calf 3 held within the cattle crush 10 (See FIG. 5).
REFERENCES:
patent: 576541 (1897-02-01), Brent et al.
patent: 970344 (1910-09-01), Mills
patent: 3026846 (1962-03-01), Emmelkamp
patent: 3788280 (1974-01-01), Van Gilst
patent: 4590887 (1986-05-01), Holopainen
"Cattle Crushes", Poldenvale Limited (Williton Somerset TA4 4RF) Royal Smithfied Show, Jan. 12, 1986.
Burr Edgar S.
Sandusky Amanda B.
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