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- #551
Margali
Herd Master
Could you attach the wood sides to metal stanchion do pee goes thru?
Margali's Griffin Wood Ranch
- Thread starter Margali
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Baymule
Herd Master
Maybe, but it’s too short length wise. But you gave me an idea. I could make a section at the back for a piece of expanded metal. They sell pieces at TSC. Only problem might be where to put it, to get it out of the weather. No barn. Maybe build it, use tractor to put it in shed? When you got Aria, Snip and Panda, they walked right up our makeshift piece of OSB, right into your truck, much higher than a stanchion is. I have to halter and drag them up the expanded metal ramp, they don’t like it at all. I think between the two of us fumbling around, we can come up with something that works. I’ve got to make this easier on me. Sheep hate the tilt tables, it scares them.
- Thread starter
- #553
Margali
Herd Master
If it's the texture or see thru ness, I saw one on marketplace with outdoor carpet attached over the grating.
farmerjan
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If the metal is grating... it is the texture. Cattle don't like to walk into parlors with the metal grating that is over the "gutter" part where they stand to catch most of the urine or manure that they do while in there. It hurts their feet in comparison to a solid piece of concrete, metal, wood or whatever.
- Thread starter
- #555
Margali
Herd Master
I sold most of the rest of my bee stuff. I still have the jacket which is okay. It isn't quite up to emitting visible stench waves but it is well used. Some armor for dealing with wasps nests couldn't hurt.
I just ran the report- I am in the hole $164 for the entire beekeeping adventure. That's the cost of the jacket plus I still have a couple hive tools floating around.
I BROKE EVEN!!!
I just ran the report- I am in the hole $164 for the entire beekeeping adventure. That's the cost of the jacket plus I still have a couple hive tools floating around.
I BROKE EVEN!!!
Last edited:
Baymule
Herd Master
A break even, I call that a win!
Ridgetop
Herd Master
Until they are trained to go in a stanchion for grain, sheep won't walk onto a stanchion even through a chute. For one thing, a chute with see through sides has them thinking that they can break through somewhere. The other thing about walking into the stanchion is that they see the bars at the end. When we weighed in the scale or moved pigs in the pig cart we had to open both end pieces so the animal thought it was able to escape out the other end. Same trick now with the sheep in the scale. They don't want to be trapped in an unfamiliar box. On the stanchion, even grain is not an inducement.
Start with your tame lambs and put them on the stanchion with some grain. Let them see you putting a scoop of grain into the grain holder. In a few months they will willingly jump onto the stanchion for their grain. Don't lock them for very long at first. Once they are used to the being n the stanchion you can extend the time period. If you are trimming hooves, do one or 2 feet at a time, then switch sheep. That way they won't have time to get too antzy. Eventually they will associate the stanchion with treats and grain. Dairy animals associate the stanchion with relief from emptying their udders as well as the grain so are easier to train.
The problem with the small size of your stanchion is that it is a portable stanchion. Portable stanchions are made to fold up and take to goat and sheep shows so they are shorter and narrower to fit into the aisleways. The wooden stanchions DH made for our milking barn were wider and longer. He made them double with a seat linking them so we could put up 2 does at once. Eventually he had to make a second set so DS2 could exchange goats and wash udders on a second pair while the first was in the process of being milked, hand stripped, and teat dipped. Since we used a machine, he could get through the herd faster that way. DS2 and DS3 milked 12 to 20 does am and pm starting in kidding season. We milked through the entire year since we were on milk test.
I will find a picture and post it. 4 x 4 posts for each corner of the stanchion with 2 x 4 cross pieces to hold the platform. 2 x 4's with bolts through the bottom were the head catches with bolts through holes in the upper cross piece to hold them in place. A wooden grain box was built on the front. You can use scrap wood to build these stanch8ons with a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood for the base. After cutting out for the seat, use that scrap plywood to build the grain boxes on the front. I am attaching pix from DS2's 1995 4-H book. He was 11 and his spelling leaves something to be desired, but seeing his attempts is rally fun to remember him. (In his sheep section he spells "checking for good loin" - "cheking for good "lone". Luckily eventually he was able to use a word processor with spell check.
I outlined the pieces of the stanchion with pen before printing them since the pix were kind of dark.
I posted these full size so they are easier to see how they are made. DH finished one is one day or less. You just need a skill saw, and drill with driver bits and a drill bit of 5/8". I used the same 5/8" bit to make feeding buckets for the kids and water barrels with Lixits for the hogs. I sanded off the platforms (since you will be sitting on them to trim hooves) and the edges of the platform and feedbox.
Start with your tame lambs and put them on the stanchion with some grain. Let them see you putting a scoop of grain into the grain holder. In a few months they will willingly jump onto the stanchion for their grain. Don't lock them for very long at first. Once they are used to the being n the stanchion you can extend the time period. If you are trimming hooves, do one or 2 feet at a time, then switch sheep. That way they won't have time to get too antzy. Eventually they will associate the stanchion with treats and grain. Dairy animals associate the stanchion with relief from emptying their udders as well as the grain so are easier to train.
The problem with the small size of your stanchion is that it is a portable stanchion. Portable stanchions are made to fold up and take to goat and sheep shows so they are shorter and narrower to fit into the aisleways. The wooden stanchions DH made for our milking barn were wider and longer. He made them double with a seat linking them so we could put up 2 does at once. Eventually he had to make a second set so DS2 could exchange goats and wash udders on a second pair while the first was in the process of being milked, hand stripped, and teat dipped. Since we used a machine, he could get through the herd faster that way. DS2 and DS3 milked 12 to 20 does am and pm starting in kidding season. We milked through the entire year since we were on milk test.
I will find a picture and post it. 4 x 4 posts for each corner of the stanchion with 2 x 4 cross pieces to hold the platform. 2 x 4's with bolts through the bottom were the head catches with bolts through holes in the upper cross piece to hold them in place. A wooden grain box was built on the front. You can use scrap wood to build these stanch8ons with a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood for the base. After cutting out for the seat, use that scrap plywood to build the grain boxes on the front. I am attaching pix from DS2's 1995 4-H book. He was 11 and his spelling leaves something to be desired, but seeing his attempts is rally fun to remember him. (In his sheep section he spells "checking for good loin" - "cheking for good "lone". Luckily eventually he was able to use a word processor with spell check.
I outlined the pieces of the stanchion with pen before printing them since the pix were kind of dark.
I posted these full size so they are easier to see how they are made. DH finished one is one day or less. You just need a skill saw, and drill with driver bits and a drill bit of 5/8". I used the same 5/8" bit to make feeding buckets for the kids and water barrels with Lixits for the hogs. I sanded off the platforms (since you will be sitting on them to trim hooves) and the edges of the platform and feedbox.
- Thread starter
- #558
Margali
Herd Master
So I didn't break even on the bees. I sold the jacket this morning and re-reconciled my cash vs software. 45 minutes of panicking later, I realized I double entered the first bee wooden ware sale. 
So net cost was ~$414 for the 2 years.
So net cost was ~$414 for the 2 years.
Alaskan
Herd Master
Sigh...So I didn't break even on the bees. I sold the jacket this morning and re-reconciled my cash vs software. 45 minutes of panicking later, I realized I double entered the first bee wooden ware sale.
But the experience is priceless! Maybe....
- Thread starter
- #560
Margali
Herd Master
@Alaskan The head slamming is for the self induced panick not final net on bees.
The chickens keep leaving the run and becoming Bruno chewtoys. So I spent some of the bee money on panels and moved coop into better spot with some help.
I get everything setup including net over top so they can't jump over. Then chicken takes running jump and squishes thru panel gap!
The chickens keep leaving the run and becoming Bruno chewtoys. So I spent some of the bee money on panels and moved coop into better spot with some help.
I get everything setup including net over top so they can't jump over. Then chicken takes running jump and squishes thru panel gap!
