Cattle, Cattle Yards
New Cattle Yards making it easier in Tasmania
Written by Aimee Johnston
Toby and Riley Hall run an Angus breeding operation in Bridport, Tasmania called Quarterway Angus. They run approximately 250 cows on 900 acres and also work on their parent’s farm nearby.
Their old yards on the farm had rotten timber boards, rotten poles, and portable steel panels that were twitched together with wire. The yards were a foot deep in mud nine months of the year, so they didn't flow very well and had caused a lot of stress in the animals and temperament issues in their younger stock.
So, Toby and Riley started researching options for new cattle yards and got quotes from quite a few different companies. This is when they discovered Te Pari. They enquired via the Te Pari website and Almanzo, Te Pari’s Australian Sales Manager rang them back within a couple of days.
“Almanzo was really good and discussed the different things that we wanted. Something that we really wanted was the adjustable race and the other brands that we had quoted before hadn't been able to provide us with anything to do with adjustable races. And yeah, Te Pari could do that for us, so that was a real winner for us. And being that we are so close to the ocean we really wanted everything to be hot dip galvanised, and that's a standard with Te Pari.” Said Toby.
The adjustable race, also referred to by Te Pari as “Calf Reducers” is a popular feature that appeals to many farmers who run a variety of stock sizes. Te Pari’s Calf Reducer system allows the user to narrow the width of the race by moving race side panels in. The system is quick and easy to adjust and prevents calves from turning around in the race.
Watch how the Calf Reducing Panels work in this video:
Designed for maximum efficiency
The expert team at Te Pari have over 25 years of experience building cattle yards and they know a thing or two about how to maximise cattle flow through yards. The specialist yard consultants at Te Pari visit each farm to plan the best site, positioning of pens, gates, race and load out and then their inhouse CAD design team draw up concept plans to help each customer visualise the plan. Toby and Riley have been really impressed with how well their new yards flow.
“The yards were designed so animals can come in from both sides of the farm. They flow really well in two directions. It's just so easy coming out of the crush into the three-way draft there that runs off the cables on the back of the crush. It doesn't really get much easier than that. It's one of the better drafts I think we've ever used.” Said Toby.
The long, curved S-Race design encourages cattle to flow through the yards easily. It is great for drenching with a 1.2m wide catwalk made from durable FRP grating and a comfortable rail height for access. The working area around the catwalk is cattle-free so Toby, Riley and their equipment are safe from cattle. The circular forcing gate is operated by a handle you can reach from the catwalk so there’s no need to get in with the cattle to load the race.
Cattle Crush and Drafting Gates
The Te Pari Crush that Toby and Riley choose features 3-piece side access gates, vet access area at the rear, parallel side squeeze, anti-backing bar, reliable C1000 head bail, easy to use slam latches on all gates and a rubber floor. In front of the crush is a 3-way drafting module that’s controlled by cables hooked up to the back of the crush.
“We went with the Te Pari crush as well with the load bars underneath it. You know, that was a real no brainer in today's age. It's unreal the way that works. And the crush has got the rubber floor in it which I think helps a lot as well, with the noise around the crush and keeps everything calm when it's in there.” Said Toby.
Slam Latches on all gates
Toby and Riley really like the slam latches on the gates in their new yards. Te Pari yards have nylon sleeved slam latches that are super quiet to help keep animals calm and stress free. The gates are easy to use and latch easily from either side. The strike plate is extremely compact with rounded edges to prevent stock damage or bruising.
“With the slam latches on the gates that makes things so quick, so safe. You know, we pride ourselves on the temperament of our cattle, but you know, when you've got a heifer calving or a crook animal, they can turn pretty quick. And having those slam latches really, really does help in a situation like that. The man gates in the yards are a huge time saver for us too. We can dart in and around mobs and not go through those bigger gates with the pressure on them from the cows.” Said Toby.
Earthworks and Installation
The Te Pari team coordinates and oversees the earthworks for many of their customers. If the farmer wants to do the earthworks themselves, then Te Pari’s project management team supply a concrete plan so that the site works for the yard area can be prepared the way they want it.
Customers can choose how much of the working area they want concreted. All Te Pari cattle yards have at least the forcing pen and race concreted. This prevents the main traffic areas getting muddy and provides a safer and cleaner working environment. Te Pari can supply and place the concrete for the site as part of the turnkey project to some areas.
Toby and Riley are happy with how their Te Pari Yards were installed.
“The whole yards are bolted down rather than concreted in and that's a massive time saver when it comes to building the yards, we were able to do the concreting before, and then the Te Pari guys came in and bolted the yards on top. They haven't moved at all, and the bolts are all still in, nothing's bent, nothing's rattled, nothing wobbles. It's all been really good. And they've had a lot of pressure on them. We've put a lot of cattle through them now, and they haven't faulted one bit.
There was never anything left in the lurch with Te Pari. They were always really great communicators, and there was never any stress or question. They were on time. At the time when we ordered the yards, all the other ones that we quoted were so far back. And I think with Te Pari, if we ordered them when we did, we could have them within four to six weeks. It was huge benefit to us. Yeah, it was massive.
Everyone should have good yards, it’s a lot easier on the livestock and a lot easier on them, and it should be.” Said Toby.