[MrsJ]

Does anyone know where we can hire/borrow a mobile crush for our four cattle in the Worcestershire area?

[garden cottage]

not yet,were looking for one too, only having 3 cattle its a huge outlay just for tb test to buy a crush,must be lots of people on here in the same position...........neil  did miss a cheap one on ebay

[Rosemary]

We're looking at an equipment pool through our smallholders association - maybe a local association to you does the same.

[garden cottage]

good idea rosemary

[danndans]

we always use gates on the dexters,we've got acrush but even the long legged ones are to small for it realy.

once they are between the two gates or a gate and a wall its eay enough to keep them their 

[garden cottage]

Hi dandanns, so do you make a coral, then push them into channel with gates bit like sheep

[danndans]

we've got a round pen here, bought for the horses but realy handy for the cattle and sheep,

if you've got a shed just put the gate in the corner and tie it, you can push the cow then into the corner of the shed and pull the gate towards the wall to crush it if you pull the tail up and to one side this will discourage it from trying to shoot back, or just go up behind it and hold it with your body pushed up against her back end, i'v done this to kickers and all sorts, we always use gates now, its alot easier

infact i've got some to tag tomorrow, i'll set the gate up and get some pikis if i get round to doing them

[garden cottage]

thanks dandanns most helpful as usual. ps try not to get covered in s*it

[danndans]

  has happened more than once!! 

seems to be my life story..................... allways in the wrong place at the wrong time 
and no ...............thats not bull s**t! 

(its normaly cow)

[VSS]

We've got a crush that we picked up at a farm sale for £120. It is easily movable on the 3 point linkage of a tractor.

We hardly use it though - certainly not for the cows. The cows are tame and well enough trained to be halter led and if we need to restrain them at all, the small stall we have in the dairy for milking is enough. We do all the ai in there. TB testing too. We only really use the crush for dosing and castrating store cattle.

[MrsJ]

Thanks for the replies.  We're keeping an eye open on Ebay and for local farm sales.  Unfortunately, we dont have a stall or shed on the land that we can use.  Our cattle are trained to the food bucket but they are still very wary of anything out of the ordinary so I think we need the crush.  The equipment pool is an interesting idea.  Will have a look at the local small holders association.

Edit:  We've just had a call from a local farmer who has a crush that he's willing to lend us - Hurrah!

[landroverroy]

Just seen this and tho' it's 2 years old, think it's worth replying to.

As vss says, you can buy crushes very cheap if you keep your eyes open and it just isn't worth the risk of using gates. Even a Dexter weighs 1/3 of a ton  and if sufficiently upset will back up and flatten you and the gate.

I've had it happen to me, got my foot trapped under the gate, leg bent sideways and a really thought my knee was going to snap. Even the quietest of cattle can unintentionally do serious damage. Play safe and get the right equipment. Once you've got it you'll use it for everything and you can always sell it again afterwards.

[humphreymctush]

Although I have an old crush I now use self locking feed barrier. It cost me 270 quid for a four animal panel.
I couldnt find any second hand, but I like the one I got because it is adjustable