# Homemade chutes, anyone have pictures?



## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

Has anyone here made their own catching and handling chutes? 
I'm realizing I need to make a catch pen, narrow hall and then a headgate on the end for my sheep and goats. Goats are super easy to catch, but the headgate will come in handy if I ever have to annoy them more than a quick look over, like hoof trimming or shots. 
The sheep are all fairly wild, 3 you can approach, but the other three are fairly wild and I'm sick of creeping up on them with a long horse whip with a noose on the end to catch them...
Only place I can put it is on the mountain side, since we can't easily mow it and rather not 'waste' good pasture space. 
I'd like to see pictures of home made designs of these if anyone has any?

It looks like mine will be made of 3-4ft fencing and possibly a metal pole headgate. Mainly metal posts, with some wood posts on the ends of the big catch pen where they first enter and the start and end of the hall. I was thinking to have the hall wrap around the big pen, to save wire and space and to bring them back up to where the barn is, instead of letting them go down away from the main area. I don't want much wood, but maybe that would be easier or cheaper? The sheep can't really jump more than something 2ft, so thinking 3.5ft tall, short enough for me to jump in if need be. 

Thanks!


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## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

Here are a few pictures of my homemade sorting system. I don't think you need to be as elaborate for just six sheep though. A few cattle panels for a catch pen with some gates to hold them in tighter would be enough.


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

I'm slowly growing the flock, hopefully won't be just 6 of them come spring!
I have no easy way to get cattle panels here, no truck/van, so wood, roll of fence and poles are kind of my only options... =/


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## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

You could make a Y type chute in a corner with a gate on each end. It doesn't have to be very long at first. Get them used to going in it to eat.


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

I've been thinking of using the barn wall and making a half rounded pen with the hall at the end going around from the outside. 
Will this work or is the entrance to the hall too small and narrow?


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## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

Can they get to the other sides of the barn or around it?


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## 95bravo (Mar 22, 2010)

I use the space between my fence and my potting shed.


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## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

I was thinking something more like this. The gate open forms a Y to funnel the sheep in the larger pen, then into a smaller pen.


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## ErikaMay (Feb 28, 2013)

haha...where did you get that sheep can't jump more than 2.5 feet? do you have mini's? I've seen lambs clear walls to their creep that high without a hitch. My ram easily will clear 4 feet if startled or wants to beat up the pig on the otherside...I used that to my advantage when he jumped into a small pen and then I threw up some plywood sheets so he couldn't jump out. If they are really wild you want 4 1/2 feet fences at least. 

I have a chute made of hurricane fencing along one side of the barn starting wide and narrowing down. Works well for sheep, not so great for the pigs who just lift it up and slip under. But for sheep? It works and if they bounce into it they bounce back off it. My chute has a pallet gate and I just scare the sheep into the tight spot, have someone hold a sheet of plywood to block sheep in/out of the space then grab who I need. Not the best system, but it works.


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

Mine are mini sheep and they are fat and lazy, 2ft tall at the shoulder. Even the lambs would prefer to stick with mom then jump a fence. The adults, for sure, would get stuck on a 2.5ft fence than ever make it over....Which is kind of sad and funny at the same time. 

The barn is open on the two long sides with a raised center aisle. Aisle is fenced off on both sides to keep animals from crossing over. The catch pen would be on the only available short side. It would be open full time and I might make it so they have to go in and out of it just to get to their section of the barn.
Hoping to add a permanent fence where the sheep will be with the pony, both will be able to lose weight. Later, I can let them out to eat more on the horse's side. Pony's about 1/2 acre, horse's about 3 acres. Might add yet another fence and divide the horse's barn side in half so the sheep will have two pastures to switch back and forth on. 
Having the catch pen on the short side will mean it connects the pony pasture and the possible future sheep pasture.


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

Here's a new, revised picture.


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

ErikaMay said:


> I have a chute made of hurricane fencing along one side of the barn starting wide and narrowing down.




You mean chain link fence???


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## ErikaMay (Feb 28, 2013)

yup. chain link. I needed it ASAP and that what was at the hardware store. Works for its purpose.

This weekend I had to corral my ram who had jumped the fence to get with his daughters...make sure your fences are high enough to keep a horny ram back incase you breed. Because sheep may feel lazy...but if they decide to jump you'd be suprised how high even minis can go. Heck...I've seen fat, mini donkies clear 3 feet no problem.


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## Lazy J (Jan 2, 2008)

I have two pieces of advice gleaned from both my work with cattle and information from Dr. Temple Grandin:

Curves and Solid Walls!

Jim


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

They can't even run from a dog or pony chasing them, they won't clear a 3ft fence. 

Anyway, chainlink isn't all that cheap, the woven wire is. Gotta get some post holes dug first, will work on the rest when I decide what I want to make it out of or even have to use...


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## wendle (Feb 22, 2006)

Lazy J said:


> I have two pieces of advice gleaned from both my work with cattle and information from Dr. Temple Grandin:
> 
> Curves and Solid Walls!
> 
> Jim


Solid walls work pretty good for some operations depending on what you are doing. If you are wanting to reach in to move sheep that stop, or reach through the sides to vaccinate, then solid walls are a pain. I prefer horizontal side panels though as they lessen the chance of sheep getting legs caught.


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