Introduction

The real test of cattle yard design is to see if stock walk straight into the race and are drawn to the other end without stopping.  The ‘Weean’ yard design (see Figure 1) achieves this by eliminating corners, and encourages the tendency of cattle to ‘ring’ or move in circles. Cattle follow a curved course from the time they enter until the time they leave the yards. The curved race fills automatically with the minimum of pushing-up, and once a beast enters the race, it follows the curve right to the end, without baulking or reversing.

Features of the yard

• The easy-fill curved race has a raised walkway along the near side for good worker access to animals when carrying out operations such as drenching or bleeding.
• Worker entry points into the forcing yard and drafting pound allow for easy operation when filling the race.
• The round drafting pound is designed for one-person operation, although two operators will achieve faster throughput. To draft cattle, about a dozen head are let into the pound. The operator then gets cattle circling anticlockwise and opens the required gate inwards to draft each animal into any one of five receiving yards. This is a very efficient method of drafting. Cattle can also be drafted two ways out of the crush.
• A calf race alongside the adult race gives rapid throughput when marking calves, or when drenching weaners. To prevent large calves from jumping out of the calf race, a single pipe rail is fitted over the centre of the race and runs the full length of the race. The supports of the rail are hinged to allow it to be lifted clear of the calf race.
• The forcing pen has a blind panel beside the adult race entrance. This panel is actually a solid (non-see-through) gate forming the entrance to the calf race. The shape of the forcing pen and the presence of this blind panel are essential for smooth filling of the adult race. If this shape is altered to a narrower funnel, cattle will baulk at the entrance to the race.
• The loading ramp ends in a level loading platform.

Construction materials

Posts specified here are 300 mm diameter timber, but pipe or old railway line can also be used.

Race and forcing yard

The race and forcing yard are constructed from sawn timber rails (150 mm × 50 mm) and timber posts (300 mm diameter).

Drafting pound

The octagonal drafting pound consists of timber posts (300 mm diameter and 2.6 m high), six steel gates, and two fixed panels of either steel or timber rails. All posts in the pound are tied overhead by a 38 mm pipe cap-rail.

Gateways

All gateways consist of two long timber posts (300 mm diameter and 2.6 m high) tied over the top by a 38 mm pipe cap-rail. Posts are sunk into the ground to a depth of 1200 mm.

Yard fences

All fences, other than the race, forcing pen and drafting pound, consist of eight steel cables run through timber posts, with a 38 mm pipe cap-rail joining all posts. The cap-rail is attached to posts by coach screws through angle iron brackets welded to the pipe rail. Cables can be of any diameter, from 8 mm upwards. They are kept taut by turnbuckles.

Second-hand cables can often be purchased cheaply from lift manufacturers, coal mines or other sources.

Steel cables are spaced 180 mm apart, with turnbuckles joining cables in the centre of each strain, rather than at the end post. Cables are returned through holes in end posts and joined at the turnbuckles.

Cables are attached to turnbuckles by PMG twist, U-bolts or ‘twisters’.

Summary of measurements

Adult race width: 685–700 mm internal measurement.

If 300 mm diameter posts are used, pegs for the race should be 975 mm apart to give a finished race width of 685–700 mm.

Calf race width: 350 mm

Place pegs at 650 mm width to give finished width of 350 mm when using 300 mm diameter posts.

Fence heights

• Adult race: 1350–1500 mm
• Loading ramp: 1350–1500 mm
• Calf race: 1050 mm
• Holding yards: 1700 mm
• Force yards: 1500 mm
• Work yards: 1500–1700 mm

Height of gate posts above ground: 2600 mm

Depth of posts in ground

• Adult race: 1050–1200 mm concreted
• Gate posts: 1200 mm
• Work yards: 1050 mm
• Loading ramp: 1200 mm
• Calf race: 900 mm
• Holding race: 760 mm

Loading level for loading ramp: 1140 mm

Gate widths:

• Entrance gate: 3200 mm
• Internal gates: 2750 mm

Concrete slab for race: mix, 4:2:1 (15 megapascal mix)

Siting the yard

The yard should be sited where the forcing yard and race run uphill or on the flat. Cattle may feel uncomfortable about running into the race where the ground drops away ahead and to the right. If this is a problem it can be overcome by fitting visually solid walls to the forcing yard and race on the downhill side.

If possible, the yard entrance should be sited in a part of the paddock to which cattle naturally run. This will make yarding-up an easy process.

Reference points for the yard plan

1. Starting point.
2. Centre of drafting point, radius 3.6 mm.
3. Centre of circular fence J-K-L. Radius 13 m. Found 1.85 m from b on straight line b-d.
4. Centre of outside fence of adult race, radius 8.3 m. Also centre of outside fence M–N; radius 19.15 m. Found 10.4 m from A on straight line A–a.

All measurements are ‘centre post to centre post’, and are 2.75 m unless otherwise specified.

Pegging out the yard

Curved yards are more difficult to peg out than square designs, but the ‘Weean’ yard can be pegged out by two people in half a day by following the steps outlined below. Assistance in pegging-out is available from your District Livestock Officer (Beef Cattle).

1. Locate and peg reference point A from the plan.
2. Measure 17.7 m from A to peg J.
3. Measure 10.4 m on a right angle from J to peg c.
4. Measure 2.75 m on a right angle from c to b.
5. To locate peg B (the centre of the drafting pound) attach a string to peg c and use this string to mark an arc on the ground with a radius of 3.6 m from peg c. Next, attach a string to peg b, and mark another arc with a radius of 3.6 m from peg b. Place peg B where these two arcs cross.
6. Using B as the centre, peg out the posts around the drafting pound on a radius of 3.6 m. Pegs in the circle are 2.75 m apart.
7. To locate D, measure 10.4 m from a on straight line A-a.
8. Attach a string to peg D and mark an arc with radius 8.3 m for the outside of the adult race. Locate the post at the entrance to the race by measuring 7.35 m from a to this arc.
9. Peg the posts along the arc at 2.75 m intervals from the race entrance post to the entrance to the scales panel.
10. Peg the posts for the inside of the race by measuring 975 mm from each outside race peg towards the centre of the circle, D.
11. Locate Q on a straight line 12.5 m from A.
12. Using peg D as the centre, mark a circle on a radius of 19.15 m to give the fenceline M-N. Locate N by measuring 8.7 m from Q to this arc. Starting from N, peg out each post along the arc at intervals of 2.75 m.
13. Locate peg C 1.85 m from b on straight line bed. Using c as the centre, mark an arc with radius 13 m to give fenceline J-K-L. Place pegs for each post along this arc at 2.75 m intervals.
14. Following the yard plan, it is now a straightforward matter to peg all other posts to complete the yard.

Sliding gate height: Make sure that the top rail from which the sliding gate hangs is at least 2100 mm above the ground. This avoids head injuries and inconvenience to operators.

Timber posts: Avoid tying timber posts together over the top of the race. High posts in a race are a hindrance to any operation, such as drenching, where the operator has to bend over the top rail and move along the race. They can be tied by using a steel rod through the posts at ground level.

Adapted ‘Weean’ yards

The adapted ‘Weean’ yard design shown in Figure 3 is suitable for 100–200 head. Relocation of the loading ramp to the calf race fence, and extension of yards A and B, would enable incorporation of a dip.

Figure 4 shows the ‘Weean’ yard working area without the holding yard facilities.

Acknowledgment

This Agnote is based on information originally written by Ian Dixon, Former District Livestock Officer (Beef Cattle), Glen Innes.