A cattle chute (North America) or cattle race (Australia, British Isles and New Zealand) also called a run or alley,[1] is a narrow corridor built for cattle that separates them from the rest of the herd and allows handlers and veterinarians to provide medical care or restrain the animal for other procedures. A conventional cattle chute consists of parallel panels or fences with a space between them that is slightly wider than one animal so they are unable to turn around. Cattle chutes gently restrain the animal using a squeeze mechanism. The chute is connected to an alley, forming the animals into a queue that only allows them to go forward. Cattle tubs or a BudBox can also be used to help with animal flow and maintain low-stress cattle handling principles.[2] It is used for routine husbandry activities such as drafting (sorting) or loading animals via ramp or loading chute into a vehicle; placing them one at a time in a cattle crush (variations also called a squeeze chute or standing stock) for examination, marking or veterinary treatment. They are also used at packing plants to move animals into a crush designed for slaughter.
- ^ "Cattle handling equipment", [ bowmanenterprisesnet.com] "SWEEPS & ALLEYS", filsonlivestockequip.com.
- ^ Doyle, Philip W., Beef Cattle Yards, NSW Dept. of Agriculture, 1979.