Designing Effective Calving Facilities

By Jessica Graham

Setting up a calving facility requires thoughtful planning to ensure it meets the needs of cattle and handlers during one of the most critical times in livestock management. The best facilities take into consideration safety, available labor, and reliability. Key design considerations, such as proper layout, safety, chute access, and available labor needs to be considered. 

We spoke with Myron Wigness, who heads up the sales designing services Hi-Hog Farm & Ranch Equipment about some tips and advice when it comes to designing calving facilities. Hi-Hog started out as a family operation, it was incorporated in 1974 and expanded. In 2024, they celebrated the company’s 50th anniversary.

One of the best pieces of advice Wigness has when it comes to looking for a good calving pen design is to find a good versatile fit for your operation. Wigness elaborates on this, “We try to develop a line that’s very versatile. There are very few situations that we even have to build special equipment to fit, even if it’s into a restricted area, like a vet clinic.” Wigness gives us a good tip on the design customers have loved when it comes to calving pens, “We were one of the first companies to put the cow in the middle of the pen, instead of to one corner.  When you’re milking them out, you can work them from either side. Calves also can suck from either side of the cow, and if you have twins, you can have a gap on each side, and the cow.” 

Wigness explains more about their recommended design and the importance of versatility, “The way out split panels work, allow you to get the cow into the towards the center of the pen.  She might not always be facing the right direction, but she can usually find the head gate. Most cows figure that’s a way out, so she catches herself at the self-catch head gate.”

Designs for Working by Yourself

One other thing to consider when designing and picking out calving pens is the amount of help and assistance you will have. Some farms and ranches have hired help, spouses, or family readily available, while others might have to rely on only themselves during the calving season. Take your workload and available help into careful consideration when you are evaluating how to set up calving pens. When it comes to operations that might have little to no extra help when needed, you need to also consider the safety to yourself, the cow, and the calf. Wigness recommends, “During calving season, a lot of times, you’re stumbling around out there in the dark by yourself. So, safety is a big concern. We try to keep even someone that’s working alone safe.”

You only have one life to live, and when it comes to your personal safety, you can’t get lax and start cutting corners.  For instance, you also need your pens to be sturdy, keeping cows contained. “Another alternative to the calving pen that we came up with is a basic pen that is 10 by 10, but the side panels are 12 feet long. So if the cow hits the pen, they shouldn’t be able to flip the pen over.” The added length of the side panels helps stabilize the calving pens. This can help keep you out of the frustrating situation of having a cow break through your corral and also decreases the chance of injury to the cow and calf. If you are working cattle by yourself, it is especially difficult to get an upset cow back into a corral she just busted through.

When it comes to getting a cow in by yourself, Wigness gives advice about the head chute design. He says, “You got a self-catch head gate and split panels on both sides so you can do C sections, or pretty well everything you need to do.” He explains how cattle vet clinics prefer the design of having the cow in the middle of the corral. “They have good access to both sides of the animal, from top to bottom. Having the cow in the center of that pen with the self-catch head gate and the split panels is the same as what we call our calving trimming chute. It’s got a self-catch head gate and both sides swing split panels swing out, just like they do in the calving pen. That’s a very popular item in vet clinics because of the complete access to both sides of the animal.” 

He goes on to explain some considerations when it comes to flooring. “It has a floor so the cow is on the floor, so she can’t run away with the whole unit.“

Crowding Tubs

Handling cattle can be a risky and stressful task, and when you’re dealing with a 1500-pound cow that is already stressed, the potential for injury to both you, the cow, and the calf increases significantly. That’s why calm, efficient handling methods are essential.  Hi-Hog has over 300 configurations of crowding tubs using standard components, for everyone’s safety and well-being. Crowding tubs are designed with these principles in mind. There are a plethora of designs from partial tubs, to buds, to full tub structures. Cattlemen typically elect circular or quarter-circle in shape and feature solid sides to restrict the cattle’s vision and reduce distractions. By limiting their visible escape routes, crowding tubs take advantage of a cow’s natural instinct to follow the animal ahead of them. This design encourages smooth, stress-free movement into a narrow alleyway, guiding them single file toward the desired location.

Once in the alley, the cow can be directed to specific areas such as chutes for veterinary care, calving assistance, or other procedures. The movable gate within the crowding tub further helps encourage forward movement, simplifying tasks while minimizing stress for both cattle and handlers. Calm is the key, and with a crowding tub, handling cattle becomes a more controlled and pleasant experience for all involved.

Wigness touches on the recent interest in the designs from the cattle industry. He says, “Just recently, there were some people that like the idea of a crowding tub to get the cow in. So, we take our calving trimming setup and one section of our tub and you get the benefit of crowding the cow into the head gate. The advantage we have is because it’s our standard tub components.” Wigness goes on to explain that the panels are sheeted, so you direct the cow where you want her to go by blocking visibility. According to Wigness, “That keeps them focused a little bit better on catching themselves in the head. With a crowding tub setup, we have, what we call, a maternity tub. You can actually bring a cow into that system from three different directions. So if you set it in the middle of your barn, you can come into it from three different directions. If everything is sheeted except where you want her to go, then they naturally turn towards the light. That way, they will find their way into that head chute pretty readily,” he says.

“As far as designing calving barns there’s no limit to what different needs are there,” explains Wigness. “The biggest one I’ve ever done was 220 feet long by about 60 feet wide for a 200-cow herd. Calving season was a pretty busy time for them. In that system, we designed the pen so that you could make 10-foot-wide alleys going any direction from anywhere, just by swinging gates. There were posts installed so the gates would strike in three different spots. You could actually have a full alley, full length or full width of that barn, going any direction from anywhere.” In this situation, they used their calving facilities for all their cattle handling. Wingness explains, “That took their calving facilities, and made it versatile for basically everything they wanted. This particular one had a crowding tub, 91 feet of all alley with three stations branching off that alley, so they could work a lot of cattle in a short time, like for synchronizing, or calving, and everything that they needed to do.”

When it came to designing calving facilities, Hi-Hog used standard components to design and fit the needs of the cattlemen. However, sometimes you just need something simple and economical. Wigness addresses how cattlemen can keep things simple and efficient, “Our trimming chute is probably our simplest, economy design.” He explains the design is compatible with about any barn, “As long as you have a few panels to get the cow to [the trimming chute], it is very efficient for most purposes. The trimming chute is heavy-duty enough and accessible enough that it’s a very popular unit in vet clinics. They can do pretty well anything they need to do to an animal.” 

Setting Up a Calving Pen for Success

Designing and setting up a calving pen requires careful planning to ensure it meets the needs of both the cattle and the handlers. Labor efficiency is a critical factor—your pen should minimize the effort required to guide cows through the space while allowing for quick and safe access and handling during the calving season. A well-thought-out design, incorporating features like crowding tubs and alleys, supports the natural movement of cattle and reduces stress.

Access to the chute is equally important, as this is where many essential tasks, from veterinary care to calf removal, take place. The layout should ensure seamless movement from the pen to the chute, avoiding bottlenecks or unnecessary handling. Safety should be first and foremost, both for the cattle and for those working with them. Solid, durable materials and secure gates help create a reliable setup that prevents accidents and ensures long-term usability.

When all these considerations—labor, design, access, safety, and reliability—are addressed, the result is a calving pen that fosters a calm, controlled environment. This not only improves the welfare of your cattle but also makes the calving season more manageable and less stressful for you and your team. A thoughtfully constructed pen is an investment that pays dividends in smoother operations and healthier livestock.

Portable Corrals That Truly Deliver

Portable Corrals That Truly Deliver

Article and photos courtesy of Rawhide Portable Corral

Consider this: Only 25 percent of small businesses are still in existence 15 years after being founded. Those that make it 20, 25, or 30 years are driven by continuous innovation, creativity, and the determination to provide customers with solutions-driven products and services. Celebrating more than 22 years in business, Rawhide Portable Corral is one such company.

Driven by the vision of founder John McDonald, who started the company in 2002, Rawhide Portable Corral has exemplified what it means to embrace innovative advancements at every turn. Beginning with the introduction of the first portable hydraulic corral on wheels with multiple pens and 200-head capacity, McDonald has continually modified and improved his invention, resulting in multiple corral options and features that address the corral needs of today’s cattlemen.

“We have found that there is always room for improvement, especially when you are the innovator,” McDonald says. “The reason Rawhide was developed was to help producers soley catch their cattle. Over the years we have evolved to be so much more than that thanks to ingenuity and innovation. We use our products on our ranch and we have listened to feedback from our customers.”

It has been this feedback that has driven McDonald to incorporate game-changing features to his original corral design, including a patented suspension system, a 32-panel racking system as part of the Rancho Deluxe Corral for large-scale ranching needs, state-of-the-art durable materials and finishes, and a comprehensive dealer network for easy accessibility, to name a few.
Recently, McDonald recognized the need to incorporate a new torsion axle suspension system and brakes to the corral’s original design.

As McDonald explains, Rawhide has added the torsion axle suspension system because the corral is designed to be pulled on the highway at highway speeds, but once it reaches its destination, it must be pulled through pastures and fields.

“These are not always smooth surfaces or even terrain. Our prior corrals had no suspension, so the jarring and bouncing can be hard on the frame of the corral,” McDonald says. “In addition, our corrals have become larger in size, so the weight has also gone up. We felt the need to protect the framework from the jarring. The torsion will also protect the tow vehicle hauling it, which are usually large investments. The addition of brakes, along the torsion axle suspension, will also improve safety when hauling at highway speeds.”

This enhanced feature is indicative of what makes Rawhide truly unique – namely the recognition by the Rawhide team that the continuous innovations further enhance why Rawhide offers standout products that are not only innovative, but also nearly impossible to duplicate.

In fact, it is McDonald and his vision to provide the ultimate portable corral products to consumers that truly sets Rawhide apart. Not only was McDonald the first to develop the flexible pinning system and the use of hydraulics in portable corrals, but he worked diligently through the trials and tribulations that emerged throughout the research and development process.
“The initial design was tested on my own rodeo livestock,” McDonald says. “Over the years of listening to our customers and using them ourselves, we have found places for improvement and made necessary changes.”

And while the company’s initial design was unfortunately able to be copied and multiple companies are selling products similar to McDonald’s early design, they have been unable to replicate the continuous improvements, changes and additions that McDonald and his team have continually patented.

“Our new torsion axle suspension system and other patented features will only be found on our corrals. These additions make our corrals more user friendly, safer, and easier to operate,” McDonald explains.

Rawhide is also the only portable corral company offering a built-in loading chute with their product. This is another example of how the Rawhide team strives to ensure they provide everything their customers need, and more.

“At Rawhide we are proud to be built right here in the heart of the USA. We use only top-notch material to build our corrals and build a heavier main frame than any other corral that has copied our design,” McDonald says. “We also pride ourselves on unmatched customer service. We want our customers satisfied for the lifetime of their corral. If they were to sell to someone else, we will still provide excellent customer service to the new owner, as we are protecting our product for its lifetime.”

At the core of Rawhide’s success is the close-knit team, which consists of several family members. Not surprising, family-owned businesses are often kept intact by a sense of family legacy, a recognition that the family business has an intrinsic worth of its own. There is also a sense of pride and determination to make “a name for themselves” that comes with owning a family business. For McDonald and his family members, standing out in the minds of customers is paramount.

“We have been building and selling corrals for 22 years and I started developing the design four to five years prior to that,” McDonald says. “Our entire family has lived and been around the evolution of Rawhide and our products, so they have a head start and great understanding of our corrals. A family member always has the best interest in promoting and educating about our product and we are proud to have so many members of our family involved at Rawhide.”

This focus is evident in the multitude of customers who have been turning to Rawhide for their corral needs repeatedly over the years.

“We love it when customers call back to the office to tell us how much our corrals have improved their operation or allowed them to continue ranching longer than they thought they might be able to,” McDonald says. “Our customers will tag our products on social media and send us messages about how much they love it. One of the best parts about farm shows is having existing customers stop by and say hello. We don’t often get to see our customers after they leave with their corral otherwise.
Connecting with customers to share the latest innovations, customer success stories, and streamlined efficiencies is very important to the Rawhide team. That’s why the company strives to continue to grow its social media platforms in order to connect with more of their customers.

“We can be found on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn and YouTube. We will use these platforms to provide updates, promote farm shows and events, and highlight our customers. We enjoy being tagged in videos and pictures with our corrals,” McDonald says. “Our customers all use their corrals differently in their operations across the US and we would like to use our social media pages to highlight them.”

Rawhide is also starting a YouTube mini-series called “Rollin’ with Rawhide” where the company will travel to ranches across the US and highlight customers and their operations. “We are very excited to visit and connect with our customers and help share their stories,” McDonald says.

To learn more about Rawhide Portable Corrals and its array of products, visit www.rawhideportablecorral.com.

You can also visit: https://www.facebook.com/rawhideportablecorral/
https://www.instagram.com/rawhideportablecorral

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