Build a portable calf head gate

After seeing "too many people come close to getting hurt" while working on calves, Othmar Weis says he set out to find a head gate specifically for the smaller animals.

That was five or six years ago, and the one he ended up building instead has worked very effectively since then, he says. The gate is built of scrap 2×4s and pieces of plywood. The only metal components are the latch, some bolts, and the four 4-inch lag screws in the side bracing.

Since it's made of wood, it's also lightweight enough that one person can carry or walk it — no forks or vehicle required. "It's very flexible," Weis says.

Dimensions

Diagonal side braces are 54 inches long to accommodate calves 300 pounds and lighter. The base is 48 inches long and 22 inches wide. The head gate is 42 inches high and 22 inches wide. "The chin board is 27 inches high and cut off at an angle so it won't gouge the chin," he says.

A 1-foot-long piece of ¾-inch angle iron has notches ground into it for receiving a latch that clicks into place.

Weis says the results are less stress on the calf and the operator during disbudding and other work.

Othmar Weis

Lifelong farmer: He raises dairy calves on the same farm he grew up on. Weis also enjoys woodworking.

Family: He and his wife, Eileen, have three daughters and a son. They also have 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Many of the grandchildren work on farms. The Weises raised their family in Leipsic, Ohio.

Off-farm: Weis worked as an electrician and also in product sales for an electrical company. "My priority was keeping customers happy. It's easier to keep them happy than to get them happy," he says.