Livestock handling technology has accelerated on the back of a push to make facilities significantly more efficient, without sacrificing safety for staff, contractors, and animals. Customised cattle handling facilities demonstrate significant improvements in cattle husbandry for producers. Producers are now looking to avoid ‘catalogue cattleyards’ and are looking to design facilities that are purpose built for their enterprise. Here’s our top 5 features of custom cattleyards:

1. Efficient, high throughput every single time

Consistently high throughput levels are achieved through Custom cattleyards facilities, tailored to suit your operational requirements. Seemingly small details such as breed, gate placement, yard access, angles in yards, yard orientation and the compression ratio or relative size of yards, loading and unloading all influence stock flow principals.

Maximising throughput starts with optimal design processes. ProWay Livestock Equipment are renowned custom cattleyards designers who pride themselves on no two facilities ever being the same. ProWay’s Design Team incorporate key products into their curved designs such as Rotary Force Gates, Adjustable Races and 3 or 5 Way Drafters to ensure stock flow efficiently through the facility. For Rob Wilson, Farm Manager at Bonnie Doon Wagyu, efficiency was key to ensuring his herd would be processed quickly and continue their weight gain: “in terms of profitability, having reduced animal stress and increased weight gain, a reduction in required labour units and time saved by being able to work more efficiently in any conditions”. Customising the facility to suit your requirements will ensure you get the best results without reducing animal welfare or operator safety.

2. Incorporating existing infrastructure

New stockyards can be an extremely daunting undertaking. There may be aspects of your existing facility such as sheds, trees, loading ramps that you may want to keep or include in your new set of yards. A custom designed facility ensures these features can be kept in place. ProWay’s custom design processes aims to include existing infrastructure as part of the design and build of your custom cattleyards.

ProWay have instilled flexibility and confidence in their clients through the use of satellite and drone mapping technology to ensure a new custom cattleyard facility can be incorporated into your existing site with pinpoint accuracy.

3. Additional safety features

One of the most prevalent matters in the livestock industry, safety has become a key aspect for producers, regardless of scale. Livestock producers are looking to improve ergonomics, safety and animal welfare in their facilities to ensure a safe work environment for their staff and contractors.

Custom cattleyards are designed to ensure you can incorporate safety features that are relevant and suitable for your facility. For example, additional manway gates, elevated walkways and key products such as Rotary Force Gates can be incorporated to allow staff to work livestock without having to get in with them. Loading Ramps have also seen significant improvements in safety and efficiency benefits. Loading Ramps can be customised to suit your cattleyard facility.

4. Technological improvements

Purpose built custom cattleyards also benefit from technological improvements. Technology in livestock handling infrastructure ultimately leads to the higher throughput, productivity and safety benefits that producers are striving to achieve. The flagship Pneumatic Air Operated Remote Handling infrastructure developed by ProWay Livestock Equipment’s Engineering Team allows operators to remotely handle their stock, significantly improving safety and reducing labour requirements and animal stress.

Cattle working areas are constantly associated with stress and risk, ProWay has developed industrial grade wireless technology to suit their Rotary Force, Block Gates, Drafters, Guillotine and Swing Gates allowing operators to safely, remotely open and close gates while working cattle.

Alternatively, ProWay’s custom cattleyards also feature an abundance of Race, Gate and Rail options to suit your breed, head count and future expansion options. ProWay’s Design Team use the latest drone and satellite technology to accurately add strategic economic benefits to your facility.

5. Comfortable working environments

Good contractors are tricky to get at times. Livestock producers are looking at ways they can improve comfort levels in their facilities to not only encourage contractors, but to make the facility easier and safer to work in. Working with ProWay Livestock Equipment’s Design Team has seen a lot of operators opting for roof over structures and concreted working areas in their custom cattleyards.

Roof over structures allow for all weather protection whilst working cattle. It also protects vital equipment from the elements and allows staff to work without having to worry about the hot sun or rain, reducing stress levels amongst staff and animals. Custom cattleyard designs have seen an increase in concreted working areas to partner roof over structures. Concrete offers longevity, stability and safety whilst also making it easier to move stock through and clean the yards. ProWay’s Design Team can offer project management and advice on concrete and roof over placement in your custom cattleyards.

The possibilities with custom cattleyards are genuinely endless and the benefits of a custom-built cattle facility are clear. ProWay Livestock Equipment have continually improved on their offering through years of industry feedback from clients, contractors and transporters. By ensuring the facility meets your requirements, producers can expect a high standard output for years to come.