Popular in Germany - hence the name - I always wanted my own Treibewagen at TwoMills
My friend Paul Dryden at Shamwall Engineering in Walsham Le Willows took my farmer design and made it happen
The basis of the design is too take my existing (and very heavy) galvanised hurdles and make a mobile catching pen. It carries two extra hurdles for loading and making a third pen against an existing field gate
At the front is my old catching head yoke salvaged when I upgraded my crush with a Morris head yoke and a narrow gate in frame. An internal gate can be set at the front to make a calving gate (it even has a removable rail to facilitate "latching on" calves if necessary)
I no longer have to carry gates and hurdles to fields and remove them again before they are stolen. Now I can tow the frame to wherever it is needed (there are many separate fields in the area where TwoMills graze)
To date I've used the Treibewagen for treating a yearling calf and moving and sorting various groups - totally stress free as the cows come to the call for food and it doesn't then matter how long it takes to separate various animals with a good perimeter fence and all done singlehandedly
In Germany small groups are frequently moved on the road by walking them in the frame. Although I've not yet done this myself, it would be handy for moving small breeding groups on quiet country lanes between grazing and to this end I have a heavy duty stainless steel chain that fits just in front of the back gate to act as a hock prompt to prevent any cattle getting a leg trapped . The idea is to move very slowly
Example of a Germany Treibewagen walking cattle
For TwoMills, the walking arrangement may well save tie walking individual bulls and cows for show halter training by being able to "lead" 3 or so animals securely at one time
This was the previous method and once elicited a shrug by a passing teenager on a bike as we sauntered down to the pub and back "as you do ......."
The Treibewagen is the second bespoke engineering project undertaken by Paul Dryden at Shamwall Engineering
The first was to considerably upgrade my crush making it now at one a single person operation and very safe for operator, vets and others as well as many many unique features for effective cattle handling
The old crush frame was extended to facilitate a vet entry box behind, a diamond tipping gate that locks closed and effective at creating a flow but gently stopping one cow following another in to the crush. The Mark 1 version had the original head yoke fitted (the cow's head enters the ratcheted sides and her shoulders gently push the neck holder closed. This head yoke is now in the Treibewagen
The Mark 2 crush has a Morris manual head yoke (the best in the business in my book) and an additional longitudinal tube and second rear handle means I work in harmony with the cow's natural flight zone by operating the front head squeeze with a lever well behind her flank. I cannot relay how much this has improved stress on all concerned. Always work with natural instincts
The crush has a sliding injection site tubular gate, removable panels for latching on calves, a side chequerplate walkway to one side and runners to support additional hurdles during transport
The entire kit can be lifted with the tractor loader via pallet tine guides underneath
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