Many cattle production tasks demand extensive labor and time commitments, resulting in large money investments.
Following are a few producer-devised innovations and inventions inspired by real-life challenges.
Freeze Miser
Frozen and split water pipes and hoses in barns and outdoor troughs cause damage and waste valuable water. These critical lines are difficult to keep operational as temperatures dip below freezing.
Texas-based Freeze Miser has tackled this problem by combining simple springs and thermal wax in a small, thread-on fitting. The fitting acts as a thermostat for a water source, sensing the internal water temperature and releasing a small amount when it falls below 37°F. Fittings must be installed on each water hose or pipe and require a minimum pressure of 10 psi. Each unit protects up to 150 feet of hose.
“The wax inside the fitting works together with a spring to control the release,” says owner David Baker. “When the temperature drops below 37 degrees Fahrenheit, the wax loses volume, causing it to unseat and release a little water. When the water warms above 37 degrees Fahrenheit, it expands and reseats.”
Baker says customers as far north as the U.S.-Canada border are using the Freeze Miser successfully in weather as cold as minus 30°F.
The Efficient Fencer makes fence building much easier, even for a single person. Photo courtesy of Efficient Fencer.
Efficient Fencer
Building new fences is often avoided or pushed down the priority list due to excessive labor and time demands.
The Efficient Fencer, a creation of Josh Acacio, makes this task more tolerable. Its metal frame is designed to be carried on a skid steer or tractor’s front-end loader attachment. The basic model can hold brace pole ends, tools and a cooler, and hang up to 10 high-tensile wires. The Pro and Traveler Series models carry extra fencing supplies and up to three gates.
“They’re designed to save time and make more money,” says Acacio. “They turn a daunting task into something simpler and more efficient.”
The basic Fencer features 10 reels that swing out for refilling purposes and ride on tapered bearings that tighten under friction and maintain wire tension as the fencer moves down a post line. A pair of vertical rollers keeps the wires properly spaced and a measured guide finds the optimal staple placement.
“I’ve done up to 7,500 feet of eight-strand fence in one day and usually average about 1,000 feet an hour,” Acacio says. “So far, I’ve built about 50 miles of fence with it.”
The Pro Series features two large toolboxes and a hydraulic arm with a second set of vertical rollers to dispense wire on either side of a fence whether the skid steer is moving forward or back.
The rancher-invented TestiGrip offers a simple way to secure and present small testicles for easy banding. Photo provided by Jodi Suchoplas.
TestiGrip castration aid
Jodi Suchoplas calves out 340 cows in a wide-open field on her Manitoba ranch. She values efficiency and precision when tagging, vaccinating and castrating newborns, as split seconds can make the difference between a job well done and being on the wrong end of a mother cow’s wrath with no protection.
To speed up castration and ensure it’s done properly, she invented, patented and produced the TestiGrip, a simple but ingenious way to secure and present small testicles for easy banding.
A plastic rectangle slightly larger than a credit card features a narrow slot that slides over the scrotum above the testicles.
“Slip it on and they’re held in the perfect position for banding,” Suchoplas says. “The calf can’t pull one or both up and away as it might when holding them by hand.”
TestiGrip recently won the 2024 Farmer’s Choice Award in the Innovations Program at Saskatchewan’s Ag in Motion exhibition. Numerous Canadian retailers, vet clinics and distributors sell the TestiGrip online. Suchoplas also maintains a Facebook page and is currently finalizing U.S. distribution.
“Castration is done quickly and correctly,” she says. “Too many people are doing it wrong, creating unnecessary vet bills and market losses.”
Suchoplas recently added a TestiGrip Mini, sized for newborn lambs.
The Multi-Pulla makes removing old or damaged fencelines much less physically demanding and time-consuming. Photo courtesy of Chester Brown Industries.
Multi-Pulla
Removing unwanted, damaged or broken fence posts often involves moving tractors and loaders into tight quarters.
Australian company Chester Brown Industries (CBI) recently introduced the Multi-Pulla, a scissors-action, cordless drill-powered, wood and steel post puller.
The easily transportable wheeled unit weighs under 90 pounds and resembles a hand dolly. It features a front plate with jaws and chain-link grips that fit posts up to nearly 12 inches in diameter. Once the correct jaws are attached, a cordless drill drives a nut over a threaded rod, causing the jaws to grip and lift the post from the ground.
“I credit the pneumatic lift supplied by the 3/4-inch impact,” says CBI co-owner Peter Chester. “We use grade 10 threads to cope with the impact’s torque. You could even sip on a coffee while removing a post.”
Chester explains that the Multi-Pulla is operator-safe, as no energy is stored for accidental release, even though it lifts up to 4 tons of weight.
“Unlike other hand-operated post removers, our product won’t slip or break a handle,” he says. “The jaws won’t wear, and it isn’t backbreaking work.”
Chester hopes to make the Multi-Pulla available in the U.S. by April 2025.
The Escoba Cattle Oiler was developed by rancher Chris Sandoval to more efficiently treat cattle with pesticides and similar products. Photo provided by Chris Sandoval.
Escoba Cattle Oiler
Chris Sandoval’s Escoba Cattle Oiler is currently making inroads in livestock operations after 30 years in the making.
“The Escoba is named after the Spanish word for ‘broom,’” Sandoval says. “It doesn’t require any power, simply activating as cattle rub against it.”
The oiler is constructed from heavy-duty round and square metal tubing with sturdy 6-foot-long skids for support and transport. A floating 3-gallon chemically resistant poly tank positions at three convenient heights to match sizes from small calves to large bulls. It features tiny holes in the tank topline, releasing the insecticide to run down into specially designed, chemically resistant, upper horizontal and vertical side brushes.
“Just keep the tank relatively full. The holes are small enough it won’t waste product,” Sandoval says.
Escoba oilers are manufactured in South Dakota and come with a hardware kit and optional gusset plate for added support. Sandoval also builds a 4-foot-tall unit for sheep and goats.
Raising cattle is hard, strenuous work. These unique innovations created by producers, for producers, are helping to make this occupation a little easier.
