Sample Designs of Cattle Races and Corrals

Why does a curved chute and round crowd pen work better than a straight one?

  1. As the animals go around the curve, they think they are going back to where they came from.
  2. The animals can not see people and other moving objects at the end of the chute.
  3. It takes advantage of the natural circling behaviour of cattle and sheep.

Right and wrong layout for Cattle.

This diagram shows both the right and wrong layout for a curved race system. If the single file race is bent too sharply where it joins the crowd pen the cattle may refuse to enter because it looks like a dead end. Cattle standing in the round crowd pen must be able to see a minimum of three body lengths up the single file chute before the curve begins.

Right and wrong layout for Pigs

This diagram shows both the right and wrong layout for pigs. If the single file race is bent too sharply where it joins the crowd pen, the pigs may refuse to enter. The pigs must be able to see a minimum of three body lengths up the race before it bends.

Recommended lengths of single file races for cattle

Facility Type Line Speed Minimum length Maximum length
Cattle Ranch and Properties N/A 40 ft (12.2 m) 75 ft (23 m)
Cattle Slaughter Plants Under 100/hour 40 ft (12.2 m) 75 ft (23 m)
Cattle Slaughter Plants 100 to 400/hour 80 ft (25 m) 200 ft (60 m)

Recommended lengths of single file races for pigs and sheep

If pigs are handled in groups in a gas stunning system, no race is needed.

Loose shackle systems where pigs can be batched on the bleed rail can operate efficiently with shorter races than systems that have to operate with a continuous flow.

Continuous flow systems with shackles attached to a chain conveyor for pigs or sheep:

0 to 100 animals per hour - 10 ft (3 m) to 25 ft (7.6 m)
100 or more animals per hour - 25 ft (7.6 m) to 50 ft (15 m)

Large Plant Facility Layouts

Ranch (or Property) Designs

Computer Aided Designs (CAD)

Directions for Laying out races and crowd pens

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