Build a Stanchion for Bulls

Management of cattle and livestock has challenges of its own, especially when it comes to dealing with nervous animals. Whether the procedure is milking, dental care, inoculation or anatomical examination, an anxious or frightened beast can pose a danger to itself and to its handlers. This is all the more true for ranchers and rodeo workers who work with enormous bulls and steers. A good way to address this hazard is to build a stanchion, a structure of two or more vertical posts designed to secure an animal in a stationary position when the occasion calls for limited movement.

Things You'll Need

  • 4 boards, 60-inch
  • 4 boards, 48-inch
  • 8 lag bolts
  • 8 carriage bolts
  • 16 washers
  • 2 sliding door tracks, 4-foot
  • 2 adjustable door stoppers
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lay two of the 60-inch boards parallel to each other on the ground or floor so that the narrow width has contact with the surface. Space them about 46 inches apart.

    • 2

      Place two of the 48-inch boards, which will serve as horizontal supports, over the longer boards at 90 degrees. The broad side of these planks should be flat against the longer boards. Space each of them eight inches from the center point of the longer boards and parallel to each other.

    • 3

      Drill holes at the center of the points where the timbers intersect and insert the washers and lag bolts. This is the fixed component of the stanchion.

    • 4

      Affix 4-foot sliding door tracks to the broad side of each remaining 48-inch plank. Find tracks that are 2.5 inches wide. Fasten the tracks to the boards with short carriage bolts and washers.

    • 5

      Carve a groove into the ends of each remaining 60-inch planks to accommodate the track, if necessary. Lay them between and parallel with the 60-inch boards of the fixed structure. Make sure the broad sides are flat against the 48-inch timbers.

    • 6

      Attach the 48-inch boards with the tracks to the ends of the outer 60-inch planks using lag bolts and washers. Stand the structure on end, so that the boards with the tracks are at the top and bottom of the stanchion. The interior 60-inch boards are now upright and will operate like sliding doors.

    • 7

      Fit the adjustable door stoppers between the exterior and interior upright planks to secure the head gate.