October 2025 NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN 17 “In the beef industry, we tend to do things very traditionally, sticking with doing what we’ve always done. But what we’ve noticed over time is that, as an industry, we have become much more aware of cattle’s senses and how to handle them properly,” Waechter-Mead explains. “We have evolved our facilities to really utilize those senses on the animals so that they are less stressed, it is safer for the animals and us, and we just have a much more pleasant experience in working and processing them and doing our day-to-day activities.” Her biggest advice: get some fresh eyes on the situation. Ask a neighbor, friend, veterinarian or Extension agent to take a good look at your current setup and see what they recommend to improve your system’s efficiency. “You need to have somebody come in who doesn’t work in those facilities every day,” Waechter-Mead says. “We kind of become immune to what we see every day, and they can offer valuable insight.” To start with the basics, decide first if you want to build a permanent livestock handling setup or if a portable corral system would better serve your operation. Just because you have always had a permanent structure does not mean that a portable one might not be the better option. Both setups have their benefits. Going Mobile There are multiple companies offering a variety of solutions in terms of portable corral options. These systems are great for people whose operations are spread out across big spaces Portable corral systems come in all shapes and sizes, with some large enough to hold 600 head of 800-pound cattle. Photo courtesy of Rawhide Portable Corral, Inc. or even multiple leases since they can be easily transported from one location to the next. “My father invented our corral system that is able to go down the road at the speed limit, and one person could do it all,” says Cassy Wilson with Rawhide Portable Corral, Inc. “It is easy to set up and then put it back into transport mode.” The portable hydraulic corral systems come in a variety of sizes and holding capacities. The largest setup Rawhide offers can hold up to 600 head of 800-pound cattle. “My father invented this as I was heading to college, and my other two siblings were about ready to graduate high school,” Wilson explains. “We understand that sometimes you don’t have a lot of people to help, so this was designed with that in mind. We’ll see a lot of couples or smaller operations that use it, too.” Staying Stationary If you choose to build onto current permanent facilities, you might consider upgrading your alley system. Lowstress cattle handling designs, such as Bud Boxes or curved, solid-sided-fence facilities are great options that allow cattle to flow more easily through the facilities. “It is so important to build a properly flowing facility,” explains Austin Gubbels with Brute Cattle Equipment. “If we CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
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