Today we finished processing for the week. I worked right behind chute. It was tough getting the calves to want to step up into that pressure. They have been installing Silencer chutes and the louvers (rubber flaps to hide movement)seem to really help. Isaak is set to get one next. They have them made with galvanized metal or they won’t last. After we finished we had, you guessed it, Bento box from Earls. I really enjoy them, and today we had some great conversation to go with. We laughed and told story’s about horse clinicians, and I told some about Craig Cameron and the fun we have had. We discussed dogs, pigs, cattle behavior as well as human behavior, and we spent a lot of time talking about M and R and it’s value on the ranch. It was a great time and I think we all agree that we believe in good Stockmanship and getting better, so it wasn’t all laughs and giggles
We decided the calves were ready to go to pasture tomorrow, so Wife Tammy and I took them out of pen to a training pen and worked on getting them to slow down and stop. I’d like to have them handling a little better, but we will make it work.
I am not as satisfied to day because of the pressure I had to use to get the calves in the chute. I don’t like it.
I think it would be best to work calves through chute with it open while settling calves. They would learn to go through without the pressure and then when it was time to process they would flow to the pressure better. I don’t know if it’s feasible, but it would be the right thing to do.
There are a couple videos on here but you might have to go to website to see.
Curt Pate Stockmanship 
Hi Curt,
How high did they have to step up into the chute? I find that can be even worse if they put scales under the chute.
I often recommend cutting the pad the chute sits on lower so the calves walk into the chute on a level plane. I recommend something similar for loadouts into stock trailers if that makes sense. Customers that do this are really happy with cattle flow afterwards.
I’m fine with conditioning calves to take the pressure of going into a chute. But you guys had spent a bit of time getting flow into cattle and maybe this would help.
Thanks for all of your articles. It really helps my wife Tammy and I with our cattle and me with my job designing and helping people use their facilities better,
Pat Mallon
Stanfield Oregon
Pat,
They did have to step up a bit. Good observations. I sure think well designed thought out facilities combined with Stockmanship sure make it work. Thank you for the good words.