FW Inventions Comp 2023: Gavin Winters’ cattle race

Unimpressed by the ready-made cattle race and crush options, Gavin Winters of Dromore, County Tyrone, set about building his own – with a few natty features that set it apart from the rest.

A run of upright RSJs were concreted into the floor, to which he fitted rails made from 4mm-thick, 50mm-square box-section.

He neatly notched the ends of these to fit them flush with the webs of the RSJs, leaving a smooth finish that saves cattle bashing into the edge of each post.

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Another novel feature is the yellow fold-down steps that run the full 18m length of the race.

These give better access to the cattle, he says, and can be swung into the rails when not in use to save taking up unnecessary space. Beside the first bay he also mounted a small medicine tray for needles and bottles.

Total spend was roughly £1,000, including the striking paint job.

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