Anyone involved with farming will have spent more than a few hours chasing uncooperative cows around a field and things can often get dangerous once there’s a grumpy mother involved. But Northumberland-based maker Gecko has developed a new cow catcher to make life a little easier for herdsmen.

The farmer-designed Gecko handler mounts straight on to a telehandler’s headstock and uses remotely operated and solar powered gate hydraulics to help trap lairy mothers without having to take a kick to the shins (or somewhere nastier).

It looks like a serious lump of metalwork hanging off the handler’s headstock with beefy RSJs forming the base frame, but the company says it weighs just 1.6t. That should still keep it usable with smaller loaders and/or tractors, although smaller machines might be a bit light on their hind wheels once you’ve got a decent-sized bull on the front.

Parking the catcher snug to the fence line is the most effective tactical manoeuvre, says Gecko. The cowman then chases the beast into the cul-de-sac before closing the gates remotely. Once the animal is trapped the internal pusher gate directs the animal into the hydraulically controlled headstock.

The company says it will save double handling beasts and is handy for carting cows and calves between the shed and field. It’s also ideal for working with calving cows and carrying out caesarean section operations.

A galvanised Gecko costs £11,980.

Check out other new machinery products launched at Livestock 2013.