Cheap and easy equipment for steers

[Kevin Cunningham]

I have wanted to build a cart for my steers recently, to get them used to driving with a pole. I was tossing around plans in my head when I had a revelation. We already had a basic garden cart. These are pretty common on most farms and homesteads. In fact I do not know what we would do without it. So I simply attached a pole to it. The ease and simplicity amazed me!

Here is a picture of the attachment on the bottom of the cart.

The pole is held in place by two bolts with wing nuts for the ease of taking it off and on.

And here are the boys with a bale of hay!

The pole lifts under the handle that normally takes the weight in the cart so there is very little strain on the cart itself. It is not a heavy hauling type of cart but it certainly will take the couple hundred pounds that the cart is designed to handle. It is great training for the steers and I made it out of stuff I had already. Cheap and easy.

[Baystatetom]

I have done the same thing before. You can also just use baler twine to attach a piece of pipe to a chain for use on your stone boat. It will help them learn to turn with a pole. You will be surprised how fast they figure it out.
~Tom

[Doug]

Very frugal and inventive Kevin. Well done, do you plan to build an ox cart in the future?

Doug

[Droverone]

a lawn tractor cart works great too

[Droverone]

what breed are your calves?

[Kevin Cunningham]

I do have hopes of building a nice wooden ox cart. I might even want to go the route of the Costa Rican ox cart school and paint it bright and gaudy colors, but probably not. I think it would be nice to have something with nice wooden wheels and real showy for taking to parades and at the pumpkin patch, and something more utility with tires for work around the farm. I will probably start with the utility one first as I’ll probably use it sooner. Oh and my calves are jersey X holsteins.

[Author]

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