Handy Hint: December 2010

Skid moves calves to heifer operation

To help move calves across the road to their heifer operation, the Steve and Carl Ayers Family of Perryville, Ohio, designed this small calf carrier which attaches to a skid loader. It is on skids so the loader can easily pick it up. The lower area of the calf carrier along with the floor is made of rubber belting. The rubber belting is easy to clean, reports Jesse Ayers.

An earlier version was one solid container but when adding canvas to the top during winter months the skid steer driver could not see around it. So they redesigned the carrier and added stairs and split it in the middle which improves vision and makes entry and exit into the skid steer cab easier, as well.

The Ayers Family reports that they should have added a foot to each side of the calf carrier to haul more calves, but otherwise it works extremely well. The current model comfortably holds four calves.