Build a “Bud Box” to Make Livestock Handling a Breeze
By Rick Machen and Ron Gill / April 14, 2014 / Comments Off on Build a “Bud Box” to Make Livestock Handling a Breeze
The term “Bud Box” describes the kind of handling facility preferred by low-stress livestock handling expert Bud Williams. By moving animals quietly and standing in the right spot, you can quickly and easily move animals into a chute for treatment, weighing or loading. Here’s information on how to build your own, including a video showing how it works.
Dr. Rick Machen is professor and animal and natural resource management Extension specialist stationed at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde, Texas. Machen is also a member of the animal nutrition section in the Department of Animal Science. Through multi-county, regional and statewide venues like the Luling Foundation Field Days, Texas A&M Beef Cattle Short Course and the San Antonio International Farm and Ranch Show, Machen interacts with beef, lamb and goat production professionals to improve sustainability while preserving the stability and productivity of the natural resources.
Dr. Ronald Gill is professor and Extension livestock specialist for Texas AgriLife Extension. He also serves as Associate Department Head and Program Leader for Extension animal science faculty. Gill continues to provide leadership in Extension programming related to animal well-being and low-stress livestock handling and assists in providing leadership to statewide programming efforts for Beef Safety and Quality Assurance programming. Other interests include beef cattle and equine nutritional management and value added marketing. Gill received the Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence on two separate occasions for his support and performance as a member of an Interdisciplinary Team implementing Standardized Performance Analysis (SPA) program for Texas beef cattle producers, and for his contributions on the Beef Quality Assurance Team. Gill has also been recognized as the Specialist of the Year by the Texas County Agricultural Agents Association.
