BLACKFOOT — A family-owned business demonstrated a breakthrough innovation in cattle handling at the Eastern Idaho State Fair last week. The Arrowquip Q-Catch 86 series squeeze chute is engineered so well that it is possible for a single person to care for an entire herd.
“I have never handled beef-cattle equipment before now,” said Mont Howard, owner of Howard Equipment and Supply in Shelley. “I’ve handled mostly supplies for dairies. In June of 2017 I started selling this line and learned there are more local beef operations out there than I ever imagined. These chutes have sold very well.”
Arrowquip is a Canadian manufacturer of cattle-handling equipment including chutes, alleys, tubs and scales. The company sells two versions of squeeze chutes, manual and hydraulic. The engineering takes the labor out of working cattle.
“You can operate the chute with all one handle,” Howard said. “The lock box makes is possible to lock the device where ever you stop it.”
The Squeeze is 29½ inches wide when fully open and squeezes down to 7¾ inches when fully closed.
“You can first run the cow and then her calf right after her and squeeze to fit each animal,” he said.
The chute is designed for every procedure including side gates, a needle door and a vet door.
Arrowquip prides itself on silence. The removable flooring is molded rubber and the hinges are anti-rattle rubber.
Add-on options include a patent-pending head-holder and sternum bar. The head-holder clamps around the animal’s neck and holds the head immobile. It is easy to use with a push-pull single lever. The sternum bar presses across the animal’s breastbone to prevent it from going down.
Arrowquip products feature a powder-coat process resistant to moisture, chemicals, ultraviolet rays and extreme weather combined with primed steel to ensure a durable product.
“These cost a little more than some,” Howard said. “They are patented and have a lot of safety features you don’t find anywhere else.”
Everything comes fully assembled.
Howard Equipment carries Old Hickory Buildings, which include storage barns, sheds, portable buildings, mini barns and garages. They also carry Everlast Welders and Plasma Cutters.
Howard Equipment opened in St. Anthony in 1964. In 1994 it moved to the center of the dairies in Bingham County and built a new store in Shelley. Howard Equipment prides itself on being a full-service, farm-supply store. Garages,
Howard Equipment and Supply is located at 1424 N. U.S. Highway 91 in Shelley. The phone number is 208-357-3200. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Alice Elison is a regular correspondent for Intermountain Farm & Ranch. She is an aspiring author and cookie-baking grandma. She can be reached by contacting her at 208-681-7266 or aelison@eoni.com.
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