Unique Cattle Paddles

Unique Cattle Paddles LIVESTOCK Handling 27-1-43 I've been sorting cattle for 20 years as part of my job at Nilsson Bros. Livestock Exchange, the world's largest cattle auction. Over the years I've used both wood canes and plastic "shaker" paddles. I prefer paddles because they aren't so rough on the cattle, but they aren't as easy to handle because they don't have the hooked handle that canes have. With a cane, you can hook it on your arm or the fence for a minute if you need to do something else. You could also use the hook to grab a gate and pull it open, saving yourself steps. I decided to combine the best of both worlds by cutting off the handle on my paddle and replacing it with the top half of a broken cane. My new sorter is handier because I can hook it over my arm or on the fence but still have the noise-making ability of the "shaker" paddle. (Bob Munro, Box 4, Busby, Alberta, Canada T0G 0H0 ph 780 349-2110)

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