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Rolling Sling Lift For Down Cows
"You can roll this sling lift into stanchions as well as out into open areas to pick up down cows and transport them to other areas. It lets you control the cow after lifting so she can gradually regain the use of her legs,” says Gene Tibbets, Jerome, Idaho.
Tibbets first came up with the idea a few years ago and sold about 10 lifts to dairy farmers in his area, then stopped building them when the economy went bad and sales dropped off. He’s now 71 years old and has health problems, so his son is taking over.
The lift rides on 12-in. rear tires and smaller front caster wheels, and also has a hitch so you can tow it down the road from one dairy farm to another. It’s equipped with a 1 or 1 1/2-ft. wide nylon strap on front and an optional hip clamp on back, both operated by come-along hoists. The front hoist comes with an adjustable spreader bar.
To lift an animal, you first use the hip clamps to pick her up just enough to get the strap under her behind the front legs. Attach each end of the strap to a “come along” and raise the animal. Once the cow is up she can be milked or treated.
“The come-along can be adjusted to allow the cow to put weight on her front legs, which will help build muscle tone and allow blood circulation. She will heal much faster in this position,” says Tibbets. “The design allows the animal to be picked up without the stress and damage that hip clamps can cause. The hip clamps are there just as a balance.”
Tibbets says a full body sling is available for the lift, and also a feed bin and water bucket for animals that will be kept in the Cow Saver for an extended period of time.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gene Tibbets, 329 W Ave. J, Jerome, Idaho 83338 (ph 208 320-2573; gstent@reagan.com).



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2020 - Volume #44, Issue #1