I have 2 questions regarding the Bud box.

1. The first relates to cattle. I have an existing squeeze chute next to a wool shed wall. I want to add a Bud box to it. Because of the layout I cannot make the “Bud Box” in such a way that the cattle go past the chute gate. They will however enter right next to it. The attached sketch will show the layout. Do you think it would still work?

2. The next question relates to sheep. Will a “Bud box” work for sheep also (to fill a squeeze chute) and if so what would typical dimensions be?

…. South Africa

Answer:    The Bud Box is actually a philosophy more than a pen of certain dimensions.  If it is built like Bud suggested, (12-14 feet wide, 20-30 feet long with gates in the proper places) it pretty well forces a person to be in the right place.  I’ve watched many U-Tube videos of people using a Bud Box and I’ve never seen it actually worked properly.  The person bringing the stock in must pause to shut the gate, then they start down the side to get behind the stock, but before they can get too far out of position, the animals have already started to go past them and into the single-file chute.  You can use the same principals with a pen of any configuration.  So-  Yes, I think the sketch you sent will work OK.  As you enter the pen with the livestock you should lightly pressure them against the 12’ wide dead-end.  Your position will be very near the opening to the single file chute.  Most people don’t have any problem getting livestock they are driving, to try to “cut back.”  This is what you are doing when you pressure them where there is no place they can go.  When they “cut back” they want to keep their eye on you so your position at the entrance to the chute will cause them to want to go up the chute.  (See my July 14, 2010 posting)

Even if you were using a typical crowd pen where the animals come in one end and the opening to the single-file chute is at the other, you can still use the “Bud Box” principals.  We have worked lots of cattle and sheep in this type of pen.  When bringing them in, we give them a chance to go straight ahead into the chute, but if they hesitate we let them go back by us, see that the gate they came in is no longer open, then pressure them against that gate.  At this point you work it just like a proper Bud Box.  This works very well, it just takes this one extra step to get in the right position.

Sheep work great using the Bud Box principals.  Dimensions will depend on the size of the flock.  The only thing that would need to be different is the width of the single-file chute.