In one aspect of a livestock device, the livestock device may be configured with two opposed and corresponding door frames. A neck bar may be engaged with each door frame via an upper extension arm and a lower extension arm. The door frames may be selectively moved between an open and closed position with respect to one another. The neck bars may be selectively moved between a retracted and extended position with respect to the door frames. The livestock device may be configured to secure the position of, restrain, and/or properly orient an animal, and/or to secure the position of, restrain, and/or properly orient a portion of an animal (e.g., its head, neck, etc.) with respect to another portion of the animal.

Livestock handling equipment characterized by a modular alley construction employing shared bows with hole-penetrated front and rear faces for fastening of elongated structural beams and coupling of side panels at both of said faces. Longitudinally protruding coupling members on said side panels for engaging said holes include grooved and longitudinally extendable/retractable pivot pins at the bottom ends of the side panels. Selectively mountable/removable cladding members enable convenient strategic customization of cladding coverage to optimize livestock flow via pressure zone techniques, physical intervention and/or light-based attraction, and also enable physical access for inspection and treatment of the animals.

A directional lock or a headgear or interface assembly comprising one or more directional locks that include a catch arrangement for initiating or assisting in movement of a lock member of the direction lock. In some configurations, the catch arrangement assists movement of the lock member in only a portion of a range of travel of the lock member. In some configurations, the directional lock comprises a housing and a sleeve and the catch arrangement comprises a catch arm carried by the sleeve. The catch arm includes a catch end that contacts the lock member, which can be a lock washer in some configurations.

Embodiments of the invention include a squeeze chute for temporarily confining an animal while it is being inspected or treated, wherein the squeeze chute has a pair of side grippers and a rear pusher that cooperate to restrain the movement of the animal within the squeeze chute. Certain embodiments of both the side grippers and the pusher are rotatable about the top rails of the chute as well as vertically extensible and retractable from the top rails on which they are mounted.

An animal lift consisting of a lift mechanism, a vertical mast housing at least a portion of the lift mechanism, a horizontal shaft rotatably coupled to the lift mechanism about a longitudinal axis of rotation of the shaft, and a cradle coupled to the shaft, the cradle constructed of a horizontal support member having a surface for engaging the sternum or underbelly of an animal along the animal's longitudinal axis from head to tail and a pair of vertical side walls.

A system and method for scanning a pig (or other food animal) to determine body composition and quality data in real time while the pig (or food animal) is suspended in mid-air by a lift apron in electronic communication with an ultrasound console and computer processor and configured to collect and process “target images” from the pig (or food animal) when a thumb switch activates the processor. The ultrasound probe is vertically displaced from and vertically adjustable relative to the framework so that the ultrasound probe is selectively positioned in relative space. With reference to target images, a processor calculates in real time a quantitative measurement indicative of backfat depth, muscle depth, and intramuscular fat for the pig (or food animal) being scanned.

The invention encompasses devices, methods and systems for restraining, transporting and manipulating an animal, including lifting, rotating and tilting the animal.

An animal head gate includes head gate doors each having a squeeze bar to trap the neck mounted between upper and lower rails. Adjustment of the spacing between the bars uses an eccentric crank operated by lever which cooperates with two manual latches on a rail at maximum and minimum spacing. A neck sweep bar is mounted on one gate and movable from a retracted position to a position forward of the squeeze bar across the head gate so as to engage the neck of the animal in front of the squeeze bar and to turn the neck and head. The head gate is held closed by front and rear abutment members each of which is formed as a roller which rotates to reduce friction under load. Each gate includes an upstanding torsion bar which twists when forces are applied to the squeeze bars from impact with the animal.

Described herein is an animal handling device in the form of a cattle crush with automated headbail capture, back bar operation and positional sensing along with methods of use thereof. The crush and method offer automation for functions that in the art have been largely manual and inherently labour intensive, physical and even potentially dangerous for the operator and/or animal.

The disclosed apparatus, systems and methods relate to various devices, systems and methods for gently restraining an unanesthetized laboratory animal, particularly for facial recognition applications. In some applications, the laboratory animal may have been previously cannulated.