Check out latest cattle chutes at Husker Harvest Days

From manual to hydraulic, calves are testing out the headgates during the cattle handling demos.

August 23, 2023

Cattle demonstrations at Husker Harvest Days offer attendees a good chance to see side-by-side comparisons of cattle chutes in action, as well as being entertained along the way.

“Dr. Joe” Jeffrey is back for another year as emcee of the cattle demonstrations, moderating the action as handlers run cattle through the various chutes that will be put to the test.

Jeffrey, a veterinarian from Lexington, Neb., is ready to entertain and educate during the cattle handling demos. It promises to be just as informative as in years past with side-by-side chute comparisons, and just as entertaining with his running commentary.

“We tell a few stories and have some fun, too,” says Jeffrey, who uses humor to engage and inform the audiences. “It has been a lot of fun.”

He says he learned early on from attendees about what they want: “Teach me a little, but I also want to be entertained.”

Jeffrey says his lengthy veterinary career has provided him plenty of fodder for stories. “I worked for seven veterinarians, and they would send me on the calls that they didn’t want to go on,” he says.

He has traveled across the country taking his cattle knowledge and home-spun humor to demonstrations similar to what Husker Harvest Days attendees will experience.

TELL IT LIKE IT IS: The voice of HHD Cattle Handling Demos, Dr. Joe Jeffrey, entertains the audience during the live cattle demos. But he says the real stars of the demos are the guys handling the cattle and working the chutes.

Jeffrey enjoys teasing some of the chute operators, but he is quick to admit that the real stars of the show are the chute workers who make the demonstrations successful year after year — and the equipment itself.

“It is much more successful than I would have anticipated. The chutes have really improved over the years,” he says. “The greatest changes have been how strong the chutes are built today, and that they are much safer for the livestock and the handlers.”

Since live cattle handling demonstrations and side-by-side chute comparisons began with the 1988 show, they have become a favorite by audiences as they look forward to seeing the latest chutes and technology demonstrated. It also helps that they are entertained by Jeffrey’s banter.

ROYAL TREATMENT: The 2022 Nebraska Rodeo Queen got in on placing ear tags in cattle as part of the animal handling and chute demonstrations at Husker Harvest Days.

All ranchers know that things don’t always go as planned when working with cattle, and the same holds true at the HHD demos, as calves have been known to sneak through a chute before getting caught in the headgate.

That’s just par for the course, according to Jeffrey. Bringing the equipment and cattle together at HHD is a good way for producers to compare chute features, while seeing them in action.

The demonstrations, located on Lot 860 in the Livestock Industry Building at the corner of Eighth Street and West Avenue, will take place each day at Husker Harvest Days at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The demos are sponsored this year by Arrowquip and Ramsey Ranch Supply in Bartlett. They are situated in a prime spot amid livestock exhibits, breed association displays, and beef- and livestock-related equipment and machinery.

Kevin Schulz

Editor, The Farmer

Kevin Schulz joined The Farmer as editor in January of 2023, after spending two years as senior staff writer for Dakota Farmer and Nebraska Farmer magazines. Prior to joining these two magazines, he spent six years in a similar capacity with National Hog Farmer. Prior to joining National Hog Farmer, Schulz spent a long career as the editor of The Land magazine, an agricultural-rural life publication based in Mankato, Minn.

During his tenure at The Land, the publication grew from covering 55 Minnesota counties to encompassing the entire state, as well as 30 counties in northern Iowa. Covering all facets of Minnesota and Iowa agriculture, Schulz was able to stay close to his roots as a southern Minnesota farm boy raised on a corn, soybean and hog finishing farm.

One particular area where he stayed close to his roots is working with the FFA organization.

Covering the FFA programs stayed near and dear to his heart, and he has been recognized for such coverage over the years. He has received the Minnesota FFA Communicator of the Year award, was honored with the Minnesota Honorary FFA Degree in 2014 and inducted into the Minnesota FFA Hall of Fame in 2018.

Schulz attended South Dakota State University, majoring in agricultural journalism. He was also a member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and now belongs to its alumni organization.

His family continues to live on a southern Minnesota farm near where he grew up. He and his wife, Carol, have raised two daughters: Kristi, a 2014 University of Minnesota graduate who is married to Eric Van Otterloo and teaches at Mankato (Minn.) East High School, and Haley, a 2018 graduate of University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She is married to John Peake and teaches in Hayward, Wis.

When not covering the agriculture industry on behalf of The Farmer's readers, Schulz enjoys spending time traveling with family, making it a quest to reach all 50 states — 47 so far — and three countries. He also enjoys reading, music, photography, playing basketball, and enjoying nature and campfires with friends and family.

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