Crowding tub apparatus, system and method

A crowding tub system comprising:

• a rounded frame forming a portion of a circle and three gates pivotably coupled to the rounded frame, wherein the three gates pivot in linked sequence towards an animal exit,
• the three gates comprising a first gate, a second gate and a third gate, wherein the first gate is about twice the length of the second gate and the second gate is about twice the length of the third gate;
• and
• wherein the first gate is coupled to a first post at a center point of the rounded frame, the second gate is coupled to a second post on an exit side of the rounded frame, and the third gate is coupled to a third post on the exit side of the rounded frame, wherein the second post is between the first post and the third post.

A method of funneling animals into a single file using a crowding tub, comprising:

• arranging a horizontally symmetric crowding tub in a livestock handling system by rolling the crowding tub in one of a bottom-up or top-up orientation, the crowding tub comprising a series of three pivotable gates coupled in linked succession;
• opening a first gate of the series of three gates outside a crowding tub frame to allow livestock to enter the crowding tub frame;
• pivoting the first gate of the series of three gates inside the frame and then towards an animal exit such that the second gate and third gate successively pivot towards the animal exit;
• and
• guiding the livestock in a single file through the animal exit using the series of three pivoting gates.