basic corral building question

[badaxemoo]

6x6 white oak posts. 2x6 boards.

Put the boards on the inside of the corral, or the outside?

Or is it half dozen of one, six of the other?

Any other basic tips?

After five years of grazing, I'm not going through another season with a makeshift corral!

 

[Bez+]

Inside

Spike a nice long rail along the top of all the posts - we set it right on top of the posts - makes the pens a lot stronger as well - we use a single 12 inch ardoch in the top of each post to hold the rail on - 6-8 inch diametre rail - when the cow tries to go over she will break the board but she cannot break the rail and that will prevent the boards from breaking.

No square corners - they pile up in them

Tons and tons of designs - all available for free on the internet - what works for some will not work for you and vice versa - keep an area available for expansion.

Change to steel or to those road guard rail things as money comes available

Expensive to build - so do it as the cash comes in - have fun.

Bez+

 

[TexasBred]

6x6 white oak posts. 2x6 boards.

Put the boards on the inside of the corral, or the outside?

Or is it half dozen of one, six of the other?

Any other basic tips?

After five years of grazing, I'm not going through another season with a makeshift corral!

Leave enough room between boards for your boot to fit easily. You never know when you'll need to climb that fence. :lol2:

 

[LazyARanch]

Sounds to me, TB, that you've climbed a FEW in your life??? :???:

LOL

so how fast are ya?

 

[SRBeef]

Note if you are considering using highway guard rail - your life will be MUCH simpler if you put your posts in to match standard Highway guard rail hole spacing which is 6'-3" or 12'-6". In high stress areas such as around a waterer where there may be a lot of cattle pushing on each other I would uses 6'-3". In most areas with guard rail you can put posts 12'-6" and it will be plenty strong. Real highway guard rail and RR tie posts is a wonderful long term cattle facility. With RR tie posts 12'-6" apart it may come out cost wise similar to putting other posts at 8 ft. Good luck.

If you are going to use Guard Rail here is a very useful dimension sheet form Southern Guardrail Mfg Co in TN.

http://www.southernguardrail.com/images/w_beam_specs.gif

Jim

 

[TexasBred]

Sounds to me, TB, that you've climbed a FEW in your life??? :???:

LOL

so how fast are ya?

Not nearly fast enough these days. :cry2:

 

[Green1340]

Bad,

In answer to your original question, it would be a better idea to put the rails inside the post. There will be more pressure working your herd in the corral as opposed to cows outside the corral trying to get in. (I hope that makes sense.) Put your rails on the corral side of the posts not on the outside of the posts.

Greenhaw

 

[Green1340]

If space and finances allow, have a few smaller pens within the corral with plenty of gates to help with sorting. You can work a few back and forth between the pens to get everybody where they need to be. Much easier when working them by yourself.

Greenhaw

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

We have 2 corrals, one for each place. Steel 2-3/8" posts set in concrete, 10' apart. Horizontal pipe rails welded to posts (and 3/4"sucker rod spaced about 9" apart).

With any "crowding" area, ALWAYS put any "attached" (rather than welded) wire, boards, etc., on INSIDE of the posts. Otherwise, is fairly easy for cattle to push things off posts.

Our corrals are 60 x 60' with 4 catch areas plus 2 eight foot wide alleys. And, have a "Medina Hinge" squeeze area for working cattle.

Also,have about 15 Priefert and/or "bull strength" gates on each corral. The heavy duth Priefert gates are for squeeze area and for the Sweep Gate for loading cattle onto a trailer.

Our corrals will last longer than we will live, and, no cattle will escape. Corral "fences" are 6' high.

Also use a corral for weaning a calf before he/she is put with weaned pasture mates.

A last word: Draw your design on paper (or a CAD program if you use one). Then, "walk thru" every possible scenario of moving, sorting the cattle. Modify as needed.