best stock trailer door style

[royB]

I need some advice from those that have loaded a cow or two. I currently have a stock trailer that is a combo trailer. It has a solid back door the width of the trailer that swings open from left to right. It seems to contribute to cattle backing out or turning around at the last minute. I'm thinking that the style that has a slide gate, about half as wide as the trailer, built into the wide door would be better for loading. There is also the type that has 2 small doors, both half the width of the trailer, that open independantly of each other.

Which do you prefer and why?

thanks,

Roy

 

[jkwilson]

To unload at the locker plant we use, you have to have a slider. Our chute is designed for the slider as well. The kind that hinge both ways or the kind without a slider make it difficult to load or unload into a chute.

 

[Subsoil]

Best is single gate with the slider on the left side. You can get buy with the double swinging gates, but when using a chute, you'll loose about 1 head of capacity because you have to have room to swing one gate to the inside.

However, you can get around this if you back up and center the chute with the middle of the trailer. Stop about 16 or 20 inches in front of the chute and then open both gates (forming a V) and chain them to the chute. This will allow you to load to full capacity.

 

[txag]

You can get buy with the double swinging gates, but when using a chute, you'll loose about 1 head of capacity because you have to have room to swing one gate to the inside.

However, you can get around this if you back up and center the chute with the middle of the trailer. Stop about 16 or 20 inches in front of the chute and then open both gates (forming a V) and chain them to the chute. This will allow you to load to full capacity.

or you can back up so the hinges on one of the gates are flush with the end of the chute & open the gate into the chute.

i agree about the single gate with slider. our two previous trailers had the two swinging gates & the current one has the slider.......much easier to load if you're filling the trailer. if you don't have a full load, either slider or double swinging are fine.

 

[TheBullLady]

I wouldn't have any other type then the full door swing gate with the half door slider.

The full swinging door is perfect for us to load cattle.. we put it up to a post in the corral, and have another gate that hooks on the back of the trailer out. When the calves / cows are near the back door, we take the gate and the panel and put them together, "squeezing" the cattle into the trailer. If I have to back up to a chute, we use the slider.

 

[CattleAnnie]

Slider on single door works well here. No complaints, except have to keep the slider 'rail' clean from manure, especially in winter, when frozen cowplop can inhibit it's ability to slide properly.

Take care.

 

[sidney411]

Our's has the double gates. I have had no problem loading or unloading cattle from it. If I am loading from the chute I just leave one gate shut and line the other gate up with the chute. Our other loading pen has 2 swinging gates that I chain to the sides of the trailer and the gates on the trailer are pushed back to lay against the gates on the pen (sorry, hard to explain) Anyway, works great for us.

 

[Craig-TX]

Good comments here. IMO you can get by with just about anything but a combo is the nicest. If you're packing them in for a full load the slider is worth a lot. The big swinging door is nice for unloading just because it's easier to get out of the way.

Craig-TX

 

[dun]

Ours is the half slider in a swinging door. I like the swinger for those few animals that just get their front feet in and balk at putting the back ones in. I use the swinging gate to push on them and they step up and in. Works for me anyway.

dun

 

[Subsoil]

There's one option we haven't mentioned. Since the original post was BEST stock trailer gate I think we need to consider the rear roll up gate. You can get those on the aluminum trailers (just like on the semis) but those types of trailers will cost you.

 

[royB]

Thanks for all the comments. This is exactly what I wanted, some actual exp on how they work best. I was leaning towards the slider/swing combo but the "nicer" (sales guy's opinion) tube trailers I was looking at only came with the double doors while the regular stock trailers had the combo.

I never really considered the roll up door, it probably would be very nice but beyond my trailer budget I'm sure.

Guess I'll focus on combo door trailers.

thanks again.

Roy

 

[CKC1586]

We've got the slider in the single door also, works great for us.

 

[certherfbeef]

We've got the slider in the single door also, works great for us.

I must be the only one that can't manage to get my stubborn feeders thru the chute and up into the the trailer thru the slider door. And there is NOOOOO way the cows are going thru the slider. Have to use the big gate no matter what.

 

[Subsoil]

Roy - most of the major makers of pipe (tube) type trailers offer the slide/swing gate as an option. Your dealer might just not have it in stock.

certherfbeef - Sounds like you you need some new batteries for your hot-shot.

 

[dun]

We've got the slider in the single door also, works great for us.

I must be the only one that can't manage to get my stubborn feeders thru the chute and up into the the trailer thru the slider door. And there is NOOOOO way the cows are going thru the slider. Have to use the big gate no matter what.

Exactly the reason we use the swinging door to load. Plus I think it's a little darker in the trialer with the rear door closed and they don't really like to go to dark from light. As gloomy and cloudy as it's been the last couple of weeks probably wouldn't make much difference. It's barely bright if I have the lights on in the house.

dun

 

[CKC1586]

Yes we do the loading in with the swing door and unloading sometimes with the slider if there isn't room for the big door. Also make sure when you are loading you aren't loading into the sun. It really makes the trailer look like a black hole and they won't go.

 

[tapeworm]

Sometimes the sliders arent as good as the butterfly gates but they're always easier until they get bent. The butterfly gates are a lot stronger but you can use a chain around the slider gate to make up for that. Biggest problem Ive had with the sliders is not as much clearance overhead...if you load off of the ground no problem....but if you load big bulls or horses out of a chute that is taller than your trailer floor you can have some problems with the crest or withers clearance on the slider