boards or panels for working pen area, not pen itself

[royB]

I would like to add a perimeter around the working pen so that I can easily move my cattle from paddock to paddock or into the pen. My pen is made from telephone poles for posts and rough sawn 2x6 and it standing up very well so far. I like the 2x6 for rails but my original source (sawn up telephone poles) is gone so I have priced rough sawn oak, treated and untreated borad frmo the local home store, and corall panels.

It lookslike Ican use the oak, untreated, or 16ft panels for about the same money. Can anyone offer any advantages/disadvantages of any of the above?

I have already considered:
1) the panels could be easily sold if the day came that I did not need them any longer.
2) both woods would need "treatment" of some kind
3) the oak may warp/split since is is green sawn
4) the panels woud need paint care (not unlike the boards and treatment)

anything else? Waht would you all suggest? It should not get much rough treatment, it is going to be 30' from the pen so crowding should be at a minumum.

thanks

 

[D.R. Cattle]

The panels can be easily moved, reconfigured and used in alternate applications.

 

[Jake]

Go with the panels they can be used again and again plus have good resale value. And remember paint doesnt make you any money.... If you go with wood just treat it and let it look natural, and a set of rusty looking panels is easier to get cattle into than bright white or blue...

 

[Oldtimer]

I don't know if I'll ever build a wooden fence again- with the price of wood and posts, panels are the way to go. Another nice thing about panels is if you have to get in with a tractor to move manure and clean a corral, you can easily disconnect the panels and move them out of the way.

 

[royB]

If I go with panels, I was going to use 16 ft panels and put a post at each connection point of the panels. Do you think that will be enough or should I go with 12 ft panels, or maybe just more posts?

Somewhere I saw some pictures of a guy that had the entire working area made out of panels but I can't find it now.

 

[dun]

The Priefert site has different layouts done with panels.We use 10 and 12 foot panels, for general use we use a T-post at the ends of the panels, for areas where there may be a little rowdiness, i.e. closer to the alleyway, we use a post in the middle also. We secure the top of the post to the rails of the panels. Unless they get their head under the bottom rail, the post only needs to be in about 6-8 inches, further is better, but that little amount will generally work.

dun

If I go with panels, I was going to use 16 ft panels and put a post at each connection point of the panels. Do you think that will be enough or should I go with 12 ft panels, or maybe just more posts?

Somewhere I saw some pictures of a guy that had the entire working area made out of panels but I can't find it now.

 

[jw]

If you use panels you should be able to use t-post's in the middle as braces.

Another possibility, if this is just going to be perimeter fencing, is to use rolled fencing. It comes in 48" high and 300' rolls. I made my corral out of it, put 2 2X4's around the top to discouage jumping and it works great. It is a lot cheaper than panels.