Cattle Guards

[TerraceRidge]

I have never owned cattle before, but I am interested in purchasing a few Angus heifers soon to start a cow/calf operation. However, I have a question about cattle guards. I would like to run a fence across a dirt road, but it would be an aggravation to have to open and close two gates to pass through the area. I think cattle guards would work, but I don't want to spend a tremendous amount of money on them. I have considered using concrete blocks (turned so that the holes are pointed up) in a pit 10 feet wide, 5 feet across, and the depth of the blocks. Additionally, I have thought about running 5 or 6 railroad cross ties a few inches apart in a pit the depth of the cross ties. I think the concrete blocks are more promising, but I am not sure. Does anyone have any ideas?

 

[pdfangus]

I have never had one that some of the cattle did not learn how to get over.....
one calf jumping it negates the value of the cattle guard....especially if it jumps out and gets in the road....

also the ones you are describing sound very escapable to me.....
flat surfaces give animals a chance to learn to walk across them....

If openeing a gate is that worrisome.....automatice gate openers have come down a lot in price in the last couple of years....

but is a lot simpler to haul a gate opener with you....

 

[greybeard]

The blocks you are describing is what we call cinder blocks around here. Because of the small surface area exposed to the ground, which will also be the load bearing surface, they will soon be pushed down into the soil as you drive over them unless you have some flat pavers under them.
Most crossties are 105" long--just over 8 1/2', which means you will have to 'splice' 2 together to get a drive wide enough to pass anything other than a passenger car or pickup over and it will be a tight fit at that. On top of that, cross ties offer a wide footprint to walk on-- 6" if turned one way--8" if turned the opposite way. You will have more "walk" area exposed than empty space---Not sure how intimidating that will be to a cow.

Cattle guard pits fill up with dirt faster than you might think, especially if they get a lot of traffic. It will be a real pain in the rear to pull all those ties or blocks out and clean the pit every year. Don't forget you have to do something at the ends---you can't just put a post up with the fence leading to it on each side. An adventuresome cow will just make that tight turn right around the end of the fence.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Those blocks would block out water flow. You would wind up with infill dirt in the gap. Eventually. Cattle guards need to be like a bridge. Free flow underneath of them keep from back up debris and dirt. County cuts the grass and the grass can acculumate underneath and cause blockage too. If you don't keep them cleaned out, soon you just have a road.

If your cows get out, you will need a gate or path to get them around the cattle guard. Gas company wants to put in cattle guards on my roads but I use them when I move the cows pasture to pasture. They finally built another road but they do not keep the cattle guards cleaned out so I still have issues. My guess is those cinder blocks would pose much more trouble.

 

[M5farm]

Welcome to the board . I'm not trying to be a SA but a few Angus heifers does not require 10 trips a day. So I have a hard time understanding the need for a cattle guard . Unless health issues dictate it. A electronic gate would be less money and aggravation.

 

[greybeard]

Do they have reasonably priced 100% solar operated gates now? Last time I checked in my area, they ran around $2000, and my other concern was lightening hitting the fence somewhere and smoking the controller or actuator cylinder--neither are cheap to replace.

 

[TerraceRidge]

Welcome to the board . I'm not trying to be a SA but a few Angus heifers does not require 10 trips a day. So I have a hard time understanding the need for a cattle guard . Unless health issues dictate it. A electronic gate would be less money and aggravation.

The reason I was looking into the cattle guards was that there is land on either side of a road that I want to fence in. I thought it would be easier just to make it one pasture with the road going through the middle. The problem is that I will need to use the road to get to the other side of the farm for other reasons besides the cows.

 

[Brute 23]

A dependable electric gate, that will handle the same amount of traffic, will cost you more than a cattle guard.

Don't get cattle guards with wings. Just the grading on bottom. Set an H brace on one side and take off with fence. Have one pipe welded on the other side of the cattle guard for a gate to close against... then hang a gate... H-braces and fence. Once you set a cattle guard you will not touch it for the most part. Every 5 or 10years you may need to clean it out or put a couple shovel loads in front of the seals to keep it smooth. They cattle guard you need for residential use can be lifted with a front end loaded on the tractor. Lift it and set it to the side. Run you bucket between the seals and set the cattle guard back.

We have electric gates that cost $5,10, 15K on some places. It is non stop between batteries, people running them over, remotes not connecting, key pads not connecting, getting struck by lightning... on and on and on. $500... $600... $500... $600... we will put the part in the mail... :bang: its cheaper and easier to get a welder out to fix a cattle guard if some one runs it over.

 

[Rafter S]

I also would strongly recommend you not try either of the options you mentioned. A good cattle guard made of pipe, long enough (front to back, not side to side) that they won't even think about jumping over it, is the only alternative to a gate. And I agree with Brute 23 about not fooling with wings. If it needs wings for you to feel comfortable driving over it then it's too small.

 

[Black and Good]

I try and put cattle guards if your looking at it, on a slight slope left to right or visea versa. Then I dig a flat bottom hole with one end day lighting as deep as ground will allow. In some cases I've had trench a ways to make daylight and I fill that trench with big rocks, concrete chunks whatever. Then put 1" to 2" rock under it preferably 6" to 8" of rock, level the rock its going to set on to make cattle guard even with drive way grade. The side that's a little high, grade your driveway gravel or whatever to it. This way it won't hold water. Mud that is in there, in big down pours will wash down into that big rock. If you keep decent gravel on each side of it for a short distance to keep balled up tires kinda knocked off, they are pretty maintenance free. B&G :santa:

 

[dun]

If you have electric fence you cna ,ake drive through gates using PVC piped hinged to swing both ways with srings to return them to closed and hanging droppers of electric fence wire every 6 inches or so. You can drive through them and they will swing open enough to get through. You can tie about a foot long length of plastic rope to them in some spot so you cna grab that to pull it open for walking through it.

 

[Newberry Creek]

You will probably be better served in the long run if you establish two pastures; one on each side of the road. Life will be a whole lot easier if you can shut off the cows from your roadway, not to mention the fact that you can plant winter geazing in one pasture and move the cows on and off at your will. My life got a lot better when I cross fenced my place. Summer and winter.

 

[TerraceRidge]

Okay, I have had an idea. What if I take 5" diameter wood posts and lay them across either 4x6 supports or railroad cross ties? This would be set up so that the fence posts are perpindicular to the road and the supports are parallel with the road. With 4" between each post, it would take 7 posts to make a 59" cattle guard. Any thoughts?

 

[pdfangus]

Okay, I have had an idea. What if I take 5" diameter wood posts and lay them across either 4x6 supports or railroad cross ties? This would be set up so that the fence posts are perpindicular to the road and the supports are parallel with the road. With 4" between each post, it would take 7 posts to make a 59" cattle guard. Any thoughts?

sounds like you are committed to building a cattle guard.....

in spite of all the answeres you have gotten....

it is your place....

build what ever you want any way you want it......

But remember....Obama fired all the cattle guards in colorado and put them in a job retraining program.....

 

[bbirder]

build what ever you want any way you want it......

But remember....Obama fired all the cattle guards in colorado and put them in a job retraining program.....

:lol: :lol: Yes, but remember he couldn't do that alone. It took Biden to help him! :help: :deadhorse:

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

If you have electric fence you cna ,ake drive through gates using PVC piped hinged to swing both ways with srings to return them to closed and hanging droppers of electric fence wire every 6 inches or so. You can drive through them and they will swing open enough to get through. You can tie about a foot long length of plastic rope to them in some spot so you cna grab that to pull it open for walking through it.

We delivered a bull to a place that had a gate like this. It was really cool, because it was made out of plastic, but the dangling lines off the plastic poles were electrified. When we pushed on the gate with our truck, it just opened up. I was concerned it would scratch the truck, but it did not. It was a soft plastic. No one had to get out to open gates, and it seemed to do the job. I had never seen a gate like that before!

 

[Brute 23]

Okay, I have had an idea. What if I take 5" diameter wood posts and lay them across either 4x6 supports or railroad cross ties? This would be set up so that the fence posts are perpindicular to the road and the supports are parallel with the road. With 4" between each post, it would take 7 posts to make a 59" cattle guard. Any thoughts?

Sorry but the cattle will step on top the 5" post and walk right across.

 

[TerraceRidge]

Okay, I have had an idea. What if I take 5" diameter wood posts and lay them across either 4x6 supports or railroad cross ties? This would be set up so that the fence posts are perpindicular to the road and the supports are parallel with the road. With 4" between each post, it would take 7 posts to make a 59" cattle guard. Any thoughts?

Sorry but the cattle will step on top the 5" post and walk right across.

That's too bad. I was hoping the cows wouldn't want to walk on the round posts.

If you have electric fence you cna ,ake drive through gates using PVC piped hinged to swing both ways with srings to return them to closed and hanging droppers of electric fence wire every 6 inches or so. You can drive through them and they will swing open enough to get through. You can tie about a foot long length of plastic rope to them in some spot so you cna grab that to pull it open for walking through it.

We delivered a bull to a place that had a gate like this. It was really cool, because it was made out of plastic, but the dangling lines off the plastic poles were electrified. When we pushed on the gate with our truck, it just opened up. I was concerned it would scratch the truck, but it did not. It was a soft plastic. No one had to get out to open gates, and it seemed to do the job. I had never seen a gate like that before!

I was concerned about scratches as well. I'm surprised that isn't a big issue.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Don't think I would risk my truck on brand new 4 by 6 posts. Then there is the tractor, trailer loads of hay etc.

Build it perfectly out of pipe and some panicked calf is going to go across it.

Sure seems like you are willing to go to a whole lot of trouble to keep from simply opening a gate.

If you are going to do it, do it right. Be done with it. Wood rots. Wood burns.

 

[greybeard]

Bump gates used to be all over West Texas when I was a kid, but back then, cars and trucks had real bumpers--that actually stuck out from the front of the vehicles. Those old steel gates were fairly simple contraptions--If I remember correctly, 2 gates hinged and came together in the center of the roadway--you 'bumped' a spring loaded wooden panel square with your bumper, which unlocked a catch and also swung the gates open. You drove thru quickly and the gates were hung from tall posts with a guy wire. As the gates swung, the wire wrapped 1/2 way around the post, which had the effect of shortening the cable, and it naturally wanted to unwind swing the gates back to center. When the did, the latch engaged.

I haven't seen any of the new fangled PVC gates. Are they made in a similar fashion?