cattle pen design

[greybeard]

Just throwing this out there so anyone wondering what current costs on panels compared to boards might be, and thought I would bump this up instead of starting a new one. I'm going to build a small pen closer to my house, electricity and running water and have been doing some pricing on different options for a small herd (under 30 head total). Since I'm relatively old, it doesn't have to last 40 years, just till I get too old to take care of cattle.
Here's what I have come up with and was surprised at the results:
For just a rectangle board pen 32'X40' made with treated 2X8 8 ft long, ($11 ea) 4 boards high, cost is $792 for 72 boards--not including any posts. (I already have crossties) but eighteen 8"x8' tall round posts are $15 each meaning cost of boards and posts would be $1062. No nails, lag screws, gates or labor figured in.

A 40'x48', using 2x8s 8 ft long, 4 boards high= $968.
2x8x10' long are pre tax price of $13.50 ea. A 40'x30' rectangle 4 boards high using 56 boards will cost $756. Doesn't include nails, screws, gates or posts.

Using 14 2x8x12' long boards 4 high will yield a 36'x48' rectagle at a cost of $15.26 each. (total needed 56) No hardware or gates included.

12' long 1 1/2" tube cattle panels are on sale locally right now--econo version--for $69 ea including tax. They are of course, NOT Priefert quality but will probably do for my needs.
A 48'X36' rectangle would require 14 panels, at a cost of $966.
Heavier duty 12' panels are $85 each, which would total $1190 for 14 panels.
I would still have to build a chute and figure in gates, but have to do that no matter if I went with boards or panels.

Even better panels (locally) are $114 each.

I could drive 300 miles one way to Hamilton Texas and get un-painted, uncapped heavy duty panels for $65 ea or light weight (80 lbs per 12' panel) for under $45 ea but the fuel costs, rust, and not having the tube top ends capped is discouraging. Very light weight are advertised at the same vendor for $38 ea, I think I will pass on all those.

Seems to me a no brainer to just buy the local prefab panels, and get enough for an alley and lead in to a headgate and squeeze. If the numerous ads on Craigslist is any indication ("I buy used gates and cattle panels!") I could always recoup some of my investment if I ever wanted to get rid of my cattle and didn't need a pen any more.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

So you've decided to go with the prefab panels over building with wood then?

 

[Bigfoot]

I redid my roping pen in march. the old one was boards and post. It was delapigated. I went with corral panels. I paid $43.50 apiece for them. Boards would have been cheaper, but not by much. My final decision was, that I want rope many more years. I can always use the panels on the farm for something else. They will always have value, if I have no use them for them at all. I put lights up two years ago. All total, it was an expensive project.

 

[greybeard]

So you've decided to go with the prefab panels over building with wood then?

Absolutely. The cost was so close, that it made no sense to me to have to use posts and fasteners at an additional cost as well as putting more labor into it. Panels are so versatile, you can easily change configuration or even move the whole thing.
I like the "looks" of a nice board pen, but have seen too many with broken top boards and I don't really give a crap about how "nice and rustic" something might look here on my place anyway.

If you add in the cost of posts, fasteners, and labor using the wood, panels are by far much less expensive.


Bigfoot, I have a small pen and chute on the front of my property that works, but it too has seen it's better days. Plus, no water lines up there, no electricity or lighting.

 

[J&D Cattle]

I just bought welded pipe panels to make an alley and cutting pen with. I bought an extra set of connectors and pins so I can pin it to my squeeze. A 10' heavy panel (149lbs) was $61. They also made me a couple of bow gates. It is dang heavy but is portable to use on a rent farm if I need to.

I have some other lighter weight panels that I'll put in the front to make the catch pen. I wanted the actual working or crowding panels to be pretty heavy. I'm not sure were my wife will want to build at so I didn't want to put something in that was permenant plus the portability was a plus.

 

[dieselbeef]

man i wish i could buy panels like yall are getin em..i paid almost $200 ea for mine. they wiegh about 150 lbs apiece. galvanized. about 7 ft tall of 2'' pipe. i use them for my pens entirely. i have about 20 of them now. as well as 10 prieferts. i move them to do what i need to as things change,. i have them anchored into the grnd with these screw in anchors. 4'' about a ft deep and then chained to the top of them. havent had a cow yet pull em up or move em.
they all lead into a prifert swing chute and alley with a headcatch.

my problem isnt the pens or the containement..its getting them to go into the pens that creates the problems for us..sometimes they just wont go in

 

[greybeard]

You're getting heavier duty panels than I can afford DieselBeef, so yours will be a lot higher than I am getting.

My problem was finding vendors locally that had enough of one type in stock to do what I wanted. I could get some cheap light panels at TSC, a few more Tarters somewhere else, and another brand at another place. Finally said to heck with it and just got enough Preifert panels to get started with and and a small sweep. Haven't decided which headgate to get but will do that later today. Bye bye low price budget I had in mind, and I am sooo glad I bought wife a new car last month--she can't complain too much..
Now we'll see if I'm smart enough to put the dang things together.