Gate Ideas

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JeffK-MN

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Apr 12, 2013
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I'm building a new fence around 32 acres for beef cows and calves.
I need to put in some bigger gates for the tractor and equipment to go through.
1 of the gates is on a paved road that I can't see from either place and the cost of all the new fencing is blowing my budget for a long time.
So if anyone has any ideas Thanks Jeff
 
I wouldn't go skimping on gates. If you are going to skimp on anything, just do like my neighbor did and not fence the other three sides of your pasture. While it was a big inconvenience to me he got by with it for about three years.
 
No just a pile of phone calls from the sheriff telling me my cows were out. This fella is a northern whacko organo-freak. Humane society ended up parking up there quite regular and gave him the options of either fixing things or getting out of the "free range organic mega farming". One thing about it though, he did put up some nice gates though. Don't really understand why though cause a bucket without a bottom isn't going to hold much water.
 
I've used cattle panels quite a bit in the past. Just wire the ends up leaving enough slack to swing the panels open. Kind of flimsy and if you go through the gate a lot you will hate it, but on a gate that is rarely used it works ok. When we had sheep we made some gates out of hog panels stapled to a 2x4 frame to stiffen them up - that might work too.

I have one gate at home that was originally an electric drive through gate but every winter the calves would learn that they wouldn't get a shock through the snow pack. So one day I put some concrete mesh wire wired on one side and hooked on some nails on the other side just to get me through the week. That was 3 years ago and it's still up today and I go through that gate every day to feed.
 
Jogeephus":1feu69ff said:
No just a pile of phone calls from the sheriff telling me my cows were out. This fella is a northern whacko organo-freak. Humane society ended up parking up there quite regular and gave him the options of either fixing things or getting out of the "free range organic mega farming". One thing about it though, he did put up some nice gates though. Don't really understand why though cause a bucket without a bottom isn't going to hold much water.
Click to expand...
Those last 2 sentences would serve a good parable for a business model for my boss. Can I use it?
 
Ouachita":2ye6tkq8 said:
Those last 2 sentences would serve a good parable for a business model for my boss. Can I use it?
Click to expand...

Sure. :lol2:

Stocker Steve":2ye6tkq8 said:
Jogeephus":2ye6tkq8 said:
This fella is a northern whacko
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What is the difference between a northern and a southern whacko ?
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They talk funny. ;-)

Didn't mean to highjack but to me a gate is something you need to spend some time on cause its going to see a lot of use and the more thought you put into it and the more care you give it the better it will serve you for a long time. I hate doing things twice and I'm sure everyone would agree those sagging gates are just a pain in the rear.
 
I didn't see what the fence itself was made of Barbed wire and posts, or what,,,, to me that would what determine the kind of gate I would put in... Have made some pretty good barbed wire to post gates that worked well....
 
@jeffk - you might get by just putting a gap in the fence until you can afford or build a decent gate....
 
use a cattle panel or concrete reinforcement wire tied to your post. To stiffen it , drive some pieces of pipe as sleeves into the ground then slip a piece of pipe or tpost into sleeves. Wire em up and your good to go. Its cheap and it works....looks like crap though!!! lol.
 
It appears some good scientific thought went into that plan. The only thing is I guess you'd have to have a concrete pad or the like to paint the cattle gap on. Couldn't very well paint it on the bare ground.
 
Gates would be harder to open laying on the ground. Especially 16ft Priefert bull gates like I use that weigh 159 lbs.
 
alisonb":3tjufqwa said:
How about a virtual cattle guard/grid :P

I agree with Jogeephus, I wouldn't go skimping on gates.
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I have a neighbor that uses a semi-virtual cattle guard and claims great results. He lays a cross tie on each side of the road, parallel to road. Somewhere he came up with a truckload of bungee cord/rope, the big stuff like what people jump off bridges with. He runs the bungee back and forth between the ties, spaced just like a real cattle guard. This places the bungee about 10 inches above ground. He drives right over it. I think he has the ties somehow staked down to the ground.

I used to really like cattle guards, until I had one momma that started walking them, then training the others to follow. She grew wheels, but I still cringed at the thought......every time I watched my wife and kids walk across them. I got rid of every one and now have gates and automatic openers on the high use ones
 
The bungee cord idea sounds great. Ingenious actually. But I wonder what my insurance company would say if one got on the highway with this type setup. I don't think it would go well.

Not trying to be a smart azz but if someone is in such a bind to not be able to afford a proper gate that will be used often then maybe they should buy one less cow - or maybe three.
 
For cross fences or for risk takers - - just build a single strand "high" tensile, and then lay two short logs on the wire when you need a drive over "gate". Logs are free here.
 

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