Hauling Cattle

[Horticattleman]

I heard from someone that there is a type of temporary pen that slides inside a standard 16 foot trailer to convert it to a trailer to haul cattle. Then you can take it out and use as a small pen. Anybody know what this is or where to get it???

 

[msscamp]

I heard from someone that there is a type of temporary pen that slides inside a standard 16 foot trailer to convert it to a trailer to haul cattle. Then you can take it out and use as a small pen. Anybody know what this is or where to get it???

I guess I am not understanding the question - why would there be a need to convert a 16' trailer into a trailer - as it's already a trailer? :???: :???: As far as the temporary pen goes, I would imagine that trying to pen cows in something that small and temporary would be a wreck (and could result in several hours spent rounding them up again) waiting to happen unless you've got some extremely docile cows. Just my thoughts.

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

It's one of those cage type things you bolt to your flatbed to convert it to a cattle trailer. Junk in my opinion.

 

[msscamp]

It's one of those cage type things you bolt to your flatbed to convert it to a cattle trailer. Junk in my opinion.

Ok, I understand now. All I could get out of it was converting a stock trailer into a stock trailer. I would imagine a determined cow would make short work of a cage bolted onto a flat-bed trailer, they just don't make boards or bolts that long or strong! Not to mention the damage to the flat-bed trailer as a result.

 

[Horticattleman]

Yes its for us small timers who can't afford or just don't have the need to buy a stock trailer and have other 16' flatbed trailers (landscape, etc.) and just need to convert it temporarily.

You say they are junk, huh?

 

[msscamp]

Yes its for us small timers who can't afford or just don't have the need to buy a stock trailer and have other 16' flatbed trailers (landscape, etc.) and just need to convert it temporarily.

You say they are junk, huh?

I've seen cows go over the set-in stockracks in pick-ups. It is not unknown for cattle to take the rear trailer door out of a stock trailer, how do you think a bolted down temporary pen would fare with a determined bunch of cows? All it takes is one looney to transform the whole bunch.

 

[LonghornRanch]

Just go rent the real thing.

 

[tom4018]

We used one of those for several years, work ok with calves but with larger animals I got real nervous. The racks take a beating even from 500-600 pound calves. Seen people bolt them down and the bolt rips right thru the tube, so I chained mine. Got use buy the the more cattle I got the more I wanted a better trailer, plus my old bull modified my racks for me. We got four or five years out of them.

 

[dj]

I heard from someone that there is a type of temporary pen that slides inside a standard 16 foot trailer to convert it to a trailer to haul cattle. Then you can take it out and use as a small pen. Anybody know what this is or where to get it???

Seen several different types, homemade from gates to professional manufacture.
Can think of two places that have them. And they seem to work for them.
It all depends on what you try to keep in it.
First check out Longhornranchs suggestion.
It might be just the ticket.

 

[Horticattleman]

I really appreciate the help. Thanks guys and gals

 

[Bullbuyer]

Yes its for us small timers who can't afford or just don't have the need to buy a stock trailer and have other 16' flatbed trailers (landscape, etc.) and just need to convert it temporarily.

You say they are junk, huh?

Absolute junk. These 16' flat trailers that everyone use aren't balanced right for cattle. Think of this - while hauling what happens if all the cattle move to the back of the trailer ? The same thing that happens when you are loading a tractor or a car onto one of these - the front lifts up !
Don't try it...

 

[TheBullLady]

We sold four good yearling heifers a few years back to a nice older couple from south Texas. They came back the following weekend with a flat bed trailer, with CATTLE PANELS kinda attached to the bed. We were flabergasted.. never seen anything like that in my life. I'm sure they didn't understand the danger, they were only too willing to load the heifers up in that trap. I explained that even though the heifers were quiet, if one happened to stumble fall against one of the others, they would all be out in the road.

Needless to say, we hauled the heifers for them.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

The biggest problem i see with them is the boards on most flat beds lay the lenght of the trailer and the cattle will slip on them if you dont make some type of traction like a laying a cattle panel down and staple it that works good

 

[El_Putzo]

My inlaws use one all the time. Its basicly a 16 ft flatbed gooseneck that sits low to the ground like a car hauler. The racks were professionally made just to slide onto that trailer (I'll try to get the manufacturer name tonight). Anyway, they've always used it to haul hogs and cattle. It has the combo back gate that is a full swinger with a half slider in it. It also has a cut gate in the center and a full steel canopy. If you looked at it the only way you can tell the racks come out is because you can see the turnbuckles that hold them in, and you can see the short racks on the side that they put on most of the car hauler type trailers. As I said, it works like a champ. Of course I've only seen them take the racks out once, they use it primarily as a stock trailer.

 

[KMacGinley]

I believe that I would start shopping for a good used cattle trailer. You can usually find a good or not so good used 16 footer for less than $2000, you may have to put a new floor in it, but thats not too hard of a job. Just make sure the sides aren't rusted out. Don't want a leg sticking through it.

 

[J. T.]

My FFA Chapter bought a flatbed trailer and a "set in" cage to convert it to a cattle trailer. The cage is extremely lightweight. As a matter of fact, pieces were falling off of it one night as I was hauing heifers home from a show one night. It is so thin you can't weld it. As someone else stated, JUNK! Buy a good used stock trailer, but avoid the Ponderosa brand. They rust out too quickly.

 

[lunker]

I have one that is made to slide in a 16' flatbed box.
I've probably hauled 200-300 cows, calves and bulls on it
over the last 5 years.
Anybody that says it is junk doesn't have a clue as to what
were talking about or what it looks like.
One of the benifits is it isnt totally closed in so it don't look
like a trap, and cattle load easier.

Here are some problems I've experienced:

1. I had make a small gravel ramp to load with,
because it sits about 6" higher than a cattle trailer.

2. make sure your trailer has brakes before you haul cattle.

3. The slats at the bottom 30" were just far enough that
a cow could get her leg hung up inbetween them
( thats not what you want to see out your mirror
going down the turnpike.)
I had a one inch piece of angle iron welded between
each of the bottom slats.

4. Even if it fits in your trailer snug chain it down well.

5. Always balance your load approx 60-40 if possible.

lunker

 

[J. T.]

I have one that is made to slide in a 16' flatbed box.
I've probably hauled 200-300 cows, calves and bulls on it
over the last 5 years.
Anybody that says it is junk doesn't have a clue as to what
were talking about or what it looks like.
One of the benifits is it isnt totally closed in so it don't look
like a trap, and cattle load easier.

Here are some problems I've experienced:

1. I had make a small gravel ramp to load with,
because it sits about 6" higher than a cattle trailer.

2. make sure your trailer has brakes before you haul cattle.

3. The slats at the bottom 30" were just far enough that
a cow could get her leg hung up inbetween them
( thats not what you want to see out your mirror
going down the turnpike.)
I had a one inch piece of angle iron welded between
each of the bottom slats.

4. Even if it fits in your trailer snug chain it down well.

5. Always balance your load approx 60-40 if possible.

lunker

Excuse me friend, but I reckon I DO know what I'm talking about. The slide in cage that I bought is J-U-N-K, JUNK!! I'm telling you, it began falling apart as I was bringing calves home from a show. It was bolted to the trailer frame and the heifers were tied in the trailer to balance it. It was so thin that the local welding instructor could not weld it. BTW, the dealer no longer carries them because they are JUNK!

 

[El_Putzo]

Semantics again comes into play. Maybe the one YOU bought was junk, it's hard for me to say as I haven't seen it. But the one that my in laws have and the one that Lunker has are obviously different because they are not junk. That's why it obviously not fair to say they are all junk. It's up to the buyer to assure him/herself that what they're buying is a good investment, otherwise maybe they should check out a different manufacturer/dealer. Obviously there is more than one manufacturer of this type of equipment because as stated before, yours is junk and ours are not.

 

[norriscathy]

"Cheap" and "Temporary" are the two most expensive words in the English language. You'll ending up redoing/repairing something 3 or 4 times when once is all that is necessary if you buy the "good stuff" to start with.

Norris