INSTALLING CATTLE GUARD ADVICE NEEDED PLEASE

[callmefence]

Post some pics fence.

As a wise man once said. ...in good time ;-)

That's fine but what do you say?

I've already told you. What the wise man said....

 

[callmefence]

I don't usually pull pictures of the web. But similar to this

 

[Brute 23]

Those are not wings. Those are ends welded on a cattle guard.

True cattle guard wings actually hinge and can be laid flat if need be for wide loads. That is their true purpose... it has nothing to do with keeping cows from going around... but you have set more than I have driven over so I may be confused.

 

[saltbranch]

I am an old oilfield trucker and if they cant hit a 22' opening that I currently have for them and they have used for many rigs then there is a problem. So that problem solved. There is a lot of good advice and ideas here and please continue to share. I made my opening 22' wide to eliminate the wings and the silly side gate that ranchers put, but I never had CG that could handle 80,000 lbs of weight can be bought for 800.00 or so? I have CG built of RR tracks that is 65 plus years old on our place and set on concrete blocks. I have some set on concrete bunks like Brute23 suggests, the 2200.00 one I referenced in an earlier post was no where near the 80,000 lb capacity, so I really would like to know Brute23 where the 800.00 one can be bought,we seem to be in the same area. I have some set on old parking lot concrete tire stops. I really like the callmefence suggestion on poured concrete foundation, that is not common to this area that I know of. My biggest damn problem now is I have a 24' CG for a 22' opening. So do I pull the 20" post set at 5' deep redo the opening? Or set the 24'wide CG behind the 22' wide post? This is not an entrance to a high dollar setup. We keep it cheap to deter thieves. On this CG, I will build a swing gate into it and I will not have wings.

 

[callmefence]

Those are not wings. Those are ends welded on a cattle guard.

True cattle guard wings actually hinge and can be laid flat if need be for wide loads. That is their true purpose... it has nothing to do with keeping cows from going around... but you have set more than I have driven over so I may be confused.

Like I said two different things. You can drive through the country side and see numerous cattle guards that were installed with just a single post to tie in the fence. And there will be a piece of cattle panel old gate etc wired up on each end. The reason is exactly to keep the cows in. We built it onto the cattle guard from the start so it doesn't have to be rigged latter.
I agree the angled wings are a ridiculous idea.

Thank you for correcting me on the terminology.

 

[callmefence]

I am an old oilfield trucker and if they cant hit a 22' opening that I currently have for them and they have used for many rigs then there is a problem. So that problem solved. There is a lot of good advice and ideas here and please continue to share. I made my opening 22' wide to eliminate the wings and the silly side gate that ranchers put, but I never had CG that could handle 80,000 lbs of weight can be bought for 800.00 or so? I have CG built of RR tracks that is 65 plus years old on our place and set on concrete blocks. I have some set on concrete bunks like Brute23 suggests, the 2200.00 one I referenced in an earlier post was no where near the 80,000 lb capacity, so I really would like to know Brute23 where the 800.00 one can be bought,we seem to be in the same area. I have some set on old parking lot concrete tire stops. I really like the callmefence suggestion on poured concrete foundation, that is not common to this area that I know of. My biggest be nice problem now is I have a 24' CG for a 22' opening. So do I pull the 20" post set at 5' deep redo the opening? Or set the 24'wide CG behind the 22' wide post? This is not an entrance to a high dollar setup. We keep it cheap to deter thieves. On this CG, I will build a swing gate into it and I will not have wings.

I'd say set behind the opening.
It'll eliminate the need for the wing,end,baffle thing.. :lol2:

 

[Brute 23]

I am an old oilfield trucker and if they cant hit a 22' opening that I currently have for them and they have used for many rigs then there is a problem. So that problem solved. There is a lot of good advice and ideas here and please continue to share. I made my opening 22' wide to eliminate the wings and the silly side gate that ranchers put, but I never had CG that could handle 80,000 lbs of weight can be bought for 800.00 or so? I have CG built of RR tracks that is 65 plus years old on our place and set on concrete blocks. I have some set on concrete bunks like Brute23 suggests, the 2200.00 one I referenced in an earlier post was no where near the 80,000 lb capacity, so I really would like to know Brute23 where the 800.00 one can be bought,we seem to be in the same area. I have some set on old parking lot concrete tire stops. I really like the callmefence suggestion on poured concrete foundation, that is not common to this area that I know of. My biggest be nice problem now is I have a 24' CG for a 22' opening. So do I pull the 20" post set at 5' deep redo the opening? Or set the 24'wide CG behind the 22' wide post? This is not an entrance to a high dollar setup. We keep it cheap to deter thieves. On this CG, I will build a swing gate into it and I will not have wings.

I didn't realize you wanted that size on purpose. Thought you just bought that because it was a good deal.

No you can not get a new one that size and style for $800. My dad will build a cattle guard with no wings or swing gate that will handle normal farm/ ranch traffic for $800-1000 depending on the width. We use those on the ranch and fence right up to them. I put fullsize gates across all cattle guards. Most of the time they stay open but if it's on a road or we are crowding cattle or some thing I close the gates.

I can fence to them and put a gate across them cheaper than wings and swing gates. Usually the base is a grand and the wings and swing gate are a grand, seals are $500. That's rough numbers. It's + or - a couple hundred dollars depending on size and how heavy duty.

My day job is Production Sup for O&G. I put in all the roads, cattle guards, pads.... and fix all the ones that get hit. It's rediculous what happens. 2 months ago an oil hauler hit our entrance on a lease. Bent 4" pipe over and broke the welds on 2 7/8 runners welded to it. Had to tear his truck up. I tracked him down and asked him... Sir, did you hit our entrance on the XYZ lease? In broken up english he said... I may have... I can't remember. :shock: You can't remember hitting a 4" pipe and bending it over.

 

[saltbranch]

Brute23 thats a very good price your father builds them for for sure. I wish I knew that before we bought the 2200.00 CG. My father bought it before I had time to look hard for a deal. Right off the bat, it was the cheaper one we found. THats crazy about hitting 4" pipe and not "knowing". I drove trucks in the patch for many years, I can say there are many a dumb azz behind the wheel and many without any common sense, no doubt.
Our OG co, has since made a new entrance/road with nice CG etc but this is my entrance and I want to keep it big and HD for trucks to go in and out. Never know if I might go back into trucking again and move there permanently. I also currently have some land clearing going on and I have 18 wheeler traffic in and out weekly hauling mesquite out etc. I have been looking for a big CG for a long time. Brute23 do you have any suggestions on where to buy pipe in this area?
Having been to callmefence's home I can tell you first hand his fence work,CG entrances etc are top notch and very professional. Sometimes I wish we were not 300 miles apart.

 

[Brute 23]

It's a good cattle guard. That thing would have cost a pretty penny new. It's easy to replace some tubing runners on top if need be.

Not sure your exact area but we buy from Hardin Tubular in Victoria, TX. They have good structural tubing at a decent price usually. I'm sure there are more places around.

We had a field around Sinton with some big CG like that, same color blue. With the rod holders and the train tracks in the background I thought maybe you were from the same area. There are CG like that all over that country side.

 

[darkhorse]

Those are not wings. Those are ends welded on a cattle guard.

True cattle guard wings actually hinge and can be laid flat if need be for wide loads. That is their true purpose... it has nothing to do with keeping cows from going around... but you have set more than I have driven over so I may be confused.

Then reason for wings on a cattle guard is to keep cattle in.
http://www.cattle-guards.com/
http://www.barnworld.com/livestock-supp ... ion-plans/

 

[Brute 23]

If you are ignorant enough to weld the wings up solid to the end of the cg like in that one picture... then yes... all they are for is keeping the cattle from jumping the edges.

 

[darkhorse]

If you are ignorant enough to weld the wings up solid to the end of the cg like in that one picture... then yes... all they are for is keeping the cattle from jumping the edges.

Do me a favor young man. Google what are wings on a cattle guard for. Then Google ignorance. :cboy:

 

[Brute 23]

If you are ignorant enough to weld the wings up solid to the end of the cg like in that one picture... then yes... all they are for is keeping the cattle from jumping the edges.

Do me a favor young man. Google what are wings on a cattle guard for. Then Google ignorance. :cboy:

It doesn't make me 2 cow poops how other people do it or what they think its for... especially off some website. I don't need to google any thing about a cattle guard. :lol: If it works for yall to weld them up then have at it.

My info here is free... feel free to take it or leave it. :tiphat:

 

[greybeard]

I'm amazed to learn someone actually went to the trouble to make up a webpage explaining what a cattle guard was used for.
(I suppose tho, there is at least one ignoramus in the world that thinks they are just some perverse type of speed bump)
Brute--you ever see a dropdeck lowboy get hung up on a cg--like they do on a RR crossing? He had rig up trucks backed up for 1/2 mile.

 

[callmefence]

I'm amazed to learn someone actually went to the trouble to make up a webpage explaining what a cattle guard was used for.
(I suppose tho, there is at least one ignoramus in the world that thinks they are just some perverse type of speed bump)
Brute--you ever see a dropdeck lowboy get hung up on a cg--like they do on a RR crossing? He had rig up trucks backed up for 1/2 mile.

:lol2: apparently theres a few that need a little help. ;-)

 

[Brute 23]

I'm amazed to learn someone actually went to the trouble to make up a webpage explaining what a cattle guard was used for.
(I suppose tho, there is at least one ignoramus in the world that thinks they are just some perverse type of speed bump)
Brute--you ever see a dropdeck lowboy get hung up on a cg--like they do on a RR crossing? He had rig up trucks backed up for 1/2 mile.

Yes sir. The only thing I know to do is tie on with another truck or dozer and pull. If you can unload any thing it helps.

They don't cut you any slack now days either. You better not have any truck traffic lining up outside the gate on the road.

What is even worse are those sand kings. They have really low clearance. Those trailers are very light duty. If they hang one of those off-loading ports on the bottom it just rips it off. You have no choice but to drop the 20 or 30 tons, what ever they hold, of sand right there.

Saw a Ford run off the edge and his solid front axle fall in between the pipe. Had to cut him out.

Had a 18 wheeler hit a swing gate while it was open and run it thru his radiator in to the engine compartment. That's another reason I don't like swing gates.

With as many cattle guards and roads as we have... with all the truck traffic... we are repairing cattle guards on a regular basis.

 

[callmefence]

I seen a snapping turtle stuck in mine. Butthole up ,head down. He's alright, acted a little a peculiar for a bit. I reckoned the blood all rushed to his head. Probably them dam wings that caused it I guess.
I was just glad he's ok. Poor ignorant little fella.... :cboy:

 

[saltbranch]

I think everyone is correct my self. Cattleguards built 8-9' wide was common back in my grandfathers time and used folding wings. The purpose was 2 fold, to keep cattle from going past the CG and to allow for oversize loads or cattle trucks(read as 18 wheelers) It was common to put entrances right up against county/state roads back then too. So an 8'-9' CG could be potentially opened up to 15' with folding wings, pending height. The CG we have built from RR tracks is built this way and I remember as a kid dropping the wings for such purpose. These days CG are built wide to eliminate this and set back into property to allow for trailer length, back in the day cattle trailers for 3/4-1 ton trucks were not the norm. It was 18 wheelers(hence the wings) or bob tail trucks. We used to use sideboards on a 2 ton truck to carry cattle and anything over that a 18 wheeler was hired. We used to haul horses in the back of 3/4 ton pick up truck with side boards from lease land to lease land to work cattle, the horses would step up into truck bed and back out of truck...dont see that anymore. Really a 12' wide CG is wide enough to handle any normal ranch traffic and fixed wings/ends should be fine, with a set back entrance. The CG Brute is referring to is used for moving drilling rigs and general oilfield equipment in and out of and it really is a different animal than a general land owner CG uses. If it were not for my trucking experience, I do not think I would have any desire for a 22-24' wide entrance.

 

[callmefence]

I think everyone is correct my self. Cattleguards built 8-9' wide was common back in my grandfathers time and used folding wings. The purpose was 2 fold, to keep cattle from going past the CG and to allow for oversize loads or cattle trucks(read as 18 wheelers) It was common to put entrances right up against county/state roads back then too. So an 8'-9' CG could be potentially opened up to 15' with folding wings, pending height. The CG we have built from RR tracks is built this way and I remember as a kid dropping the wings for such purpose. These days CG are built wide to eliminate this and set back into property to allow for trailer length, back in the day cattle trailers for 3/4-1 ton trucks were not the norm. It was 18 wheelers(hence the wings) or bob tail trucks. We used to use sideboards on a 2 ton truck to carry cattle and anything over that a 18 wheeler was hired. We used to haul horses in the back of 3/4 ton pick up truck with side boards from lease land to lease land to work cattle, the horses would step up into truck bed and back out of truck...dont see that anymore. Really a 12' wide CG is wide enough to handle any normal ranch traffic and fixed wings/ends should be fine, with a set back entrance. The CG Brute is referring to is used for moving drilling rigs and general oilfield equipment in and out of and it really is a different animal than a general land owner CG uses. If it were not for my trucking experience, I do not think I would have any desire for a 22-24' wide entrance.

We actually started on a 16 foot one today. I plan on posting pics of the construction and install on the fence thread for anybody interested.

 

[Brute 23]

My only point is if you are not going to make the wings hinge then you might as well make them perpendicular to the cg so you can put a corner post or gate right up to the back side. It's a lot cleaner. No need to lay them open and hard weld them. Like you said Salt, especially on these 16'+ cg. It's not necessary.