New Coral Height???

[USAxBrad]

Installing a new coral/catch pen in between 4 pastures. Having it bidder out. The coral will be done in pipe, with 3 1/2 inch corners, 2 7/8 inch line posts, 2 3/8s top rail and 1 inch sucker rod. What height would you all go for this kind of build. The builder is recommending 62 inches to the top rail with 6 rows of sucker rod underneath it. My biggest question will this be tall enough in your alls opinion, so far I have heard yes and no from various cattlemen and women. Was just wanting to get your all opinion. This coral will be for red and black angus cows if that makes a difference as it had to some people.

*PS might not be the right forum to post this topic in. Please move if needed.

 

[dun]

Unless you're raising nut cases, 5 foot is plenty tall enough. if you might hold s bull in it you could go to 6 foot.

 

[TexasBred]

Mine's 6 foot. Never had one try it but maybe seeing it is what deters them.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Started out with purchased stockers and a 4' ex dairy cow corral. Not good. Needed the deer rifle a couple times.
Went with 5' in the corrals and that has worked out fine.
Went 6' in the working area, and have had it tested several times, before they got back on the trailer. :cowboy:

 

[Cucumber35]

At 5' it better be pretty stout because they will try it if you get some crazies. I rebuilt ours last year at 5'6" and so far so good. The old one was 5' at best and they tested it more than once over the years.

 

[WalnutCrest]

How deep are they recommending you sink the line and corner posts?

 

[1982vett]

If they test 5 ft. They need to hit the road.....mine are 5 ft I think. Only one has ever made it over and it didn't make it by herself. I had to cut the first suckerrod under the top rail to free her foot. Surprised she didn't break her leg. She was on the way to town when it happened.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Mine is six foot and I have some Tigers test it none have bested it yet.

 

[jerry27150]

mine is 6 foot, had one bull get on that & balance on over

 

[Bigfoot]

Mine has a barn for 2 sides, and the other 2 sides are 7' tall. It's a roach motel. If you get in, you ain't gettin out. My interior alleys etc are 6'.

 

[Nesikep]

The more you put pressure on the cows in that area, the taller it'll need to be.. My crowding pen is 6' (and that's about right), corrals where you aren't working them should do at 5'

 

[dun]

A lot depends on the size of the cattle. Years ago Carnation Farms was big in the introduction and breeding of Polled Herefords. Their bull pens at Carnation Washington were built relatively low because that was all that was required for the Polled Herefords. When they got away from them and started using the pens for dairy bulls, primarily Jerseys, they ran into problems with bulls getting out of their own pen and going to another pen and fighting with the resident.

 

[J&D Cattle]

My cattle are calm but I still like 6'. I've hauled some in for friends and worked them and was awful thankful for the extra foot.

 

[USAxBrad]

This is what my design looks like, open for tweaks. The 12' alley will do the heavy lifting as far as crowding goes. The pipe posts will be 10' long and going in the ground 56" if I keep the height at 62-64". Reason I was told to not go above that was once you do you have to go with 7 bar gates and there's a hefty price jump and an additional run of sucker rod. 6 bar gates stand at 52". 7 bar I believe are around 64". Anyway I only have 1 or 2 nutty girls that will try to test anything and 1 for sure is going to market once we get her caught. She broke out of the panels(first tried to jump, then went under) while weaning and preg checking, hint the reason my wife said we will be putting a coral in before we work cows again ha. Also will take recommendations on tub, alley set ups....leaning toward foremost, but want to look at a Sioux again. Anyother brands anyone recommends.

 

[WalnutCrest]

I start drooling when I think about Arrow (squeeze and alleys).

I've also found a 10' cornerless tub I like quite a bit -- it ain't free, though --> https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4yuYL ... M1NVE/view

Poles 56" in the ground?! Seems like you can buy shorter pipes and still get +/- 3' in the ground and save yourself an enormous amount of money ...

 

[dun]

One thing to consider is that it will be cheaper to make it the highest you can now rather then try to make it higher later. Starting from scratch (with someone else doing the work) I would shoot for 6 foot and eat the extra cost

 

[Cucumber35]

You'll never complain that it's built too tall, but if it's too short you'll cuss it all the time. Just like building a shop or storage building, no one ever complains it's too big. Always cheaper to do it right the first time!

 

[Cucumber35]

I had a 4' tube gate to sort with in one pen hung at least 6" off the ground. Was dehorning some heifers a few weeks ago and had one decide she wanted to go back with the others. Took a step back and tried to go over like a dam deer. The launch was pretty magnificent, the landing not so much. She came straight down and crushed the top two rails pretty good, but made it over. Then spent the next two weeks hobbling around barely eating because apparently she hurt her foot or leg. It's been at least a month and she finally seems to be getting around back to normal. Now I have a gate to replace that I wish I had just spent the extra on a better one in the first place. And a heifer that barely gained weight for a month and probably thinks she can jump anything now because it worked for her last time. Lesson learned.

 

[farmerjan]

You'll never complain that it's built too tall, but if it's too short you'll cuss it all the time. Just like building a shop or storage building, no one ever complains it's too big. Always cheaper to do it right the first time!

X3. :nod: :nod:

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

I start drooling when I think about Arrow (squeeze and alleys)

Best money I've spent in years was investing in an Arrow squeeze chute and alleys. I'm about to finish out our corral with a new Arrow tub this month and put the Tarter crap in the scrap pile.