Plans for sliding gates
- Thread starter KNERSIE
- Start date
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Kingfisher
Well-known member
You might poke around here
http://www.bing.com/search?q=USDA+ag+bu ... s&MID=2500
http://www.bing.com/search?q=USDA+ag+bu ... s&MID=2500
fenceman
Well-known member
What do you mean by race?
LRTX1
Well-known member
fenceman":dykm1z40 said:
I believe that means an alley leading up to the squeeze chute, which I think they call a crush.
LRTX1
Well-known member
I'm interested in this topic as well, I plan on redoing my alley set up this winter. I've thought about using barn door tracks. I haven't put a lot of thought into it yet.
LRTX1
Well-known member
Haven't thought it through well yet, not sold on the idea. I think it would work, just might not be the best idea to work with.
OP
OP
KNERSIE
Well-known member
I've seen one that lifts vertically once on a farm where I worked cattle, that farm has been turned into a feedlot since so I can't even go back and take measurements and pictures.
For a horisontal one I'm more inclined to go with a bigger pipe sliding over a smaller pipe. Used to have a truck with cattle rails with this type of gate and it worked well. Would prefer one that lifts up not to have something to fall over of bump my head into in the corral
For a horisontal one I'm more inclined to go with a bigger pipe sliding over a smaller pipe. Used to have a truck with cattle rails with this type of gate and it worked well. Would prefer one that lifts up not to have something to fall over of bump my head into in the corral
bird dog
Well-known member
Most of the ones I have seen, they don't make the gates heavy enough and the gate bends when the cows back up. This puts the rollers in a bind and nothing works right after that. I don't think the barn door tracks would hold up but they might if the door itself doesn't bow. The gate material is the key.
A cheap fool proof way to do one is to put some (4) 2 1/2" square tubing posts 3" apart where you want your gate. Two on each side of the chute. Weld a piece of 3" channel between them at ground height to form a track for the gate. The track needs to extend past the chute on the working side. Build your gate out of 1 7/8 OD standard pipe about 6" wider than your race. A little grease in the channel makes it slide a little easier but is really not needed.
The gate needs to have a solid surface to keep animals from sticking there head thru the bars. I used expanded metal to save on weight.
They aren't near as nice as one on rollers but they are maintenance free and cheap to build.
A cheap fool proof way to do one is to put some (4) 2 1/2" square tubing posts 3" apart where you want your gate. Two on each side of the chute. Weld a piece of 3" channel between them at ground height to form a track for the gate. The track needs to extend past the chute on the working side. Build your gate out of 1 7/8 OD standard pipe about 6" wider than your race. A little grease in the channel makes it slide a little easier but is really not needed.
The gate needs to have a solid surface to keep animals from sticking there head thru the bars. I used expanded metal to save on weight.
They aren't near as nice as one on rollers but they are maintenance free and cheap to build.
plumber_greg
Well-known member
Linn Pipe and Post make a easy working split gate. gs
fenceman
Well-known member
There s more ways to do this than to skin a cat. Here's my opinions. Birddogs method of breaking the fence at the gate. Is the way to do it. For horizontal or vertical gates. It leaves nothing sticking out inside the ally.
I don't like the track on the ground.
I prefer the 3 inch pipe on top of gate frame sliding over 23/8 header.you'll have to set two post for header . One just a couple inches outside fence and the width of gate outside working side.
For a vertical gate to the same way. Except both header post will be just outside and against the two fence post (I usually welder them at corners) forming a 4"by4" track for the gate to fall down.
I use car spring type latch like you see on a cut gate in a ww or bartop cattle trailer, to hold gate up.
You'll have a header across to for strength , and to attach the rope and pulley to. The full track does not need to go to full height. I've found it good to shorten one side of one track post to only catch about 1/3 of the bottom of gate when it's up. And the header height just over that distance above top of gate.
This allows a damaged gate to be easily removed for repair.
Weight and strength or a issue. I like 17/8 pipe for gate frame. Seek out high tensile pipe. You can use a ss20 wall thickness, and it'll be half the weight and the same strength as ss40 standard pipe. If your going to put expanded metal, go ahead and use some thin sheet metal. If not.
Build the gate frame with vertical bars instead of horizontal. Keep legs from getting hung up. But I highly recommend the sheet metal or expanded metal.(can prevent some real wrecks.)
Real sorry I can't find any photos. I'll keep looking.
I don't like the track on the ground.
I prefer the 3 inch pipe on top of gate frame sliding over 23/8 header.you'll have to set two post for header . One just a couple inches outside fence and the width of gate outside working side.
For a vertical gate to the same way. Except both header post will be just outside and against the two fence post (I usually welder them at corners) forming a 4"by4" track for the gate to fall down.
I use car spring type latch like you see on a cut gate in a ww or bartop cattle trailer, to hold gate up.
You'll have a header across to for strength , and to attach the rope and pulley to. The full track does not need to go to full height. I've found it good to shorten one side of one track post to only catch about 1/3 of the bottom of gate when it's up. And the header height just over that distance above top of gate.
This allows a damaged gate to be easily removed for repair.
Weight and strength or a issue. I like 17/8 pipe for gate frame. Seek out high tensile pipe. You can use a ss20 wall thickness, and it'll be half the weight and the same strength as ss40 standard pipe. If your going to put expanded metal, go ahead and use some thin sheet metal. If not.
Build the gate frame with vertical bars instead of horizontal. Keep legs from getting hung up. But I highly recommend the sheet metal or expanded metal.(can prevent some real wrecks.)
Real sorry I can't find any photos. I'll keep looking.
bird dog
Well-known member
Not a very good pic but you can get the gist of what I did. The top rail is continuous. You can see in the front gate where I used angle for the door opening. You can also see on the front gate where I add a cover to prevent them from sticking their heads thru the bars. This was my test subject when I was having trouble with my scales, so thats why the wires are running up the side of the pen.
cow pollinater
Well-known member
In one of my corrals I left a four inch gap in between posts and stuck an eight foot panel in between the gaps. It sounds bad but I love it. It is indestructible and foolproof. All you have to do is shove the panel across and walk away.
greybeard
Well-known member
I've always seen the vertical gates (raise up and down) referred to as a guillotine gate. I know they work well in most applications, but I have had problems quickly getting them up and having to be careful lowering them and not injure an animal that has stuck it's head or neck thru the opening. For a gate to be strong enough to keep from bending under pressure, it will have to weigh quite a bit, and either be raised via a rope/cable/pulley type arrangement or by a long lever with handle that either sticks out in your way or is positioned parallel to the direction the alley panels run.
I went with the horizontal sliding gate. 3/4" solid bar gate with a frame of 2" X 6" X 3/16" channel iron. I stole the basic design of the sliding points from the rear entrance gate of a Priefert SO1 squeeze chute, but beefed it up considerably, made it a full size (same height as the alley) and made it so the inside vertical frame of the gate itself nests inside the web of the channel iron frame, making it a full opening gate--same width size as the alley. Preifert rear gate:
For a vertical gate (guillotine) I've always felt the bars of the gate need to run vertical to keep an animal from having something to push their nose into and raising the gate and for a horizontal slider, the bars of the gate need to run horizontal to lessen the likelihood of one being able to push the gate open as well. A solid plated gate accomplishes the same thing of course.
If I could ever figure out how to use my new fangled camera, I'll post a picture of my horizontal sliding gate.
I went with the horizontal sliding gate. 3/4" solid bar gate with a frame of 2" X 6" X 3/16" channel iron. I stole the basic design of the sliding points from the rear entrance gate of a Priefert SO1 squeeze chute, but beefed it up considerably, made it a full size (same height as the alley) and made it so the inside vertical frame of the gate itself nests inside the web of the channel iron frame, making it a full opening gate--same width size as the alley. Preifert rear gate:
For a vertical gate (guillotine) I've always felt the bars of the gate need to run vertical to keep an animal from having something to push their nose into and raising the gate and for a horizontal slider, the bars of the gate need to run horizontal to lessen the likelihood of one being able to push the gate open as well. A solid plated gate accomplishes the same thing of course.
If I could ever figure out how to use my new fangled camera, I'll post a picture of my horizontal sliding gate.
bird dog
Well-known member
I tried a guillotine gate on one set of pens and it has been a pain. I'm sure a lot of it was on the poor design but it always seems to bind somewhere (usually coming down) and the weight was a problem. They just about have to go all the way to the ground to keep the animal from lifting it up. Sliders are easy to build (and modify if they don't work right) and simple to operate if you have to use a inexperienced person or your wife to help.
Commercialfarmer
Well-known member
Not a fan of the horizontal track on the bottom. I think fenceman mentioned that, I'll second it. Seems like it has to be cleaned out after about every 10 head.
If you have concrete, probably wouldn't be so bad.
If you have concrete, probably wouldn't be so bad.
DallyCash
Active member
At my local rodeo/fairgrounds the rough stock chutes have sliding gates between each stall. Could you go look at one of those to get some ideas? they are nice heavy gates to put up with that stuff.
Silver
Well-known member
cow pollinater":1n20alhi said:
I'd hate to be the guy that had to move that 100+ times an hour at preg testing time :shock:
In our squeeze alley we have a vertical ( aluminum) gate at back of palpation cage, with room for one animal behind that. Behind that animal is a sliding gate. This gate has 2 wheels bolted to it (seems to me they are belt pulleys I took off an old swather) the pulleys run on a piece of pipe. Easy to slide, strong, doesn't bind.
