Stocker Steve
Well-known member
My old sorting alley is a little narrow at 12 feet. I am tempted to go 16 feet wide x 40 feet long. Is this OK, or should I split the difference and go 14 feet wide?
backhoeboogie":fpvd6smv said:Mine is 20 feet wide with a 20 foot cut gate. I like it. The cut gate position is what makes any size work. If you get the cut gate right, the width does not really have that much importance.
I'd like to see aplan or picture of this , any chance?backhoeboogie":1oethy6f said:I'd go atleast 15 foot behind to dump the ones who are cut out. But in reality it is going to depend on how many head and what they are being cut in to.
There's no way a 40 foot length would work for me. My alley is more like 400 feet with two block gates behind the cut gate. There is a medina, a side catch pen, and loading chute coming off of the side catch as well as a chute with a crowding gate to push them through the chute. The cut gate is about 20 foot behind the side catch pen. Most of the time I can sort everything in the lower block gates and just use the cut gate to sort pairs that get by. It really helps to have another person helping.
tytower":1o60xi05 said:I'd like to see aplan or picture of this , any chance?
backhoeboogie":29mgaydg said:tytower":29mgaydg said:I'd like to see aplan or picture of this , any chance?
No problem, except there's no way to get in all in one pic. I think I can get it in three and the portable unit in two. Most of it was on this site before.
Stocker Steve":sew9nnw6 said:My old sorting alley is a little narrow at 12 feet. I am tempted to go 16 feet wide x 40 feet long. Is this OK, or should I split the difference and go 14 feet wide?
msscamp":3pw9eiju said:I believe I would go with 20 feet wide, since that will give you enough room for the cows to comfortably go by you without turning back. 40' long is not long enough for a sizable herd, and you want to plan your infrastructure for future growth. Our sorting alleys consisted of 2 side by side alleys that were roughly 20' wide, and were accessible from any pen. The main alley was roughly 100 yards long, had 3 gates to divide it into smaller pens, and had 3 more gates(2 opened in one direction, the 3rd opened in the opposite direction) that led into another, shorter(roughly 40-50 yards) alley. The shorter alley had a gate to divide it into 2 seperate pens. There were also gates at each end of the longer alley that lead into 2 different pens, another alley, and another gate that led into a 3rd pen. A 4th pen was accessible through opening/closing other gates. The sweep tub and chute was accessible through the second, shorter alley.
Stocker Steve":2re4isn1 said:msscamp":2re4isn1 said:I believe I would go with 20 feet wide, since that will give you enough room for the cows to comfortably go by you without turning back. 40' long is not long enough for a sizable herd, and you want to plan your infrastructure for future growth. Our sorting alleys consisted of 2 side by side alleys that were roughly 20' wide, and were accessible from any pen. The main alley was roughly 100 yards long, had 3 gates to divide it into smaller pens, and had 3 more gates(2 opened in one direction, the 3rd opened in the opposite direction) that led into another, shorter(roughly 40-50 yards) alley. The shorter alley had a gate to divide it into 2 seperate pens. There were also gates at each end of the longer alley that lead into 2 different pens, another alley, and another gate that led into a 3rd pen. A 4th pen was accessible through opening/closing other gates. The sweep tub and chute was accessible through the second, shorter alley.
Can I guy get by with 8' centers and 48" high cattle panels with a board on top for the wider alleys that serve as holding pens?
msscamp":ekshby2q said:I'm not sure what you mean by 8' centers, but 4' high cattle panels aren't going to do it - not even with a board on top. Unless they are pets, they will go through that. It has to be at least 5' high, and 6 is better.