Drive over gate

[JimR]

I saw my first cattle guards out in Arizona two years ago. I had no clue as to what these metal grates were until I saw the cattle standing near one. They had no want to cross it. These didn't have the rolling pipes in them. They were made from flat bar stock with the thin edge standing up. The spaces were 3-4" apart and about a foot wide lenghtwise in size. I didn't know why the cows couldn't walk right across this. I think it could be because they can see down through the openings.

 

[Bird]

Rusty, I think I'd have to disagree with Charlie just a little bit. I've never seen one with pipes that turn or roll. They do look just like the pictures BillyP posted, except those pictures don't clearly show that there is just about as much space between the pipes as the width (diameter) of the pipes. And yes, the fence comes up to the cattle guard at each end; i.e., they simply replace a gate so that vehicular and foot traffic does not need to stop to open and close a gate. Of course foot traffic needs to step carefully so your foot doesn't slip into the void between the pipes. There needs to be a "hole" under the cattle guard, but it doesn't need to be much deeper than the diameter of the pipes.

They work simply because the animals do not want to step on a round pipe or put a foot into the void between the pipes. They can be made in different widths and are quite common in Texas, Oklahoma, and I'm sure many other places. However, if something is chasing a cow, whether a human or another animal, I have seen cattle jump completely across cattle guards. The wider one is made, the less likely an animal will jump across it, of course.

 

[BillyP]

I knew that I was a city boy, now living in the country. But now I must also be a northern boy (although, Alaska is a still little north of me). Am I the only one who has not seen or heard of a cattle gate before? How does it work? Is it installed, laying flat, into an opening in a fence? Why won't cattle cross it? What about horses?

It lays flat with a fence on both sides. They usually have a dug out place underneath the bottom but not always. Cattle and horses find the round pipes hard to get a solid footing on so they back off. Some cows and horses do get brave enough and learn to walk across them, mostly horses though. Then there's the occasional horse that will jump over.

About 20 years ago I saw a painted cattle guard across a paved county round. Not a cattle guard that was painted but some lines painted to simulate a cattle guard. I talked to a few people that lived in that area and they said it actually worked.

 

[mjarrels]

I have seen them on I-90 in Montana.

mark

 

[Bird]

Billy, I've never seen painted imitations; however, I saw several actual cattle guards across state highways in west Texas when my wife & I went out to Carlsbad Caverns the weekend after Labor Day 1969.

This is certainly not the best picture, but maybe you can see the back wheels of jinman's pickup truck sitting on txdon's cattle guard that he installed to keep the cows away from the house.

 

[Jimbrown]

We got cattle guards all over this part of AZ across state and county roads. Don't think I ever saw on on the interstate but have seen the painted ones. Funny how they are called different things in different palces. For example here in this part of Az a Texas gate is what we in Texas called a gap gate. Simply a gate made out of barbed wire that you could put up and down.

 

[BillyP]

Bird, the first time I saw it, it didn't dawn on me what it was pretending to be. Later on I thought 'it'll never work' but they say it did. Thinking about it later, I could see where it might work with cattle that are accustomed to a real cattle guard. I don't think it would work at all with ones that never been around one

 

[BillyP]

Jim, around here a gap gate is called a gap

 

[Bird]

Funny how they are called different things in different palces.

I don't think I've ever heard of a "gap gate" before.

 

[mwechtal]

txdon's cattle guard that he installed to keep the cows away from the house.

Now that is a concept that us northern guys have to think about a bit to get our brains around. I've never seen a fence up here to keep the cattle OUT. It's always to keep them IN.

Mike