Drive over gate

[Rusty]

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.

Thanks, Bird! I learned something new today. Now I just have to remember it, or learn it over again, tomorrow. Are the gaps between pipes narrow enough that the animals cannot actually get a hoof down in them? My first reaction was, "Wow, what an easy way for a horse to break a leg!" My wife has a young Paint gelding that was born to find trouble.

 

[Bird]

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

Mike, when you have a big enough piece of land that you build your home out of sight of the road, the driveway is too long to run a fence all the way down either side of it, so you just fence off the house and yard.

 

[Bird]

Thanks, Bird! I learned something new today. Now I just have to remember it, or learn it over again, tomorrow. Are the gaps between pipes narrow enough that the animals cannot actually get a hoof down in them? My first reaction was, "Wow, what an easy way for a horse to break a leg!" My wife has a young Paint gelding that was born to find trouble.

Rusty, I've seen home made ones with a variety of dimensions of material, but I think BillyP got his pictures here and you can see they are built with a 4" gap between the pipes and they build theirs with 4.5" and 3.5" pipe. In other words, I think a cow or horse could get a foot between the pipes and get seriously injured and I think they realize that, too, and that's the reason they won't try to walk across it. You'll also notice they recommend two of them in tandem if you want one wide enough deer won't jump across it.

 

[schmism]

the best home made ones ive ventured accross were made out of old rail road rail. much more "smooth" than the 4" pipe versions the same guy has.

(this was on 600 acers of buffalo "farm")

 

[Bird]

the best home made ones ive ventured accross were made out of old rail road rail. much more "smooth" than the 4" pipe versions the same guy has.

(this was on 600 acers of buffalo "farm")

I don't have any doubt that pieces of railroad track would make a good one, but having used pieces of railroad track for an anvil for many years and knowing how heavy small pieces were, I can't imagine how you'd ever move a cattle guard made from them if you didn't build it in place and never move it.

 

[marimus]

Pretty common for them to be made from railroad here too. Its cheap, lasts forever, and its not moving anytime soon.

They are called a "grid", "stock grid" or some places a "cattle grid" but its always a grid.

They use them in the UK for keeping stock in too. There was a news story a while back where a sheep figured it could roll across the grid, and go into town to much on peoples gardens. Once 1 figured it out, the others saw how to do it, and before you know it, all the sheep are coming in and out whenever they want.

 

[nolefan]

I have always heard them referred to as cattle guards and they can be made from whatever you have handy and that will last. My understanding is that cattle will not walk over anything that they can see down into. I agree with Bird that they are not willing to have a leg slip through and break. I just recently built these two on our place in NC. It got real old this summer having to undo the electric fence at the house, drive past, stop, get out hook the electric fence back up, get back in, drive down to the entrance, stop. get out and open the gate, drive through, stop, get out and close the gate, run our errands and then reverse the process when we returned home I rented a small excavator to dig out the pits then used 10" square locust logs for the stringers and pressure treated 4X6 for the decking on top. The spacing on the gaps ran around 5 1/2" if I recall. I then boxed it in with pressure treated 2X12"'s to keep the dirt and gravel from washing back in. I will have to clean them out every few years because the cattle will cross them if the pit fills in. I know that most of the ones I have seen before were made of metal but when I asked around most of the locals said they built them this way

 

[Bird]

We learn all kinds of things on Tractorbynet. I've never seen a wooden one before. I can see how it would work OK, but wonder how long the wood will last before it rots out. I'd be inclined to think it's smoother driving across it than driving across one made with steel pipe.

 

[nolefan]

The locust will be there long after I'm gone and I hope to get 7-10 years out of the pt 4X6"'s with the limited use it will get for the time being. If and when the 4X6's need to be replaced all I have to do is unscrew the 5 screws used to hold each one in place and screw in a new one When I was originally researching cattle guards on the net I came across several plans for wooden ones including one from the USFS. I know mine will not last as long as a metal one but it cost considerably less to build and hopefully will do the trick. It's not too bad driving over but you still get that rumble strip feel. The real test will be when I get some gravel trucks delivering for our drive. Those things are heavy but my contractor took a look at the locust timbers I used and said it could probably handle two, one stacked on top of another!

 

[woodchuckie]

I've never seen one with rolling pipes. The cows just won't step over the openings. Maybe that's just southern cows.

 

[fishman]

They use them in the UK for keeping stock in too. There was a news story a while back where a sheep figured it could roll across the grid, and go into town to much on peoples gardens. Once 1 figured it out, the others saw how to do it, and before you know it, all the sheep are coming in and out whenever they want.

That has got to be the funniest thing I've heard all day. The mental image I have of a sheep laying down and rolling across a cattle guard is hilarious! That just goes to show that it only takes one rebel and you've got problems.

 

[txdon]

My cattle guard (to keep the cows out of the yard) is 6' across, and has 4 1/2" space between 11 pieces of pipe (pipes are about 2 1/4" OD). Here is a picture of me setting it with the FEL. I poured two beams of cement and set the cattle guard in between. I removed the boards on the ends once I centered it by lifting each side up with the FEL.

Oh, by the way, a friend down the road did not have a cattle guard or fence around her yard and the bull lifted up her partially opened garage door and turned around several times on each side of the car causing considerable damage. At least that's her story and she's sticking to it.

 

[bigtater]

Where do you guys get your drill stem?

 

[MarkV]

If I were building one myself I would sure put some thought into how strong it needed to be to support a fire pumper truck.

MarkV

 

[Bird]

I've never seen one with rolling pipes. The cows just won't step over the openings. Maybe that's just southern cows.

I've never seen one with rolling pipes either, and I don't think that would work very well. It would keep the cows from crossing but wouldn't it keep vehicles from crossing, too? Once your drive wheels got on the pipes, your wheels and the pipes would be spinning, but you wouldn't be going anywhere.

 

[SunnyDaye]

When I purchased our farm the seller kept telling me about the "cattle gaps" built on the property as an incentive to buying. The cows don't cross them and I barely can. Mine is similar to the one's txdon has pictured. There is a concrete pit about 2 feet deep below which looks like an ideal spot for a snake to lay in wait for my tippy toe across the grate! I like the looks of the wood better but afraid that the cows might learn to roll across it

 

[mwechtal]

Mike, when you have a big enough piece of land that you build your home out of sight of the road, the driveway is too long to run a fence all the way down either side of it, so you just fence off the house and yard.

Bird,
Well, I understand it, but since you never see that around here it just feels odd. On the other hand a couple hundred acres is a BIG spread up here, it's probably just a hobby ranch down in TX.

Mike

 

[mwechtal]

If I were building one myself I would sure put some thought into how strong it needed to be to support a fire pumper truck.

MarkV

Well, I think drill stem would do that, but if I didn't have a pond I might be more worried about the tanker!

Another option might be a concrete bridge. I had a horse that refused to cross a reinforced concrete bridge near where she was kept. Luckily the stream was seldom even knee deep on her so we just waded. Of course, ON THE WAY HOME she WOULD cross the bridge, but it was kind of on tippy toes, if you can imagine a horse doing that. It would have probably been funny to someone watching. ;-)

Mike

 

[RobJ]

As stupid as most cows are, some will try and cross because the "grass is always greener". One of my BILs cows just did that. Broke her leg and had to shoot her. Funny because they usually walk right through a 4 or 5 wire fence to eat my wifes flowers and grass.

If they attempt to cross then there will be trouble.

 

[SunnyDaye]

One of my BILs cows just did that. Broke her leg and had to shoot her.

Rob, What does BILs stand for?