Cattle Guards and Drive Through Gates

January 2007

Overview:

Here is some general cattle guard and drive through gate information.

Cattle Guard Design Suggestions for Dairy Cows.

Pipe diameter is usually 2.5 inches schedule 80 (Note, this refers to the pipe wall thickness and will vary depending on vehicle-truck, tractor or other equipment load.).
Spacing is 4 inches.
Width/Span should be at least 3 feet (Note, some support foundation/structure will be necessary, you can't just lay pipe across a ditch.).
Depth can be as little as 6 inches which reduces injury.
Using a gate or wire for training helps.
Keep the feed at least 2 feet away.
Build it so the pipes lift out.
All the injuries I have seen occur when the cows where pushed, so make sure the pusher is educated!

Who would benefit?

Individuals with physical disabilities such as back or spinal cord injuries, with muscle weakness, chronic back pain, balance difficulties, and arthritis which makes getting into and out of a tractor, a self-propelled unit or truck very difficult to open and close a livestock gate.

Cattle Guard Resources

AgrAbility Project on line Assistive Technology Product Database

Agrability Information on gates and cattle guards.

AgrAbility Project: Gates, Guards, and Latches

Drive through spring loaded electric gates.

Precast Cattle Guard.

Wieser Concrete: Precast Cattle Guard

Publications on Cattle Guards and Cattle Guard Design

British Columbia, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands

This is a very good 20 page resource which shows different designs and discusses options for allowing livestock, wildlife, and people to pass through and over fences. The section on cattle guards and cattle guard design should prove helpful.

British Columbia: Gates, Cattleguards and Passageways

AgrAbility wishes to thank the following individual for sharing this information.

Barney G. Ward
TUIT INC. , AAME LLC.
P. 0. Box 7326
Visalia, CA 93290-7326 USA
bar@get-tuit.com

Considerations:

Check with your state AgrAbility Project for assistance in locating other possible sources of commercial cattle guards and drive-thru gates which are manufactured or sold in your area.

*NOTE: Mention or display of a trademark, proprietary product, or firm in text or figures does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the University of Wisconsin, Easter Seals, or the AgrAbility Project, and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products or firms.

The AgrAbility Project is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture CSREES. Funding for this document was provided under project number 00-41590-0932.