Cattle Panels for Feed Pens - Confused. Help.

[ted_kennedys_liver]

I have been monitoring quite a few of the feeder pen build threads and am now really confused. It is my understanding there are two types of panels that are MOSTLY used - hog (appr 36" H x 16' long) and cattle (appr 50" H x 16' long ).

I have cows on my place so I am looking to use cattle panels (50" H).

I have read that some people say to cut the cattle panels in half due to deer getting caught up, notch them so deer will get in, etc. Can yall clarify this for me?

[yanta61]

Hog panel will aslo keep cows out, unless you have some crazy jumpers.....

[D C]

Hog panels work just fine. That is what we use/have been for a long time. Just make sure you build them big enough so the deer feel comfortable jumping in them and not cramped. I like to use a minimum of 8 panels in a circle.

[Jaspro]

I'd also suggest hog panels and wire them 12" above the ground on the t-post.

[Todd-ty729]

If you are just trying to keep cows out then it is much easier to pull off.

A cow will generally not try to squeeze under a fence.

If you take a 16' x 50" panel and cut it it half length wise, then you have 2 16' and roughly 25" panels.

Wire your panels to t-posts about 12-16" off the ground and then run a piece of barbed wire just above the top of the panel to discourage cows from leaning in.

By raising the panels off the ground you are creating an easy way for deer to slip under the fence and avoid jumping over and getting caught in the panels or wire. This is a bigger issue with younger deer. Older does and bucks usually have no problem jumping a regular fence.

You can also use full height panels and cut openings in them about 2' square at the bottom of the panel at ground level so deer can crawl in but cows will stay out.

If you put bails of alfalfa hay in a pen there is almost nothing you can do to keep a full grown cow from coming in if the range land is over grazed or we have conditions like last year.

The bigger the pen the better and if you can put it in an area with close cover then deer will be more comfortable going in.

[leon.cty.legend]

34"x16' hog panels

[dpatterson1976]

Depends on the cows...

[JKaggie07]

We cut the top rung off of a hog panel to make them 30" tall & cut down all of the t-posts to be flush with top of pen. We have never had cows jump over the panels. You are more likely to have them try and lean up against the cattle panels and break the wire.

[JKaggie07]

Depends on the cows...

x2

And how hungry the cows are....

[Wampuscat]

We use 8 hog panels in a circle... sometimes a square. I never use less than 8 though. I have heard of cattle jumping over a hog panel but its not very common... never see it if they're well fed. I have cut a few notches or entry points in cattle panels if they were all I had though. I simply cut out 1 entry point measuring a 3-4ft wide gap down to 36in tall on each side on a square pen (total of 4). Never did it on a round pen but would go as many as 6 entry points. Hope this helps.

[ted_kennedys_liver]

Hog panel will aslo keep cows out, unless you have some crazy jumpers.....

I don't know if they are jumpers which is why I want to go with the 50" panels as opposed to putting up 16 hog panels only to find out I should have went with 50". That would be a lot of wasted money.

I may gamble with hog panels. Sure would save me a lot money.

Believe me - I know short of a brick wall a determined cow will get through, over, under, or around anything. I just want to slow em down as much as possible.

What I do know is I am sick to death of getting pics of them sleeping under my feeders and walking through during prime time. Don't get me wrong - I am thankful they are goats but sick of them.

[Wampuscat]

I wouldn't hang your panel 12" off the ground unless you're wanting to encourage hog traffic at your feeder. I use the panels to keep the stinky bastages out.

[txdukklr]

I cut cattle panels in half, embed them in the ground and run a strand of barbed wire about 12" above the panel

never had a cow problem and only the little pigs make it in.

I'm not a cow expert but if it's only cattle wouldn't a larger barb wire pen work the best?

[Wampuscat]

Now you've got me confused. Do you have a cow problem or a goat problem? Goats are the devil.

[Tejas Wildlife]

Electric fence & solar panel for ******* will stop the leaning on the panels.

Hmmm, guess I should have said charger above & it might not have been edited?