Cattle Guard

A cattle guard lets vehicles cross a fence line without a gate. The grate sits in the road, animals will not step across it, and the truck keeps rolling without someone getting out to open and close a gate.

That is a small thing that adds up. On a place with several pastures, gates at every crossing mean stopping constantly, and a gate left open means cattle out on the road.

Cattle guards are set into the roadbed with a frame and wings on each side to funnel animals away from the edges. The width has to match the road and the equipment that crosses it. For a lane that gets daily traffic, a guard is one of the better improvements a place can make.