What to Look For in Cattle Panels Before You Buy
Height, pipe size, rod fill, welds and gate openings decide whether a panel lasts ten years or three. Here is what to check on the lot.
Read the guideRanch equipment guides & how-tos
Straight answers on panels, chutes, pens and feeding — written for people who actually work cattle.
What to Check on Farm Equipment Before You Buy
Most equipment problems are visible before you pay. Here is the twelve-point walk-around we run on panels, gates, chutes and feeders.
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A Head Gate Holds the Head. A Chute Holds the Whole Animal.
They are not the same tool and they are not interchangeable. Here is how to tell which one your operation needs, and when you need both.
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Build the Corral Backward, Starting at the Chute
Most bad corrals were built outward from a gate. Start at the chute, work backward, and the layout follows how cattle actually move.
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Four Ways to Feed Hay, and What Each One Costs You in Waste
Hay is the biggest check most operations write in winter. The feeder you choose decides how much of it the cow actually eats.
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Which Cattle Gate Goes Where: Slide, Bow, Tube and Value
Four gate types, four jobs. How to sort slide, bow, tube and value gates by pressure, width and the post that has to carry them.
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Creep Feeding Calves: When It Pays, When It Doesn't, and How to Set the Feeder
Creep feeding is not automatic profit. Here is when extra weight pays for the feed, when it does not, and how to set a feeder calves will actually use.
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Small Acreage Fencing: Pipe, T-Post or Continuous, and How to Build the Corners
Ten acres is about 2,640 feet of perimeter. Here is how to choose between pipe, T-post and continuous fence, and why the corners decide the job.
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Which Skid Steer Attachments Earn Their Keep on a Ranch
The bucket is the least interesting thing you own. A practical order for buying skid steer attachments, and the machine limits that decide what fits.
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Fencing and Pens for Sheep and Goats That Actually Hold
Most sheep and goat escapes happen through a gap, not over the top. Height, mesh size, predator aprons and a pen layout that works for small stock.
Read the guideNot sure what fits your operation?
Tell us your head count and how you work them — we’ll point you at the right setup.