Alternative to livestock gate

[mooman]

Building a small pasture for some goats I will be getting soon (red brand goat fence). I did not want to cut any corners on the fence but unfortunately that leaves me with very little to spend (for now anyway) on building the gates. Looking to make 2 10ft gates on the cheap to be replaced eventually when I can find some good used ones.

Idea #1

Use treated lumber to make a 4ft by 10 ft rectangular frame. Brace it with another piece of treated lumber and nail some extra fencing to it. Then just hang it like a normal fence with a wire support running from the top of the support post to the far side of the gate. My worry is that this will be too heavy.


Idea #2

Take a 10 ft length of the fencing and attach it to the support post. At the other end of the length attach the horizontals to short expansion springs. Attach this springs to a 4ft 2x4. Have the 2x4 hook on to the other support post. My worry is that it would either not have enough tension, or if it did it would be very hard to open and close.

Any critiques or advice? Again looking for something temporary until I can find a nice used pasture gate or two.

[am1too]

Originally Posted by mooman

Building a small pasture for some goats I will be getting soon (red brand goat fence). I did not want to cut any corners on the fence but unfortunately that leaves me with very little to spend (for now anyway) on building the gates. Looking to make 2 10ft gates on the cheap to be replaced eventually when I can find some good used ones.

Idea #1

Use treated lumber to make a 4ft by 10 ft rectangular frame. Brace it with another piece of treated lumber and nail some extra fencing to it. Then just hang it like a normal fence with a wire support running from the top of the support post to the far side of the gate. My worry is that this will be too heavy.


Idea #2

Take a 10 ft length of the fencing and attach it to the support post. At the other end of the length attach the horizontals to short expansion springs. Attach this springs to a 4ft 2x4. Have the 2x4 hook on to the other support post. My worry is that it would either not have enough tension, or if it did it would be very hard to open and close.

Any critiques or advice? Again looking for something temporary until I can find a nice used pasture gate or two.

Use chain link rail with connectors or bend as necessary. Should be very easy with the connectors. One could even weld a nice permanentgate.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I would not use lumber for a span that long.

[Bearfootfarm]

By the time you buy the lumber, hardware and fencing to build a gate, you'll have almost as much invested as simply buying a ready made gate.

[springvalley]

You could use option #2, on your 2x4 that the wire is fastened to take a heavy piece of wire and make a loop around your suppport post at the botton at the spot you want your 2x4 to be when tight. Then you set you 2x4 in that loop and bring the top towards the support post, you can then use a short rachet strap around the top of your 2x4 and the support post and rachet it till it is tight. Works very well, and cheap. > Thanks Marc

[Hagler's Farm]

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

By the time you buy the lumber, hardware and fencing to build a gate, you'll have almost as much invested as simply buying a ready made gate.

Yup that's what I was thinking. If your looking at the expensive panel gates, you can save some by buying a tube gate and putting your goat fencing on it. Zip ties should work. Probably save you $50 a gate or so.

[springvalley]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

I would not use lumber for a span that long.

use to be all we made gates out of before welded pipe gates come into being. We use to have and I think I still have a couple 16 ft 1x6 board gates around here, they were called can`t sag gates, they had some metal supports built into them. > Thanks Marc

[farminghandyman]

If it is temporary, get two (for that distance, there 16 feet long x 60 inches tall,) live stock panels just the wire ones, and wire them up and move when needed, I sue them for gates in seldom used locations and for temporty needs all the time.

[where I want to]

Yeah- I've used cattle panels too as a gate for a sloping area.

[Callieslamb]

We just use a cattle panel. Nothing else. It's slow to open but works just fine.

[kasilofhome]

Craigs list
look for dog runs on the cheap
buy the whole deal
and use the panels (now you have gates for the future.
Wire the panel on one end
add a latch

Now for strengh attach a guy wire deal from the latch end and to a post at the other end of the "gate but it has to be tall. There is this screw thing at most hard ware store that is so you can tighten it as time goes.

I can pick up dog run/kennel pens for 50 buck if I take down and haul.

[PNP Katahdins]

Originally Posted by farminghandyman

If it is temporary, get two (for that distance, there 16 feet long x 60 inches tall,) live stock panels just the wire ones, and wire them up and move when needed, I sue them for gates in seldom used locations and for temporty needs all the time.

Since it's for goats, I would use wire combination panels (smaller spacing on the bottom to keep kids in) and overlap them both for the correct height and length. They would be usable after you can get the gate of your dreams. I like two shorter gates rather than one long one if possible.

We use overlapping panels in a few places here but most sheep are not the escape artists that goats are. Also we are back off the road over a ridge.

Peg

[KMA1]

2 cheap options I have used are:

1) Called a Gap: just use a length of wire (same as used for fence) nailed to one gatepost and with a small diameter ( 2-3") stick or post, or even a Tpost, about a foot longer than the wire is tall nailed or woven through the wire of the other end. Then make 2 loops of wire around the 2nd gate post one at the bottom and the other on top of the wire such that when you put the lower end of the small post attached to the wire into it, and push the top close enough to the gate post to drop the top wire over it, the gate wire is tight and long enough that there is not enough room for the animals to push through between the small post and the 2nd gate post.

2) Buy the appropriate size livestock panel and use some pieces of chain to fasten at the closing end. Use adjustable screw closed chain links or whatever at the hinged end.

[MDKatie]

I wouldn't skimp on gates, since they get used so often and are a "weak spot" in the fence if not done properly. Maybe you could put in the posts and just fence across it until you can find a used gate or safe up for a nice one? Or maybe just put in a small (4') gate until you can find a bigger one?

[boiledfrog]

All my gates are ranch or hog panels. Simple cheap and reusable.

[nobrabbit]

Check out Craigslist - we have found great deals on used gates.