Why You Need Cattle Guards for Your Farm

A common struggle among farmers is allowing their cattle to go to pasture in a wide-open field while keeping them from straying outside of the farm’s property line. This is why you need cattle guards for your farm. It’s a simple and elegant solution that’ll deter cattle from wandering off while allowing you to enter and exit your property with ease.

What Are Cattle Guards?

A cattle guard is a section of driveway overlaid with pipes or molded concrete ridges. It allows vehicles to freely move in and out of your property while keeping the cattle from wandering out. It also eliminates the hassle of opening and closing the gate whenever you need to enter or leave your property; this is especially beneficial during months without ideal weather. Cattle guards are rising stars among livestock equipment, and more and more farmers are turning to them.

Why Do They Work?

So how does a cattle guard work, exactly? Upon first glance, it just looks like a trap your cattle would get stuck in. The key is cattle’s depth perception. They don’t have the same eyesight we do, so when they see the gaps in between the ridges or pipes, they get a bit spooked because they can’t tell how deep the gaps are. Furthermore, the rounded nature of the pipes or ridges is also off-putting to cattle because they get nervous when their footing is uneven.

Types of Cattle Guards

Now that you know why you need cattle guards for your farm, you should know that they’re typically made in one of two styles: metal or concrete. The depth and placement of the cattle guard will depend on which type you choose. Concrete cattle guards are better for smaller driveways since they don’t have to be as large or deep to work effectively. The trench can’t be too deep anyway because the concrete ridges have to sit in the trench and rise up high enough to stick above the road.

On the other hand, metal cattle guards are often preferred for larger driveways. The metal pipes can be laid across wider and deeper trenches since they don’t need to rest within the trench itself. The raised ridges of the concrete might be annoying or uncomfortable for some people, but the metal pipes provide a smoother solution by capitalizing on their rounded nature to deter cattle.