I'll be building two feeder pens over labor day weekend and wanted to get y'alls thoughts on how many t-posts to use and such. These pens will hopefully keep both hogs and cattle from my feeder area. I'll be using 16' cattle panels from Tractor Supply and cutting the height down to about 40" (does that sound like a good height?). I'll build a circle pen using 12 panels to give me a diameter of about 55 to 60'. Do y'all recommend overlapping the panels by a little bit and setting t-posts at each connection and one in the middle of each panel, or is that more than is necessary? Thanks, fellas.

3 post per panel

wait that's not right.... pretty much you need a tpost on each end of the panel and one in the middle. ^^that guy is crazy don't listen to him

I thought that must be what you meant, but it took me a while to figure it out. If I were to set 2 t-posts in the middle of each panel, I'd be a post drivin' son of a gun that weekend with the 2 separate 12 panel pens I plan on building. That's a lot more work than I am wanting to do that weekend thanks

hope for rain! I built a pen the other day and those post didn't wana move

leave yourself a gate to drive the truck/uv in and fill feeder though...

Your plan is good. You need a T-post at each end, and one in the middle. Recommend overlapping the panels by one square and wiring together for strength.

40" should keep most cows out unless they get desperate. I would use 7' Tposts and leave about 9" exposed over the top of your panel in case you find you need to run a strand of barb wire at ~48" to keep any aggressive bulls out. Learned this lesson the hard way after a bull got a taste for protein and began rolling over our 34" hog panel pens. This will have the T-posts about 36" in the ground, should be stout.

If you are going with a round pen and cattle panels I would use 5 or 5.5 foot T-Post. The strength of the round pen will help hold it up. I would only cut down every 3rd panel or a 8' section every so often to allow deer access. 12 panels will need 24 post per pen. I would overlap them one spacing. I used concrete tie wire to put my pen together quickly then came back and put 14ga. galvanized tie wire later. Like posted above leave one panel section for a gate. You can still put a T-post in the middle of it or just off to one side to allow easy access.

x2

We leave at the original height and make 4-6 cut outs for deer to jump through..(4 squares across, 3 down). Dont forget a gate too if you want to back in and fill with your truck.. so a tpost on each end, one in the middle.. the gate wouldnt have a tpost in the middle, so 23 total post if you want a big swing gate to back in, or 24 if you dont need a big gate.

Going to put some up this weekend. Im planning on either using a cut down cattle panel or using hog panels not sure which yet. If I use the cut down cattle panel im going to cut it so it leaves the finger/pointed side down and stick them into the ground to help discourage digging.

Im going to give it a go with only a post only at the seams. We built a round pen trap for hogs and didn't overlap the semas and never had a problem seems like they would be much more determined to get out than in?

I built the exact pen earlier this year I used the 3'x 16' panels from woodsons using one T post at each end and one in the middle, overlapped panels it didn't seem to sturdy to me went back and added more T post very pleased with outcome so far no pigs and no cows, didn't leave a space to drive in but I can drop tailgate and back right up to pen grap feed and go straight to feeder

Easy enough to cut one 16' panel in half and use one side as a gate, you wont need any more "T" post for it.

I used the 16'x50" cattle panels and cut them in 1/2 for hogs. I learned the hard way that 24" won't keep out cows. I now have a strand of barbed wire above the panels and voila, no cows. I'm not sure I understand why you would cut them down to 40". I cut mine in 1/2 so that I only had to buy 1/2 as many panels - i.e. 1 panel does 32' long, but you would be losing your benefit by only cutting 10" off. My suggestion would be to either leave the panels full height or buy the ones specifically made for hogs that have smaller holes at the bottom. These are 34" tall. I think that would be sufficient for cows too and you don't have to cut anything. They are $3 more than the other panels. We use 5' or 5.5' t-posts with no problems. Good luck. It's nice having hogs all over my lease and having only deer eat the corn from my feeder. I have another one for hogs, but deer and hogs don't tend to get along so the pen is a good idea. Good luck.

Keith

I have a number of rounded feeder pens from 34" hog panels. Use from 8-12 per pen. I overlap them and use wire rope clips (look like little u-bolts) to bolt together on the overlap. The pen will stand up by itself and is really solid. If you can get the t-posts in the ground good, anything more than one wired in the middle of each panel would be overkill. Would be a big waste of time and effort for me to use one in mid and both ends on each panel. In my rocky country I sometimes have to use a big hammer drill to set posts. Basically they keeps hogs from shoving the pen around but do not serve to hold up the panels since they are self supporting. My pens have been up for about 5 years in heavy hog country and we have everything from WT to aoudad, to axis in them regularly. Still as good as the day I put them up.

Here is an 8 hog panel(34") pen without a protein feeder. Only corn feeder. This bull makes it a point to get into the pen every time he walks by it going to water trough...just to pizz me off.

Beautiful bull...how does he get into the pen? Walking thru it? Jumping it?

I built a 5 panel pen last weekend and I'll tell you I was flat worn out by the time I was done and I didn't really put down as many t posts as I should have. It was just me and the wife. For an out of shape ole man that was tough! Lol

I assume... ....he just rares up and lays over the top of them judging by how many panels were bowed in and out. He made a mess of the panels and I had to replace them with 50" cattle panels. If he does it again I am putting wheels under his azz and he is getting a vacation trip to the sale barn.

He's a handsome feller STX. Other than cattle, you have any issues with hogs getting over a 34" panel? We don't have stock to contend with.

Feel your Pain...

I hope this Goat hangs his Bean Bag on a jagged wire and bleeds out via Bubble Gum Death...
I want show his face because I despise him

There is always a showoff. Had a cow who did the same pushover trick. Neighbor had a cow that jumped over cattleguards. Remember two bulls that would clear 6' barb wire just to see what was on the other side. anytime I see "one" nice looking bovine at sale yard I think "what is the bad habit"?

I'm curious about the same thing. Without cattle involved, whats a good minimum height to keep the hogs out?

I have a bad habit of shooting the strands of wire

I have never had any issues with hogs going over 34" panels, but I have heard of them. I talked to a guy who hunted on the Burr Ranch in the 90's and he said he had videos of hogs going over hog panels. He had a 96'x96' square pen with a corn feeder and protein. Hogs were giving him fits.
There was some research done and IIRC they said 26" or 28" would keep most hogs out. I always corn with a road feeder away from the feeder and never shoot inside of my feed pens.

The bulls seem to be the worst about it. Once they get a taste for corn or protein a standard hog panel won't keep them out.

The sun came up Opening Morning of last seasons to reveal that my corn feeder was knocked over, protein feeder cleaned out, and gate to the pen knocked down, all from the same bull the night before. We had a little stand off that morning, almost came home with a truck load of less-than-prime beef.

depends on what type of cattle you have


I have Brangus on mine and they can jump a regular panel

3 posts per panel didn't work, they're smart enough to put weight on the panel
and push the whole thing over

I now do 4 posts per panel, with some cut panels on top with the spike sticking
up to "Poker Face" - that's the name I gave to a particular brangus cow #92
that was master at jumping / pushing any feeder pens I have set up

don't cut any panels, start out with 3 posts and see