Cattle panels?

ShrekDawg

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Jan 18, 2008
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Okay, so I do have a master question thread post and should really post this there to keep track but it's gotten limited responses (though great responses, thank you) and never posted this particular one so posting here. Plus I figure this is more universal and may help other people. I can always put the link to this one in there anyway so I can find it.

But ANYWAY.

I've heard of plenty of people making "hoop coops" with these cattle panels and I briefly considered it then thought I settled on something else. Well, now I'm back thinking about it and have come up with several questions, hence the making of this thread.

So first and foremost is WHAT cattle panels?

I'm pretty sure I know which ones (seen tons of people mention the 16 foot around $20 ones) but I was realizing while going through TSC's website that there are actually several different ones. There's not like 20 pages and hundreds of results or anything like that but it seems that there are about 9 or 10 potential options.

Sooo...

Here is TSC's cattle panel page and would any of these work or are there specific kinds? Obviously the solid metal bar horse corral ones wouldn't work and definitely wouldn't bend but even just cattle panels there's so many. Feedlot panels, horse fence panel, utility panel, etc. etc. are they all the same? is there a difference? again, here's their page.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/catalog/farm-ranch/fencing/corral-feedlot-panels

I also noticed that there seem to be different ones for different animals but that some are more expensive?

Next question, which kind of goes along with it, is has anyone ever used the 8 foot ones? I know to bend it would create way too short and narrow of a run but maybe someone has used it or just used it straight and not hooped?

Which leads me to my next question: do they have to be bent into a hoop coop? would it be possible to, say, connect a few and just make a normal run from it? Perhaps using, for example, two 16 foot panels for the long end and an 8 foot panel? Or connecting the two 16 foot ones? Probably too long for me but wondered if anyone had done it. And if it is possible to do this, has anyone ever put two on top of each other? Or just put a roof on it as is at 4 foot? for connecting to each other, I simply mean like you might with HC, either tying the panels together or getting a piece of wood to screw it to in order to make it say 8 foot instead of 4. At that point though I suppose it may cost about the same or be about as much work as just getting HC or welded wire.

Another question, and the main reason I actually thought of this, is has anyone ever used one as a brooder?

Wondering because I've been trying to make a brooder in the garage, just a larger kiddie pool than their current one with welded wire around it then trying to tie HC to it but it's a pain, and it's not fun and I know they will outgrow it fast so I have been trying to think of new ways. I was thinking of just making a traditional wood frame for the HC but we don't really know how to operate much and that's more permanent. Someone also recently in the other thread suggested PVC pipe and plastic HC or even normal HC but just the PVC making it easier to adjust and move. I like idea but that seems like work too. I don't know, I'm just trying to think of the best and easiest way possible because they really need to move out and really need space.

Another potential thing that I thought of that we could do either with traditional wooden framed HC or welded wire, our chainlink dog kennel, or the cattle panels, is to make an area next to the garage. We decided we don't want the coop there since it's so close to the neighbors but I figure setting up a temporary brooder would be fine and that would provide tons of room to run and fly. There's also a fence piece on one side and obviously the garage on the other (complete with a door) so we would only really need 2 fence pieces, maybe 3 or more depending on how big they are. The area is 9 feet wide by 26 feet long but we don't have to use the full area. I thought that might be great, especially with HC on the ground in the area. However. my mom is still insisting they are way too little to be out there and that a coyote would get them the first night. I say not if it's secure but she says we don't konw how/can't do that by ourselves. Well, we've never tried but I could guarantee I'm a lot more careful than my dad (I'm pretty positive I'm OCD/also just weird and precise and stuff so I'd be really careful and also follow recipes exactly, etc. etc. hah) and with something like cattle panels it really would not require any special skills. And if it can keep cows, horses, hogs, sheep, goats, etc. etc. in, I'm pretty positive it can keep coyotes out. Or at least I would hope. But that said, I too am nervous about putting littles that little outside but if it is secure, I don't see the issue. Perhaps though I will make a garage thing and then move them out there when they are a wee bit bigger, say at 3 or 4, maybe 5, weeks. I do like the somewhat "sheltered" thing of the garage though but I could provide that outside too surely?

And also, surely something bigger would need less cleaning? I would still clean it regularly obviously, especially being as they're so little still, but I just mean it might smell less/poop would be more spread out instead of in one tiny little area?

But ANYWAY.

I'm rambling now and making this post wayyy too long so I am going to end this post right now but any and all input would be greatly appreciated, even if you don't have the answer to every question, as I'm sure most people don't.

Thank you in advance.
 
Wow that was a lot to get through and unfortunately I am just tagging along to get the answer to your first question. I am looking into making a hoop coop or two and was wondering which one of those panels works best.
 
Wow that was a lot to get through and unfortunately I am just tagging along to get the answer to your first question. I am looking into making a hoop coop or two and was wondering which one of those panels works best.

Yeah, I got of got onto a tangent... I tend to do that. xD sorry about that!!! But it's alright!! I love for people to be able to tag along and also benefit from things! And actually, in fact, I originally made this post only to ask the first question anyways but then, again, tangent. hah sorry about that!!!
 
I have no ideas to offer, but I thank you for the use of paragraphs, or I might have replied, tl;dr.


Yeah, I tend to talk too much hahI just always go to say one thing but then think of a bunch of other things to say too and yeah xD but I do always try to use paragraphs cause that's just weird not to haha
 
Chicken runs/coops would firstly need to be predator safe. I would use hardware cloth attached to a framework of your choosing. Check out hoop coops in Coops section for great ideas And answers to many of your questions.
 
Chicken runs/coops would firstly need to be predator safe. I would use hardware cloth attached to a framework of your choosing. Check out hoop coops in Coops section for great ideas And answers to many of your questions.
Of course it couldn't be left just as cattle panels. Those are just the framework of the hoop coop. The question was which of those many various panels are the best option.
 
Thank you both for the help. :)

Sooo.. Neither of you knows which panel? Hah

Anyway, I've looked at some of the hoop coops and seen great ideas and will definitely need to look at more but yeah, they're right, don't know which panel. Plus some of the other questions.

Although now I'm wondering - I hadn't realized HC would be needed either way or maybe forgot. I guess I should have known or maybe did know but from the ones I've seen so far it seems people make a wooden base to attach the panels then bend it into the hoop and cover with plastic? Am I looking at the wrong ones? Although I feel like someone did mention running HC up two feet on the sides and out so maybe people do do that and.it seems.they should but from what I've seen i don't recall seeing pictures of it. Do people just risk the.potential predators? Or am I missing something here?

Anyway, thank you both
 
Maybe they just didn't take pictures or something then or assume it's implied or I missed it. But wow, that one is amazing!! Thanks for sharing. :) maybe I will do something similar too, if I can do it hah doesn't seem too hard though, especially not compared to a "normal" coop
 

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