Pig grate entry good idea? Or asking for trouble?

[BarnyardChaos]

My problem is getting into the pig pen with their feed, as the critters want to block the gate. And unfortunately, they've picked this exact spot for the latrine instead of at the far end of the yard. It's been wet and rainy this week, so I've had ENOUGH. I put a row of concrete paver blocks around this gate space, and it has helped - only three try to block my path instead of all eleven. But then I had this idea --- cattle guards are used to keep cattle from crossing open gates, and I have this stack of rigid wire shelving, like those used in box stores to store pallets of merchandise. So.... I put one of them down inside the gate area. So far, so good --- only one pig has tested it, didn't like it, and backed off of it. I worry that one will get a leg caught and I'm asking for trouble. (I put a pair of bolt cutters next to the gate in case of trouble, and we watch them on security cameras.)
(Meanwhile, we're building an automatic feeder because hauling bucket after bucket of feed to hungry growing pigs, through ankle-deep mud, isn't fun at all.) Does anyone have any better ideas, or tried this sort of method before?

 

[BarnyardChaos]

So far, so good. Three days now, and I've seen only one more pig attempt to walk on the grate - and he did NOT like it at all. He *very* carefully picked his way back to the safety of the cement block curb and muddy pen. Meanwhile, we're able to get in and out of the pen with feed buckets or whatever, with NO problems at all. Yay!!!!!

 

[Isadora]

So far, so good. Three days now, and I've seen only one more pig attempt to walk on the grate - and he did NOT like it at all. He *very* carefully picked his way back to the safety of the cement block curb and muddy pen. Meanwhile, we're able to get in and out of the pen with feed buckets or whatever, with NO problems at all. Yay!!!!!

Awesome!

 

[Alderen]

Such a clever idea. Don't know that I would have thought of that. I've been learning so much from everyone here - not just about chickens but about all kinds of animals and problem-solving. Great job.