Electric Drive-Through Feedlot Gate

Electric Drive-Through Feedlot Gate FENCING Gates 3-1-8 Before he put in his homebuilt electric gate, Keith Kuhn had to get off and on his tractor eight or more times a day driving in and out of feedlot. Now, he drives right through without stopping. And the cattle stay in. His solution: A drive-through electric gate. Using 2 by 4 lumber, he built uprights and a crossbar over the entry way. He grooved out the crossbar to fit a 3/8-inch steel rod. He then looped soft 1/4-inch steel cables over the rod about 18 in. apart and let them hang almost to the ground. Final step was to hook up a standard electric fence unit to the rod so the cables are "hot". "I drive through without any problem because the rubber tired tractor is insulated, yet the hot wires discourage cattle from coming near the gate," says Kuhn. "The gate has been operating for three years without any trouble. It's nothing fancy, but it works. Any farmer can put one together for about $100, including the electric fencer. We like it better than commercial automatic gates with springs which can get caught and cause a lot of trouble," he told FARM SHOW. Kuhn has found the gate especially helpful in winter because his driveway slopes up into the feedlot. Before, when he had to stop on snow or ice to open a gate, it was tough to get moving again. Kuhn feeds out 2,000 cattle, and farrows and finishes 4,000 hogs a year. For more details, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Keith Kuhn, Route 2, Moville, Iowa 51039 (ph 712 373-5090).

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