Cattle Pens Made From Old Center Pivot Irrigation Pipe

Cattle pens made from old center pivot irrigation pipe IRRIGATION Miscellaneous 15-5-9 Cow-calf operator Roland Hemmann, Amherst, Neb., uses 32-ft. lengths of old center pivot irrigation pipe to build inexpensive cattle pens on his farm. "They don't cost much to build and are very strong. Even bulls can' t break through them," says Hemmann. The 14-ga. pipe, which varies from 6 5/8 to 7 in. in dia., forms the top and bottom of each fence. Hemmann welds 42-in. long angle irons (salvaged from the center pivot system) vertically between the pipes, then welds wire mesh hog panels (for calves) or truss rods (also salvaged from the center pivot system) onto the angle-irons. The angle irons are spaced 48 in. apart when wire mesh panels are used and 64 in. apart when truss rods are used. Hemmann uses short pieces of angle iron, 1/2-in. dia. "oversize" pipe, and 9/ 16-in. dia. steel rod (salvaged from spokes in center pivot steel wheels) to make hinges between the big irrigation pipes in each corner of the pen. "I can swing each 32-ft. section of fence to any angle I want," says Hemmann. He mounts commercial gate panels on pens by bolting a 42-in. length of angle iron onto pipe flanges and welding a pair of hinges onto the angle iron. The gate can be used to close an alley between two pens, or, when used with other gates, to form a smaller pen. "The gates can be used to subdivide the pens and can be clamped on anywhere along the fence," says Hemmann. "They're lightweight so I can carry them around." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Roland Hemmann, Rt. 1, Amherst, Neb. 68812 (ph 308 826-2581).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.