Farm & Ranch Fence
Cattle Panel Fence Installation
Welded steel panels on T-posts, pipe or wood. Rigid, fast to build and easy to change later: the fence for pens, small pastures, round pens and yard lines that have to hold.
A cattle panel is a 16-foot welded steel panel with graduated openings, and it is one of the most useful pieces of fence on a farm. It does not stretch, sag or need bracing the way wire does, because each panel is rigid on its own. That makes it the fence for working pens and corrals, for small pastures and paddocks, for round pens, for a yard fence on acreage that has to hold a big dog, and for anywhere you might want to move or add a section later. We build cattle panel fence on T-posts for pasture and yard runs and on pipe or heavy wood for pens.
Where cattle panels fit
- Corrals and working pens, hung on pipe or heavy wood posts. See corral fence.
- Small pastures, paddocks and round pens for a few head of cattle or a couple of horses.
- Yard and property lines on acreage where a woven wire fence would sag and a wood fence would look wrong.
- Gardens and orchards, as a frame for garden wire. See garden fence.
- Behind a wood rail fence to make a decorative fence hold animals.
How we build it
- Posts first. T-posts driven on four- to eight-foot centers for pasture and yard runs; pipe or heavy treated wood set in concrete for pens. Corners, ends and gates always get a set post, because a panel fence still has to end somewhere solid.
- Panels stood and fastened. Panels are set with the small openings at the bottom, overlapped or butted at the posts, and wired or clipped to every post at several rails. On pipe we weld or use panel clamps.
- Ground gap handled. Panels are set close to the ground, and on uneven ground we cut and step them so a calf or a dog cannot go under.
- Gates. Tube gates hung on heavy posts, sized for the opening, with latches that work with gloves on.
Why choose cattle panels, and how to build it right has more on spacing, clipping and gates.
Panel types
Standard cattle panels are 4-gauge galvanized rod with six-inch spacing at the top tightening to four inches at the bottom. Heavier bull panels use thicker rod. Taller horse and combination panels run to about five feet with tighter spacing for safety. Utility and hog panels are shorter with small bottom openings; see hog panel fence. All of it is galvanized for the humidity, and cut ends get coated.
Why owners like it
It goes up fast, it holds its shape, it does not need the corner bracing that wire fence lives on, and it comes apart if you ever need to move a pen or widen a gate. The cost per foot is higher than barbed wire or field fence, which is why most places use panels for pens and yards and wire for the big pasture. We will help you decide where each belongs. Farm and ranch fencing types explained compares them all.
Panels on a slope and around trees
A rigid panel does not bend to follow the ground the way wire does. On a gentle slope we let each panel tilt slightly with the grade; on a steeper one we step the panels and cut the bottom to close the gap. Around trees on a wooded lot, a panel fence is easy to jog: one short cut panel and an extra post gets the line past a trunk without fastening anything to the tree. That flexibility is one reason panels show up on so many yard lines on acreage around Oakhurst, Coldspring and Point Blank.
What affects the price
Panel count is the big number; the rest is posts and gates. T-posts are economical, pipe set in concrete costs more and lasts longest, and a pen on close centers takes more of either. Horse and bull panels cost more than standard. A tube gate on set posts is a fixed add. We price the whole run on site and will show you where wire would do the same job for less, if it would.
Frequently asked questions
How big is a cattle panel?
The standard panel is 16 feet long and about 50 inches tall, welded from heavy galvanized rod with openings that get smaller toward the bottom. Taller and heavier versions are made for bulls and horses.
What posts do cattle panels go on?
T-posts on four- to eight-foot centers for pasture and yard fence; pipe or heavy wood posts for corrals and anywhere the panels will be pushed on. Panels are wired or clipped to the posts at every rail.
Cattle panel or hog panel?
Cattle panel has larger openings and holds cattle, horses and most dogs. Hog panel is shorter with tight openings at the bottom, built for pigs and small animals. See the hog panel page.
Ready to price a panel fence?
Tell us about the project and we will set up a free on-site estimate. Or just call: we answer the phone.