Corral Fence Construction

A corral takes more abuse than any other fence on a property. Cattle get crowded into it, pushed through it and occasionally try to go over or through it, and a fence that gives way in a working pen is dangerous to animals and people. That is why corral fence is built heavier, taller and deeper than pasture fence: posts set deep in concrete, rails or panels that will not break, and gates that swing clean and latch solid. We build corrals and working pens in pipe, heavy treated wood and cattle panel for cattle operations, horse properties and hobby farms around Lake Livingston.

Materials

Pipe corrals use steel pipe posts set in concrete with pipe or sucker-rod rails welded on. They last longest, take the hardest use and are the standard for serious working pens. Wood corrals use heavy treated posts with two-by-six or two-by-eight rails on the inside of the posts, so a pushing animal loads the post and not the nails. They cost less and look right next to a barn. Cattle panel corrals hang welded panels on pipe or wood posts; they build fast, hold small calves and are easy to change later. See cattle panel fence. A mix is common: pipe for the alley and chute, wood or panel for the holding pens.

How we build it

1. Layout that works the cattle. Holding pen, crowding pen, alley and chute, with gates placed where animals naturally flow and where a person can swing them safely. We lay it out with you on the ground before a post goes in.
2. Posts deep in concrete. Corral posts are set deeper than pasture posts and on closer centers, typically six to eight feet, because the fence is loaded by animals, not just wire.
3. Rails or panels on the inside. So pressure pushes the rail against the post, not against the fasteners. Rails are lag-bolted or welded, not nailed.
4. Height for the stock. Five to six feet for cattle, taller in the crowding pen; six feet or better where horses are worked.
5. Gates built for the job. Heavy tube or pipe gates on weld-on hinges, with chain or slam latches an animal cannot work open, sized for the trailer and the tractor.

If this is your first set of pens, simple advice for building a basic corral and corral best practices walk through the decisions. Not sure you need a corral at all? Corral fence or post and rail explains the difference.

Repairs and additions

Broken rails, pushed-out posts, sagging gates and panels that have been bent by a bull are normal corral wear. We replace rails and posts in kind, rehang gates on new hinges, and add pens and alleys onto existing sets. Repairs are a large part of our ranch work, and that includes pens we did not build. See fence and gate repair.

Frequently asked questions

How tall should a corral fence be?

Five feet is the working minimum for cattle; five and a half to six feet for pens where cattle are crowded or worked, and for horses that might try a fence. Height matters more in a corral than anywhere else on the place because the animals are pushed.

Pipe, wood or panel?

Pipe lasts longest and takes the most abuse, and is what we build for serious working pens. Treated wood posts with heavy rails look traditional and cost less. Cattle panels on pipe or wood posts build fast and are easy to reconfigure. Many corrals use a mix.

Where should the gates go?

Where the animals already want to go and where you can swing them from the right side. We lay out gates, alleys and the chute approach with you on site, because moving them later is expensive.