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Portable corrals

N

Nicky

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Joined
Feb 10, 2005
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3,668
Location
N.E. Oregon
We need to rebuild a good share of our corrals here at home and also have the leased place that currently has a rinky dink panel setup that is a pain to work in. We're wondering if a portable corral system would be a good idea. I looked up the thread from a couple years ago and it sounds like everyone who has them likes them. Just wondering if anyone has any new opinions on them. What brands you like or don't like and why.

And/or what do you think of continuous fencing? Wonder how it would compare in price to wood.
 
My cousin bought an O.K. Corral system this spring. It is sweet! His has two wings and a center area to cut cattle between the 2. Plus an alley to load/unload stock trailers and even has a compartment you could haul 2 horses or a couple cows/1 pair/bull home in an emergency. The whole things is self-contained on it's own trailer. It works great for trapping cows not near facilities or pairing stuff up when turning out in the spring. Cool set up i think. :D
 
We would have a very hard time ranching without the use of portable corral panels. The best ones, as far as I am concerned, are Scott panels made by Scott Manufacturing of Gordon, Nebraska. They are made from a high grade of steel, and are very strong. The latches on these panels are the very best; you don't need to carry rods to drop through the fasteners. They have some give for uneven ground. There is a hook at the bottom, and a self-contained pin at the top. "Let the blue go to work for you," is their slogan. They are a bit spendier than run-of-the-mill panels. The extra cost is money well spent, because their durability is second to none.
 
The ok corral is nice, but not big enough. Also I think its to long. The wheels are in the very back and if you have a small drive could be hard to get in. The rawhide I think is nice, but they have put their wheels at the very back also. I have a W W thats maybe 8 years old, it's basicly a copy of the older rawhide but galvanized. I want to get rid of it, but it works ok so I have a hard time spending money on a new one. The one I really like is from Blattner B bar D. It's brown, they are made in cimmaron ks, so I don't know how far out and around people know about their stuff. they have a web sight. It is built heavier than the others, has only one hydrolic cylinder, so no valves or air locks. I like it the best because it has a single wide alley to load or put a chute at the end or whatever. Most of them do, but the B bar D has a cut gate on each side of the alley so you can sort better. Also on the oppisite side of the big gathering pen you can make two smaller pens. One for sending down the alley the other for catching what you want to sort. So for example you could load your calves in the trailer at the end and use the cut gate to put the cows in a third pen. Some of the other nice features are the small wheels that the panels role on go up on a ramp when you fold it up so they don't drag the ground going through a dip. They only make it in a bumper pull, so some people don't like that but I know a few guys that have one and they really like it. You would think I was a salesman for them. :D I'm not there is a dealer in town and he always has one setting out by the highway. I drive by it every day so I have stared at it a lot. :D After having one I would never build a corral set up at a pasture again. In no time you can fold them up and move to the next pasture.
 
Been around the OK Corral and Wilson Wheel Corral. The OK a breeze to set up, pull, sort cattle, load cattle, etc. but dont hold as much as the wilson. But the wilson is a pain in the butt to set up if not on flat ground and it is a bear to pull down the road and get into rough areas. The OK i have been around is the mid sized one and we got 80 cows in it once but it was definantly stressed. 50 pair will fit in the spring but in the fall you have to set up about 5 or 6 panels to help.
 
I bought about a dozen Blattner Gates-stout buggers. My daughter & SIL got Blattners maternity pen. I saw their pens you speak of, and they would be great. Very good equipment.
 
Shortgrass said:
I bought about a dozen Blattner Gates-stout buggers. My daughter & SIL got Blattners maternity pen. I saw their pens you speak of, and they would be great. Very good equipment.
Click to expand...

I looked on their web sight but couldn't find a picture of the portable corral. I also have one of their maternity pens. They do a lot of feedlot work, and can build a gate whatever size you want. Also make continous fence as well.
 
These aren't fancy, but has worked well for us for many, many years.

http://realtuff.com/products/portablesystems.htm

It doesn't really show the portable panels, but they are high and strong
and connect easily. We bought a bunch of 'em and use them where ever
we need 'em.
 
Continuous fence from Premier is around 140 for 20 feet. Guard rail is 2.65 a foot and wood in this country is about 18 for a 2x8, 2x10 are about 4 dollars higher and treated lumber was 22 for a 2x8. We are in rebuilding mode also. The continuous looks nice and is easily put up. We went with wood because we needed to paint it.

have a cold one

lazy ace
 
I hope to get the new corrals at MM put up this year. We purchased 100, 8-10" x 10" posts to falls ago. Last winter ol' Roy cut us 1000 fence logs of 3 different lengths. We finally found a dump box trailer made from a small truck this summer and will start hauling logs to the site this fall. Still need some rough cut 2x8 for the chute and several gates to complete the supply list.

All we need is time. :D
 
I hope you can get lumber a little cheaper there. I just bought 12 2" X 8" X 16' white oak planks to redo a floor on a tag trailer - - - $600.00 for 12 boards!

That is just to much but I called all around and white oak is hard to come by!

Bought another trailer yesterday and this winter it is going to need a new floor and paint job - - - I have been trying to talk myself into just patching and painting the floor there but I will probably replace it and be done with it!
 
George said:
I hope you can get lumber a little cheaper there. I just bought 12 2" X 8" X 16' white oak planks to redo a floor on a tag trailer - - - $600.00 for 12 boards!

That is just to much but I called all around and white oak is hard to come by!

Bought another trailer yesterday and this winter it is going to need a new floor and paint job - - - I have been trying to talk myself into just patching and painting the floor there but I will probably replace it and be done with it!
Click to expand...

Last year I bought enough 4x8x18 coastal spruce to deck an 8 ft. wide bridge. I thought the delivered price of $550 was a little steep!

I'm thinking that 2x8x16 rough cut will run about $450 per 1000 bd. ft. ( Maybe I'm waaaay off)
 
Considering getting one of these 2 systems. If anyone has feedback as to pricing, ease of setup limitations etc. that would really help. Thanks a lot.

http://www.diamondwcorrals.com/products.php

http://www.titanwestinc.com/okcorral.html

Main priorities are ease of use, ease of setup and fuctionality. Want to use for cutting out problem animals from remote pastures, ex/ bull injury, footrot, pinkeye and to vaccinate the odd smaller herd (calves only).
 
I would go with the diamon w
You are looking at about 11,500.00 for the round tube and about 13,500.00 for the square tubing. I would go with square as it is a lot stronger. I own a square tube corral and I also have a diamond w sorting system. I own both and I am also a dealer for them.
 
I'd check out Rawhide out of Abilene KS. Just watched their newest rig on RFD a couple nights ago, looked pretty good. I have used one of their earlier versions quite a bit and it's sure heavy-duty. The only problem with buying one, (which my neighbor did...), is finding it when you need to use it.
I did not mention ease of use or setup etc... I'll give the Rawhide old-timer great marks for use-a-bility, and the newer one looks a lot better. I doubt there is much difference between brands, without having used any other, but in the ads they are always unfolded on flat dry ground. In the winter you need a scoop to move snow, or a spade to chip frozen obstacles. In the spring you could use a couple short planks to ford the streams.
Having said that; is there a better portable concept? I vote no. I fully understand the votes for portable panels, and I have used panels in combination with a portable setup to hold the rest of the cattle, and I have used panels alone, and with a portable alley setup.
It has been the mission of the day to load 200 plus cows out of cornstalks, some of the herds were a bit athletic. Mission accomplished, five different years, no injuries. Cows either...
 
Haytrucker said:
I'd check out Rawhide out of Abilene KS. Just watched their newest rig on RFD a couple nights ago, looked pretty good. I have used one of their earlier versions quite a bit and it's sure heavy-duty. The only problem with buying one, (which my neighbor did...), is finding it when you need to use it.
I did not mention ease of use or setup etc... I'll give the Rawhide old-timer great marks for use-a-bility, and the newer one looks a lot better. I doubt there is much difference between brands, without having used any other, but in the ads they are always unfolded on flat dry ground. In the winter you need a scoop to move snow, or a spade to chip frozen obstacles. In the spring you could use a couple short planks to ford the streams.
Having said that; is there a better portable concept? I vote no. I fully understand the votes for portable panels, and I have used panels in combination with a portable setup to hold the rest of the cattle, and I have used panels alone, and with a portable alley setup.
It has been the mission of the day to load 200 plus cows out of cornstalks, some of the herds were a bit athletic. Mission accomplished, five different years, no injuries. Cows either...
Click to expand...

x2 I watched the special last night and really liked the looks of the RAWHIDE
 
I like the ones that have a single wide alley to load out of. You can also set a chute at the end of them and precondition calve and what not. I believe the wilson and the diamond w don't have that alley. Know of a guy that has a newer rawhide, with the load out for a pot built into it, the cattle don't like walking over that ramp to good when its flat on the ground.
 
The OK corral, rawhide and diamond w have good websites with videos. All seem to be pretty good.

What about the Wilson Wheel? Can't seem to find online?
 
George said:
I hope you can get lumber a little cheaper there. I just bought 12 2" X 8" X 16' white oak planks to redo a floor on a tag trailer - - - $600.00 for 12 boards!

That is just to much but I called all around and white oak is hard to come by!

Bought another trailer yesterday and this winter it is going to need a new floor and paint job - - - I have been trying to talk myself into just patching and painting the floor there but I will probably replace it and be done with it!
Click to expand...

Wow! :shock:

Around here one can buy any quantity or sizing of white oak plank for a buck a board foot. Or less.

There must be lumber dealers that could bring it into Indiana for a lot less than what you had to pay, which is over double what I last paid.
 

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