# Cattle Panels



## woodspirit (Aug 3, 2005)

Ok this might sound dumb but how do you transport sixteen foot long cattle panels home in a pickup truck with a six foot bed?


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## momanto (Jan 14, 2005)

Borrow A Trailer.. I Know.... I Know... They Are $10.00 Each Cheaper At Tractor Supply, Which Is 40 Miles Away. The Local Feed Store Delivered 10 - 12 Miles Out Here For Free. Going Down Our Country Road One Of Us Stood In The Back Of The Truck W/the Panel Over The Top Of The Cab. We Have Just Stuck Them In The Back Of The Truck And Dragged Them Down The Road....

Hope To Hear Some Better Answers Than I Just Gave......we Do Have A Livestock Trailer.....no Fun To Drive In City Traffic To Go Get Them With.

Mom


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## bob clark (Nov 3, 2005)

a lot of people arund here bow them up in the bed of the truck ,but this can be very dangerous .several have been hurt badly doing this . be safe


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## Tango (Aug 19, 2002)

I doubled them over on the 8 ft truck bed. You can double over 6 at a time, perhaps more. Use strong rope and common sense. Depending on the length of the trip home they might stay doubled over and you'll have to walk on them to straighten them out again. I've had a few keep the bend.


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## longshadowfarms (Nov 27, 2002)

DH had a rack he had built on the truck that went up over the top. Tied the panels so they stuck out up over the front, then they'd hang a bit over the back. Tied red flags on the front and the back. Not pretty but it worked. Don't have the truck any more so we'll need to borrow a trailer next time.


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## astrocow (Mar 11, 2005)

I've never moved cattle panels but I did have to transport a 20 foot culvert once. I built a wood frame over the truck box that extended over the cab. It worked great.


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## Daryll in NW FLA (May 10, 2002)

Place a piece of flat cardboard on the top of the pickup cab, Lay the panels on top of cardboard, tie the panels to the front bumper,and the rear bumper-off you go! Daryll in NW FLA


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## NWMO (Jul 26, 2005)

I had no trouble with 8 that were "bowed" up in the bed of the truck....could see where it could be dangerous, but I am sure you could wire them in .....getting them out is probably a two person job.....there is quite a punch when you drop the end gate and try to hang onto them....mine straightened right out.....


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

Bob Clark is dead on target. I have also transported full size panels (4 ea) in the six foot bed of my ford F-150. I actually outdid most of you, my truck bed even has a metal tool box installed making my bed 4.5 feet with the tailgate closed. Bottom line go for it...folks will give you lots of attention on your ride home...enjoy the weekend,,,,Tennessee John


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## elgordo (Apr 9, 2005)

Although I wouldn't reccommend it we once transported several panels on our little pick up by tying it to the front and back bumpers (!) and holding onto them with our hands out the windows! We also took the back roads home very slowly! I'm happy that now we own a flatbed but the panels are so darn exspensive we can't afford them!


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## john in la (Jul 15, 2005)

I use the same idea that Daryll posted.

I take 2 blankets and put 1 over the cab and the other over the tail gate. I lay the panel over the cab and tail gate and tie the 4 corners to the bumpers. 15 miles home and never had a problem.


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## Terry W (Mar 10, 2006)

I keep a cap on my small pickups--and i never buy a cap that is "higher" than the cab roof-- so I lay down cardboard or a blanket, and transport flat over the whole shebang-- well tied down, I have hauled such stuff 75+ miles with no difficulty, even at highway speeds. I DO NOT consider myself "accustomed" to doing this, so that says a lot, as well.


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## jnap31 (Sep 16, 2005)

Daryll in NW FLA said:


> Place a piece of flat cardboard on the top of the pickup cab, Lay the panels on top of cardboard, tie the panels to the front bumper,and the rear bumper-off you go! Daryll in NW FLA


That's the way I have transported 16 ft tin that way to and PVC pipes.


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## Ed K (Oct 24, 2003)

Just did this last week. 

I told the guy at the feed store that I planned to roll them up and throw them in the truck (because I saw someone on this website say you could) He tried rolling the panels up by hand but they were pretty stiff so he got skeptical and said he could provide cardboard to drap the panels over the truck. I told him to gve me a little time and I'd call him if I needed him.

Took 3 panels and a strong nylon rope. Tied one end of the rope to one end of the panels and slipped the other end of the rope through the other end of the panel. Pulled on the rope until the 16' panel rolled up into a u shaped bundle. Rolled the bundle into the mini pickup with the open part of the u shape down and tied it off at all corners and with some rope crossing througn the panels and tied them diagonally to the bed tiedowns. It's about 8'high so it wobbles a little if you poke at it but it held in for 20 miles or so at reasonable highway speeds. It kind of looks like a Connestoga wagon when you're driving down the road. When I go home and unrolled them the panels had a little of a set to them but not a lot. I was using them for a hoophouse so it didn't matter. Another one I used as a trellis and it still has a small wave in it.

I'd haul them this way again. Not sure how many you could do at once. (someone above said 6)


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## jnap31 (Sep 16, 2005)

Ed K what would be the benefits of using the cattle panels versus just PVC for a hoop house I imagine the way your doing it would be more expensive but sturdier perhaps? I am thinking maybe the plastic would not be as likely to catch water or be torn in high winds your way.Everyone here in Kosovo has hoop houses mostly PVC and a few made out of wood and saplings and that is what I had planned on making them from.


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## Ed K (Oct 24, 2003)

jnap31 said:


> Ed K what would be the benefits of using the cattle panels versus just PVC for a hoop house I imagine the way your doing it would be more expensive but sturdier perhaps? I am thinking maybe the plastic would not be as likely to catch water or be torn in high winds your way.Everyone here in Kosovo has hoop houses mostly PVC and a few made out of wood and saplings and that is what I had planned on making them from.



Sorry we've drifted a bit here. I use my hoop houses for night shelter for poultry. I hang a lot of heavy stuff from the frame...nest boxes, a 40# capacity feeder etc. I also like having a lot of attachment points to attach a 1/2" mesh hardware cloth with cable ties to the framework to provide predator protection. I don't think PVC bows could provide all that. I just built a 8'x8' pen and the panels for it cost $60 (2 panels for the sides and 1/2 panel for the back) I don't think that's an exhorbitant amount although panels have gone up from around $15 last year to $24 this year.


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## jnap31 (Sep 16, 2005)

I see... that is an interesting application, I may build myself some like it when I get home. How do you keep the predators from digging under it does it have a wire floor? holy COW I had no idea panels were so much now I paid $12 each for 12 3 years ago and $9 each at auction for a few, I had planned on buying a lot when I get home gee wiz not at that price guess i will be haunting the auctions hopefully.


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## Ed K (Oct 24, 2003)

jnap31 said:


> I see... that is an interesting application, I may build myself some like it when I get home. How do you keep the predators from digging under it does it have a wire floor?


No wire on floor. So far no predators have dug under. I have them all too skunks, opossum, racoon, fox dogs coyotes etc. etc.


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## jnap31 (Sep 16, 2005)

Ed K said:


> No wire on floor. So far no predators have dug under. I have them all too skunks, opossum, racoon, fox dogs coyotes etc. etc.


You have been lucky then.


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## woodspirit (Aug 3, 2005)

$17.99 at TSC right now. I need them for the garden and tomatoes and for cows in the future. Right now mainly to help keep deer out. We have more deer per square foot here than the rest of the planet. :help: They've learned how to remove deer netting and move it out of the way to eat.


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## JulieLou42 (Mar 28, 2005)

What folks do in some places is to make two rows of fencing [field? barbed wire? electric?] 5 feet apart along the outer perimeter of what they want to protect. Works quite well, I hear from my sister in the Sierra foothills.

Another option is to keep a few dogs around, but fence the garden to keep them out instead, unless they are diggers after something in your garden. Ours aren't.

But, we have Canada Grey wolves 

[SEE -- http://www.clearwaterprogress.com/wolf attack.htm] 

and Black Bears, to name just two predators, so dogs could be essential here. Most of us are not happy about the INTRODUCTION of those wolves. Bears, so far in six years have pretty well stayed to themselves. :angel: 's watching over us!


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