Buying hog/cattle panels? How many ?

[Smart]

10-12 panels minimum. My current ones are 19-20 panels out west, but I came across a heckuva deal through a guy getting off his lease to increase to that size. I would pay full price to get it that big again at my place if needed. I, personally, prefer buying the cattle panels instead of the hog panels and cutting them down from 50" to 42" (2 rows) with a set of bolt cutters or a portable battery powered grinder/cutoff wheel. They make quick easy work of it. The cattle panels at Tractor Supply are $3/ea cheaper than the hog panels so when you buy 9 you'd get #10 basically free with the money you saved and cutting them is quick and cheap. That's a $50-60 savings for two pens.

I could cut a 10 panel pen in 7-8 minutes or less. You can also go one rung lower for one half a panel or two to give them a better jump over and strategically cut them in your pens so they are broadside when they jump in if you are bowhunting in them like I do. Both of my jumps are 15-20 yards left and right of my blind and they use the heck out of them them to enter and leave.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/feedlot-panel-cattle-16-ft-l-x-50-in-h

[Smart]

Pics of one of my big cattle panel pens from the side to give a visual of what I was describing above. Red arrows are jumps…. Yellow arrow points direction toward my blind. We also have jumps cut in the 10-12 panel pens

[Traildust]

I build several with cattle panels cut in half recommended by aTm…. They are full of hogs daily. Any and all sizes.


hog panel only. I would even waste the time and money smaller than 10 panel. It’s insane how much a little increase in area increases usage. That’s for East Texas. If I was west or south with higher deer population I’d probably go 12 panel minimum

Been there, done that. Had to learn the hard way for being a cheap bastage! You wouldn't think they could get thru a 6x6 square....but they don't even slow down!

[mjhaverkamp]

As far as time savings, get you some stainless steel zip ties and the zip tie tool that goes with them to secure your panels. Much faster than tying wire, plenty secure, and saves a lot of wear and tear on your hands. Game changer on feeder pen construction .

That is a great idea, has anyone used hog rings to secure the panels together ? We are putting up 6 pens next week, 60 hog panels, looking for good ideas like this, it is on our own property so we are going to make them really nice.

[Texas Made]

What is everyone using to drive t posts in rocky areas? I have to build 2 pens this wkend in areas that it is nearly impossible to get the t posts deep enough because of rocks.

[Lynn21]

8 sixteen footers , 2 of em per side. That’s plenty big enough. That will make one pen. Don’t forget u need t posts too.

[Txhunter3000]

What is everyone using to drive t posts in rocky areas? I have to build 2 pens this wkend in areas that it is nearly impossible to get the t posts deep enough because of rocks.

Generator, large hammer drill and appropriate drill bit.

[Drycreek3189]

This pen has six hog panels due to where it was put. I usually go eight for corn.

[ThisLadyHunts]

Pics of one of my big cattle panel pens from the side to give a visual of what I was describing above. Red arrows are jumps…. Yellow arrow points direction toward my blind. We also have jumps cut in the 10-12 panel pens

It's hard for me to see in the pic but it looks like you notched a couple of squares down to create your jump panel, right?

[Smart]

What is everyone using to drive t posts in rocky areas? I have to build 2 pens this wkend in areas that it is nearly impossible to get the t posts deep enough because of rocks.

Good heavy tpost driver on most that have decent soil but the really rocky ones like the one in my pics above I rented the hammer drill and compressor mentioned above. That pen had a slate rock under the entire area about 6”under the soil. Tried manual driver but it was useless. The hammer drill made quick work out of it all. Hardest part of the whole deal was beating the plates off of each of the 40ish tposts but that was easier than manually driving them.

[SaltwaterSlick]

If it’s just to keep hogs out, a round pen is fine. If you have cattle, build them square and as large as you can afford. Use a minimum of 1t-post at each end of the panels and one in the middle of each panel. Let the panels overlap 1 square opening. Stretch at least 1 strand of barbed wire a few inches above the panels and stretch it TIGHT! Rig up a dead man on the corners so you can stretch the wire guitar string tight without bending your corner t-posts or panels. If you are feeding protein or cottonseed, cattle that have had a taste of either will push a round pen down in a heartbeat. I personally put two strands of barbed wire above my panels.

the pen should be big enuf to keep all feed inside the pen when the feeders spin it out. Otherwise you will still attract hogs and the whole idea is to not attract them. A hog does not have to be in the pen to keep the deer spooked off the feed.

[RonRon]

If you do decide to use cattle panels and cut them..............grind the cut edges to make them smooth. The edges can be razor sharp and will slice the belly of a deer trying to jump it.

[Goldensammy]

Thanks for all of the replies and information!

[mjhaverkamp]

8 sixteen footers , 2 of em per side. That’s plenty big enough. That will make one pen. Don’t forget u need t posts too.

I was going to use 10 but the more I think about it I think I will use 8, that is 40 feet in diameter, how much room do deer need, it is for gravity protein feeder only, my corn feeder pens will most likely be 9 or 10 panels. I was going to use hog rings or stainless zip ties to attach panels together, I think I am just going to go with the extra heavy duty nylon zip ties, they have them rated up to 200 pounds and uv resistant. We are going to space the protein feeders out evenly over the ranch, about 400 acres per feeder, did not want to hunt over them, well unless a big buck is coming in during day light hours, may have to make an exception.

[Throwin Darts]

I use 12 hog panels.

I over lap them for two squares and secure them with stainless zip ties. 1000x better than twisting wire.

Then I stand it up as I go. Position the pen how you want it and when you're happy with it then drive the t posts. One at every joint and one every panel in the middle.