4 Considerations for Building Cattle Pens

Your ranch’s cattle-handling facilities are the centers of much activity, and if you build and maintain them well, you’ll have decades of good use coming your way. That said, there are some important considerations to make before you put in the time and money to build or replace yours. Here are some things you will want to consider:

Longevity

The useful life of wooden corrals is around 20 years while that of metal corrals is around 40 years. In general, metal has twice the lifespan of wood and that means you will have to replace your wooden corrals two times for every one time you replace a metal corral.

Cost‍

Wood is going to cost you approximately $5 per foot of fence, not including posts or labor while metal will cost you $10 per foot of fence, not including labor. Bearing in mind the lifespan of both material types, you might think that the cost makes them even in value—but there’s more to maintaining a wooden corral or pen than just installation. Nails and screws are going to come out, poles will break, and posts are going to rot off. Overall, you can assume higher maintenance and repair costs over time for wood versus metal.

Usage‍

The size and type of corral or pen you build really depends on what kind of livestock you intend to put through it and how you plan to process them. Some activities, like roping, will obviously require more space, so keep this in mind as you plan construction.

Location‍

Your cattle-handling areas should be easy to access with vehicles and equipment. Additionally, planning for water and electricity service is important since these utilities will facilitate many necessary tasks such as vaccinating, veterinary care, and branding. Putting pens or corrals near shade trees is also helpful if you need to hold livestock for any length of time.

Ask Yourself These Questions Before Building a Cattle Pen or Corral

Besides the four considerations above, these questions may have some relevance to how and where you build your pens or corrals:

• Are you in an area with a short fire interval? And what is the likelihood that your pens will need to withstand wildfires?
• What is your budget?
• What type of resources do you have for your materials? Is there a national forest nearby where you can harvest poles yourself? Do you have a source for used drill stem or would you be purchasing it new?
• Where are you building your pens? Can you get 30 ft metal rods in there? Can you harvest wooden poles close by without hauling them?
• Do you have the equipment and expertise needed to build a metal fence, such as welders, torches, and safety equipment?
• How much do you care about the look of your pen or corral? Do you prefer rustic versus more industrial?
• What safety considerations have you made for yourself and your animals? For example, are your poles rough-cut and prone to splintering? Will your metal corrals have caps to cover the sharp ends? 
• Is your pen or corral on leased ground that you might risk losing, or is it on deeded ground that you’ll be able to access for years?
• If you lease land, do you have any cost-share agreements with the lessor? 

Conclusion

Altogether, you need to do your homework and run the numbers on what different types of pens or corrals will cost. Once you do some side-by-side comparisons of wood versus metal, the answer will likely be clear to you.

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