There are more types of cattle gates than most farmers realise, and using the wrong type in the wrong location causes daily frustrations and reduces the efficiency of your whole yard. This guide breaks down which gate suits which job.
Walk into any well-designed cattle yard and you will see several different types of gates doing different jobs. Standard swing gates at pen entries. Sliding gates in the race. Drafting gates at the crush exit. Each gate type has been chosen for a specific reason, and swapping one type for another in the wrong location creates the kind of problem that slows down every processing day.
If your current yard uses the same type of gate everywhere, or if you are planning a new yard and trying to work out what to order, this guide will help you match the right gate to each location.
Standard Swing Gates
Standard swing gates are the workhorses of the cattle yard. They are used at the entry and exit points of holding pens, at the main yard entrance, and anywhere you need a gate that opens wide and closes securely. Their strength is simplicity. They open fully to let cattle through, swing closed behind them, and latch securely to keep the mob contained.
Swing gates are available in a range of widths. Wider gates suit vehicle access points or entrances where large numbers of cattle need to move through quickly. Narrower gates suit smaller pen openings where you want to control the flow more carefully. Our range includes everything from a 2.1 metre standard gate for tight pen entries right through to a 4.2 metre double gate for wide vehicle or mob access points.
The 360 Cattle Gate is worth considering for locations where you need the gate to swing in both directions, such as at the junction between two pens where you regularly need to move cattle in either direction through the same opening.
Sliding Gates
Sliding gates are the right choice anywhere a swing gate would create an obstacle or a hazard. In a race, a swing gate that opens into the path of approaching cattle creates a collision point. In a tight pen corner, a swing gate that needs to open 90 degrees may not have the clearance to do so without hitting a fence post or panel. Sliding gates solve both problems by moving parallel to the fence line rather than swinging into the working area.
They are particularly valuable in races for stopping cattle quickly. A sliding gate can be dropped into the closed position in a fraction of a second, while a swing gate requires a more deliberate closing action that takes longer when cattle are moving at pace. Our Sliding Cattle Gate and 2-Way Sliding Gate cover both single-direction and bidirectional applications depending on your race layout.
Drafting Gates
Drafting gates are what separate a yard that can sort cattle efficiently from one that can only process them. A drafting gate positioned at the crush exit allows you to send each animal to a different destination, left, straight ahead, or right, as it leaves the crush, without having to physically move or redirect it after the fact.
For operations that regularly sort cattle by weight class, pregnancy status, treatment group, or destination, a proper drafting gate saves hours on every processing day. The 3-Way Drafting Gate gives you three exit directions from a single gate position, which covers most sorting requirements. The 2-Way Cattle Race Gate suits simpler sorting needs where you only need to direct cattle into one of two groups.
Specialty Gates for Specific Applications
The Spear Trap Gate suits applications where you need to trap individual animals in a section of the race without the ability to reverse. It allows animals to push through in one direction and prevents them from backing up, which is useful for loading ramp approaches and other single-direction flow points.
The Man Panel Gate is the escape route infrastructure that keeps handlers safe. Positioned at intervals along the race and in key positions around the crush, man gates let handlers step through quickly while keeping cattle contained. In a well-designed yard, man gates are not optional extras. They are safety-critical components.
Choosing the Right Gate for Each Location
If you are planning a new yard or upgrading an existing one, the most useful approach is to think about each gate location separately and ask what that gate needs to do. Entry and exit to pens need swing gates. Race flow control needs sliding gates. Crush exit sorting needs drafting gates. And handler safety needs man gates at regular intervals.
Browse our full cattle gate range or talk to the team at SEQ Rural Steel and Fencing about matching the right gates to your yard layout. Get in touch for a free quote.
