One-Way Cattle Gate?

[Circle C]

I need some help/ideas for a one-way cattle gate. 


Here's the scenario...   I have a small pasture that will be holding~25 head of roping steers. I'll need to load them on a trailer and haul them once or twice a week. Rather than have to drive/call them to the pens before I need them, I would like to have a one-way gate between the pasture and the loading/working pens.  The water and feed will be in the pens, and I would like to have an open gate for them to use during the week, then the day before I need them penned, I'll close the gate, and they'll only have the one-way gate to access feed and water.

I've thought about using an overhead one-way gate, similar to a stripping chute, but I've also seen some that look like a perch trap too.


Stripping chute style


"perch trap" style


Basic style of pens I will be building.  I would like to have the one way gate adjacent to the standard gate, so that they are used to traveling the same path.



Any thoughts on which might be a better type in my situation?

[treeingratterrier]

Instead of using say a 16 foot gate for them to enter the pens buy 2 8 foot gates and weld some suckerrod fingers on both of them about 3 foot long on every horzontial piece of tubing in the gate, like taking both of your hands and interlocking your fingers, leave it kinda open the first week and them start closing it in lil by lil to where they have to squueze thru it to get to water, you need something like a windmill tailspring or something similar to keep tension on it and some tabs or just use wire to tie it to both gates with some kind of way to increase or decrease tension and it also has to be able to be removed if you u just open both gates to work cows and dont need the finger trap working.  You could just use wood 2x4 and drill thru the gatr tubing to attach them if no welder around as well.  Wish i had a picture to show you what I have seen used down here. Good luck

[Peachcreek]

seems to me it would work just like the round hog traps i build. just a spring loaded gate about 4' wide with a light spring on it to keep it shut they can push in easy but a stop on the outside keeps them from pushing out. its like the roach motel raid use to sell.lol but i aint no cow poke just a poor ole rigger from the sticks

[JLH]

We use the stripping type so when we rope them they will go in and we also use it to catch them at the lot at feed time. we just made it out of tube panels work good

[matt_aggie04]

I would have an alley for them to come down to get to feed and water and use the stripping chute style and have it where you can let it swing both ways all week long but then go set it where it will only swing in.  I could see some bad things happening if a cow got half way throught that perch style and decided to back up or got pushed back.

[tobyb2007]

I would have an alley for them to come down to get to feed and water and use the stripping chute style and have it where you can let it swing both ways all week long but then go set it where it will only swing in.  I could see some bad things happening if a cow got half way throught that perch style and decided to back up or got pushed back.

good point on the perch type. I would just use the stripping style and tie it up until ready to catch them.

[craig]

 dont you have a aussie you could send around em to bring em in..

[Circle C]

Craig,
   We do have some dogs that can and will be used at times, but also want a backup plan if we are not available to load out, I could have the property caretaker set the gates to one-way and have someone else haul the cattle on occasion. About to crank up weekly team sortings, some practice ropings, and youth rodeos, I know I won't be available to haul at all times, and like to have my ducks in a row....

Did you ever locate a BC?