# T post and cattle panel shelters?



## mydaddysjag (Jun 20, 2011)

Im looking for information on the T post/cattle panel shelters that a lot of forum members have. I tried searching for them, but im not coming up with anything. I need a picture and instructions on how to make one. I need a little shelter to get out of the sun in my bigger paddock but it needs to be something two women can build in one day cheaply. We are building a barn for at night, but one of the paddocks doesnt get any shade, and it has strong sun most of the day.


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## kaykay (Jun 20, 2011)

I know Frankie made one and several of my other friends have used them

But if you have high winds pls be careful as a good wind can and will take them down quickly. I actually think they work better when you attach them to a building to shield them from wind but sometimes that defeats the purpose


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## candycar (Jun 20, 2011)

They are so easy to make, and hold up well. Hubby thought it would blow down, but we've had ours up for over 2 years now and no problems!

We used 4 tall T posts for4 the corners, and 2 short (broken) ones for the middle. 1 11X16 tarp and 2 cattle pannels. We cut out and hooked It to an exsiting fence, and fenced in the back also.

Just set the corner posts, wire the cattle pannels together overlapping at least 1 "square". Make the arch and wire it to the posts. set the middle posts. Then put the tarp on and ziptie it to the cattle pannel. Wire tie the shelter to the middle posts. We use a lot of zip ties! Love those things LOL! We put a rope over the top and tied it to the corner posts, just as an extra tie down for high winds.

We leave the extra tarp folded up inside in the back so it's open in the summer, then put it down in the winter.







I hope that helps! I would get better pics, but it's raining now.


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## Marsha Cassada (Jun 20, 2011)

candycar said:


> They are so easy to make, and hold up well. Hubby thought it would blow down, but we've had ours up for over 2 years now and no problems!
> 
> We used 4 tall T posts for4 the corners, and 2 short (broken) ones for the middle. 1 11X16 tarp and 2 cattle pannels. We cut out and hooked It to an exsiting fence, and fenced in the back also.
> 
> ...


O my gosh! We could make one of those for our chickens.

Rain? What is that?

Marsha


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## Marty (Jun 20, 2011)

I also made two of them a few years back. I made ours all by myself in one afternoon and came out unscathed. Before you "walk" your cattle panels up and bend them over, I used some hot wire connected to them both to keep them exactly together. Zip ties are also a great idea. I also made the third side solid by using a piece of field fencing and an additional tarp. I used a LOT of bungies and made three rows of them: I hooked them all together and through them from the bottom, across the top and down on the other side. Mine was an eyesore. Be sure to shove those tee posts down in the ground good. Shortly after I put ours up we had bad storms and it withheld 60 mile an hour winds. The tarps got trashed but the tee posts and panels never budged.


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## StarRidgeAcres (Jun 20, 2011)

I did one for Butter to foal out in this spring. I didn't have a proper place in the "barn" I have so we just decided to use one of these and put up fencing around it for a pen after she foaled. I had to make mine tall enough on the inside that we could install the camera and have it up enough that we could see all four corners of the enclosure. If not for that I would have had it not as tall. I used 5 t-posts, tarps, bungie cords and zip ties. I made it up against an existing fence so that served as the back. I put a tarp on the back first. Then over the sides/top and punched tiny holes through the first tarp (covering the back) to attach the tarps going over the top. I had a t-post at each corner plus one about 2/3's across the front and also put a tarp along that so I just had about 1/3 open. But remember I needed this to be a foaling stall so I needed it to be as warm as possible and as enclosed as possible. I used a gate to close off the 1/3 open area. For your purpose you probably want it more open for the most breeze, but still sun shade. My suggestion would be to buy the black/larger (wider) zipties that are specifically labled for outdoor use. They hold up better in the extreme heat and cold I found.

Good luck! I really like mine and plan on adding another for shade purposes.


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## fowlersminis (Jun 23, 2011)

I loved them when I had them, but unfortunately the winter took it's toll on them and they both caved in from heavy snow...actually they've done that every year for the past 3 years. I finally gave up and let the horses roam in and out of the stall on their own so they can go in there for shelter whenever they want. Hopefully you live where the winters aren't too bad. Good luck!


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## mydaddysjag (Jun 23, 2011)

We have crappy winters too, im near Pittsburgh PA. The stall doors to the barn will be left open, but I still wanted to put something for shade in the field that isnt connested to the barn. I could even take them down for the winter.


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## Jill (Oct 25, 2012)

We've never set up these kinds of shelters, but I ordered some heavy duty tarps because we have ended up with A LOT of unused cattle panels, and we are going to use some of them for these. We're going to set up one for our goats (and take down their delapedated house we slapped together many years ago), and then also in two of our paddocks as additional shelter. I'm excited to see how they will turn out. Might even share pictures!!! I think Candy's turned out really good


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## hoofhearted (Oct 25, 2012)

How do you bend the cattle panels? Are you talking about the ones that hook together for fencing? We have hung them as gates as well..not pretty, but do the job. Mine are really heavy..lol One of my kids suggested using an old hay ring..


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## jessj (Oct 25, 2012)

hoofhearted said:


> How do you bend the cattle panels? Are you talking about the ones that hook together for fencing? We have hung them as gates as well..not pretty, but do the job. Mine are really heavy..lol One of my kids suggested using an old hay ring..


Do you mean a round pen panel?? This is the kind of panel that you use for the shelters. They are more light weight.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/feedlot-panel-cattle-16-ft-l-x-50-in-h-3502077


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## chandab (Oct 26, 2012)

jessj said:


> Do you mean a round pen panel?? This is the kind of panel that you use for the shelters. They are more light weight.
> 
> http://www.tractorsu...50-in-h-3502077


Yes, its the mesh panels used to make these shelters.


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## hoofhearted (Oct 26, 2012)

ok..I was wondering how you did it, lol! It would take everal people and a tractor tire to bend these...

Thank you..we need to make 3..


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## chandab (Oct 26, 2012)

hoofhearted said:


> ok..I was wondering how you did it, lol! It would take everal people and a tractor tire to bend these...
> 
> Thank you..we need to make 3..


The ones we have available locally aren't that stiff, and its not too hard to bend the mesh panels. You are just making a big curve with the panel, so should be too hard to do.


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