3 Creative Uses for Your Livestock Panels

Whether you're an experienced farmer or just adding a few animals to your property, livestock panels are a must-have piece of equipment. Livestock panels are a versatile, lightweight, affordable way to erect fences around your property. 

However, you can also them for purposes other than fencing. When you're through using the panels for a specific purpose, just dismantle and reuse them. Here are just a few ways you can use your livestock panels.

1. Set up a Temporary Shelter

Use your livestock panels to set up temporary shelters around your farm. Perhaps you have tools and animals in a certain area, and it looks like a rainstorm is coming through. Instead of having to stow your tools or move your animals, you can utilize your livestock panels to make temporary shelters to protect tools, equipment, livestock, and more from the elements. 

A benefit of these temporary shelters is that they don't require building permits, keeping them as convenient and low cost as possible. Start by setting up the panels to make the shelter's frame. You'll then stretch wire from one frame to the next to make the ceiling. 

Add T-posts as needed to lend stability to the shelter. Finally, fit the structure with tarps to add much-needed protection from precipitation and sunlight.

2. Create Animal "Tractors"

If you're concerned about your animals unevenly eating your farm's vegetation or want to make sure that they fertilize multiple areas, you can use your livestock panels to make an animal tractor. An animal tractor is commonly used for smaller animals, like chickens and rabbits, that tend to strip the ground of its top layer. Each day, you move the tractor to a new spot. This prevents your animals from completely denuding the ground and ensures that their manure fertilizes new areas each day. 

To make your own animal tractor, use the livestock panel to fashion a sturdy bottom. Then, use chicken wire around the panel to make an enclosure for your animals. On windy days, you may need to anchor the enclosure to the ground so that it doesn't blow away.

3. Add Trellises to Your Gardens

Livestock panels can also be used to make trellises for your growing plants. Just attach two livestock panels together with wire and you have a trellis. Or, attach livestock panels as needed to the borders of your garden. You can even configure the design of your trellis so that it better meets your plants' needs. For example, if you grow tomatoes, use multiple panels and wire to produce a spacious square tomato cage. 

Contact a company like Big Springs Equipment for more information about livestock panels.