Creating Great Agricultural Spaces

Every so often, county fairgrounds decide to upgrade their livestock panels in their livestock competition barns. When they do, they may sell off the old panels to anyone who would like them. The following are just some of the panels you might be able to purchase from fairgrounds keepers and county property sales after this year's county fair is done.

Rolled Chicken Wire

Chicken wire is often used to create temporary pens for small animals competing in the fair. It is safe to use and it prevents animals from wandering off before their competitions are up. There are often extra little rolls left that are too small to make any more cages and pens next year. It may come in handy for you if you want to make outdoor pens for rabbits or repair fences around your chicken coops.

Four-Gauge Cattle Panels

Usually about sixteen to twenty feet in length, these panels are used to form temporary pens for cattle and calves at the fair. They also work well for goats, sheep, and pigs. Fairgrounds officials may cut sections down to fit the stalls at the fair and then leave some pieces leftover. Some panels will not be useful next year after the fairgrounds upgrade, so ask if you can buy or take some home.

Corral Panels

You can use corral panels with cattle, but typically they are designed for housing horses. The horse barn at the fair uses a lot of these, both in the competition rings and to create pens for entrants. There are no wires that can poke or stab your horses in the event that they are spooked. There is only heavy-duty steel tubing that is welded tight. The fairgrounds may be looking to sell a few of these if they are showing small signs of rust or if they just like a different style of corral panel for the horse barn and riding/show arenas.

Half Wood, Half Steel Panels

These are probably being replaced because the wood is old and horses and cattle both can kick holes in the wood. However, you could buy them cheap after the fair, retool them with some brand new hardwood, seal the hardwood really well, and use these in your own barn. They are strictly barn stall and barn door panels, but they can be very nice if you know how to retool them with fresh wood.

Announcements for panel and supply sales after the fair are usually posted on the fair's public announcements board about halfway through the fair days. To learn more about livestock panels, contact companies such as Big Springs Equipment.