Stockyard design winning over Marlborough farmers

The number of timber stockyards being built has dropped over recent years, but get the right design and it’ll be in hot demand.

“Sliding gates in the race are safer and easier to close. A steel pivot gate in the forcing pen and all swinging gates swung to suit the flow of the cattle. The gates have to work well.”

Marlborough based contractor Mike Renner and his team have built a number of stockyards around the region and he’s found a winning design that’s proved popular.

“There was one design that Greenwood had that has proven popular here in Marlborough, and we’ve done about six of them now. We’ve obviously tweaked it a little bit (for different properties).”

The yard consists of five wooden rails batten screwed to good size strainers and steel gates.

“You’ve got to tweak the design for the likes of terrain, truck access, and adding on to the existing yards.”

A recent cattleyard design and build by Renner Fencing

The number of stock units put through the yards was also a factor in the size of the design. Improvements were always being made, such as rounding the yards rather than square, “which means they flow better”, he said. Having a bit of a background in stockmanship had helped Mike with design options.

“You’ve got to think about what direction do the stock come in to the yards – ideally the stock run better up hill. Truck access is vital if you want to keep the truckies happy.”

Safety was also a big factor in designing yards.

“You’re working with animals in close proximity and you’ve got to have yards that suit people and animals."

This includes cat walks.

“They are vital in and around the forcing pen and race so you can handle cattle from the safety of the cat walk.”

Crushes and handlers, side gates and a vet gate were good options to include for the client’s safety. Snap lock latches that open easily were also a good option as they allow anyone working in the yards out quickly, he said. Shelters like a roof over the crush and trees planted in or around the yards for human and animals was also important, particularly on hot days, like those experienced in Canterbury and throughout the country this January.

There are fewer stockyards being built around the country, which Mike reckons could be down to a change of land use to things such as vineyards, for example. There are also full steel yards on the market that the farmer can “pretty much build themselves”, however these come at an increased cost. Full steel yards were more expensive for the materials but there were less costs associated in labor, he said.

Mike reckons word-of-mouth is the best way to bring in more cattle yards to build.

“The biggest word-of-mouth would be truckies, stock agents and the farmers themselves.”

They spread the word if there’s cattle yard that particularly accessible, flow well and well laid out.

“You get a lot of clients that have been to see cattle at another yard and say ‘Gee, those yards are great’.”