Head gate step

The past year or so I had a problem when loading cattle through the head gate into the stock trailer.  The dirt between the head gate and the trailer had eroded away - mostly with help from the cattle who walked and rubbed on the dirt.  This meant the cattle would step down after passing through the head gate before stepping up into the trailer.  If the cattle rushed or pushed one could potentially break its leg.

Initially I thought of making a concrete pad outside the head gate.  My neighbor, Curtis - who has a cement mixer I could use - suggested I use some of my railroad ties instead.  That was the plan until I cleaned out the hayshed.  I used some of the dense heavy wood I moved out of the hayshed.  While all the other wood that sat directly on the ground in the hayshed had rotted, the yellow pieces that sat on the ground did not rot.  They were merely discolored.  So I used this heavy yellow wood instead of railroad ties.

I figured it would take me several days to make this step.  That usually meant it would take twice as long.  For once a project went smoothly.  All but one board was the correct length, and that board only needed a minor trim.  I finished the project in only one day.

Before.

After.

After, with the head gate open.

While I only needed to have the step go just past the head gate doors, I went a little further to be on the safe side (and that way I didn't have to cut boards).  When I use my chainsaw later this Fall I will trim the last two boards to be the same length as the others.

To hold the boards in place I drilled through the boards and then pounded rebar through the boards down into the ground.  The boards are solidly in place.

I tested the new step with the stock trailer.  The step just fits under the trailer nicely.