Texas Gardening: Livestock fence panel trellis photos, 1 by TexasPuddyPrint

TexasPuddyPrint wrote:
Have seen a few requests for photos of arches and trellises over the years. I figured I might as well make a post to show photos of the ones I have made out of livestock fence panels. The livestock fence panels are used by ranchers out here for holding pens and corrals. They are easily welded on to pipe frames and are extremely sturdy. I remember we had a 2000 pound bull attempt to jump over a six foot tall corral one year. He couldn't get his fat butt over the pipe framework and ended up getting a leg caught up in the panel. We had to quickly grab the bolt cutters to set him free before he got hurt or broke his leg. The panel wires bent a little but didn't budge much. Scary!!!

Okay, the fence panels are made of galvanize steel...they won't fall apart or rust!!! I buy mine at McCoy's but figure if ya'll have a home improvement or ranch supply store they'd probably have them there too. They cost about $16 each and they are 52 inches wide by 16 feet long. I love using them!!!

I use bolt cutters to clip them into three long strips that are 16 feet long and about 18 inches wide to make simple arches. I clip the bottom rung from each end and push the 6 inch or so prongs that remain into the ground to stabilize the arch.

Other times I have my brother weld triangular obelisks of various heights for me. Again, I clip the bottom rung and push the remaining prongs into the ground to hold the obelisk in place.

You can use a dremmel tool with a cut-off wheel to cut the wire but it is 1/4" thick and it's a slow process. Bolt cutters are so much quicker.

I still have plans to make other shapes and designs but haven't gotten around to it. Would love to use panels with smaller blocks and cut out a heart or star design to hang from a tree. Of course, a box or platform to hold a potted plant would be welded onto it or sandwiched between two panels so I could have a vine growing all over it.

~ Cat

Am going to post a bunch of photos I have...and hope others that have used livestock fence panels will post their photos too.

Here's a photo of what the 16 foot long by 52 inch wide livestock fence panel looks like.