Posted By Seamus O Sullivan Hi everyone. Does anyone know anything about a cattle grid. Relevant standards, and any accidents as a result of them. Precations/requirements when installing one. No need to cover the usual construction safety requirements. Thanks in advance Seamus

Posted By Graham Bullough Seamus You asked for anything about cattle grids, so here's a reply you might not have expected: They are effective barriers for cattle and horses, but apparently not for sheep! According to internet sources, sheep in some parts of the UK have devised ways of getting across them. Either they roll across the grids commando-style or one sheep lies on the grid and the rest use her as a stepping stone. This snippet of information is offered as part of life's rich tapestry, perhaps for use as a novel topic of conversation. On a more serious note, I don't know whether there is any British Standard for cattle grids but perhaps other more enlightened users of this forum can respond about this. It would certainly be worth identifying and contacting several agricultural engineering firms as the making (and repairing) of cattle grids is likely to be a standard job for them.

Posted By Glyn Atkinson Hopefully the sheep on the floor being wedged is able to get back up again before the cattle charge for freedom?? Got a quick glimpse of Creature Comforts or Wallace and Grommit flash to mind ! Must be the hotter weather !

Posted By Lee Mac This must be some type of special forces sheep!! I think I heard this elite breed of sheep have lately taken command of a 4x4s rather than adopting rolling manouveres.

Posted By Stuart Kirby Not what the OP was asking, but it seems true about the comamndo sheep. Being sceptical I just googled it - see BBC News Online 30 July 2004. Our Worcestershire sheep have not yet mastered this though, I pass 3 grids on way to work.

Posted By paulw71 no, they can still get across them too

Posted By Swis Guess mods are busy today....

Posted By Seamus O Sullivan I meant to ask are they suitable for use by persons with wheelchairs? As I think about it, there may be a problem. The idea is to allow the wheelchair user move along a lane , keep back cattle, and avoid the person having to get out of his car to open a gate. The reasons for this is because a nasty farmer insists a gate is always closed, there is a wheelchair user using the lane and needs to get out of the car to open the gate, move the car, then get out again to close the gate. While this seems simple, it is not, it will be difficult in the dark wet winter months. Any other ideas. Seamus

Posted By Jim Walker Does surprise me in the least that sheep can do this. Anyone who watches Shaun the Sheep will know how clever they are. Long long ago - when I was a lad, I helped the village postman at Christmas. I went over a grid too slow (on my overladen post office bike), wobbled and the front wheel went down the grid. A delicate part of my anatomy connected with the cross bar and both legs were jammed in the grid. A passing Farmer had to help me out - after he had finally got over being convulsed with laughter.

Posted By Paul Duell It won't be all sheep that can do the commando roll: Most breeds have such wide flat backs that if they roll on to their back, they can't get up. Sounds funny - and it can be comical to watch - but they need to be helped back to their feet or they die. For this reason it is ESSENTIAL that a suitable and sufficient risk assessment be conducted by a competent person before permitting sheep to take part in sponsored assault courses involving cattle grids. Paul (GradIOSH - but my farming knowledge is at least 25 years out of date)

Posted By Bob Y Seamus I can't really add anything useful to your actual question. But I have enjoyed reading the thread. Special forces sheep - I like the idea. If only General Sir Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett KCB DSO had thought about that one!

Posted By Graham Bullough Seamus If the farmer is willing to replace the gate with a cattle grid and the disabled person is driving a vehicle, surely that would benefit both of them - the farmer would no longer have to worry about his cattle straying through a gate if left open, while the disabled person can drive over the grid without the hassle of having to get in and out of his/her vehicle twice to deal with the gate. In fact, other drivers would also enjoy the same benefit. As for an electric gate, consideration would need to be given to the gate's location and the cost of laying a power supply versus the cost of a cattle grid. Also, as you point out, there would be some doubt about the reliability of an electric gate. However, if a cattle grid is used to replace the present ordinary gate, it might have to be supplemented by an adjacent ordinary gate for use by pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders and perhaps also by farmer for moving his cattle. I hope you didn't mind my introduction of some frivolity about sheep in your thread. Thankfully, it has generated some light-hearted responses and thus helped keep your thread in the upper echelons of page 1 on this forum.

Posted By D. Hilton cant agree with your "The Field" comparison Seamus.