What is a cattle grid (Dutch: wildrooster)?
A cattle grid, called a cattle guard in North America and “wildrooster” in Dutch, is a grid of pipes, rails or beams over a shallow pit in a road or track where a fence crosses it. Hoofed animals such as deer, sheep, cattle and horses will not walk over it because they feel no firm ground under their hooves. Cars, bikes and farm vehicles can pass straight over without anyone opening and closing a gate.
Where do you find them?
- At entrances to fenced nature reserves and deer parks.
- On farms and estates with grazing livestock.
- On dikes and floodplains where cattle graze.
Construction
- Pit: a concrete or brick box under the grid so the bars span over a void.
- Grid: transverse steel pipes or sections with gaps, designed for the traffic load (car, lorry or tractor).
- Fence junction: the fence must meet the grid tightly on both sides, or animals simply walk round.
- Drainage: the pit needs an outlet, for example to a ditch.
Points to watch
- Small animals: hedgehogs, toads and young animals can fall into the pit. An escape ramp in the pit stops them getting trapped.
- Cyclists and pedestrians: grids are slippery when wet and awkward for narrow tyres, wheelchairs and buggies. Provide a side gate.
- Maintenance: clear leaves, branches and silt regularly. A filled-up pit no longer works, because animals can step on the debris.
- Load capacity: have grid and pit designed for the heaviest vehicle that will cross.
- Consent: on public roads or in protected areas, permission from the highway authority or land manager is usually required.
Related terms
- Stone dike
- Toe of a dike
- Emergency dike
- Aquifer
- Pile dike
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