Suggestions are mostly for larger trailers, not small ones that occasionally are used behind a tractor to haul cows out of a rough place as I have done. Some of these are from personal experience but most are from others.There should be an escape door at the front right if the trailer. It also can be used to sort cattle by letting some out the front. The door should be capable of being opened from the inside. This seems obvious but I saw some at a show display that couldn't be opened from the inside.
The door should reach to the floor so cattle can be let out. The trailer frame has to be strengthened across the top of the trailer because the botom of the frame has to be cut out for the door. There should be at least one center gate so groups of cows can be loaded. The center gate should be removable and hinges should be placed in different places so the gate(s) position can be changed. The center gate should have a sliding gate built in on the end away from the hinges(for strength). The sliding gate should have a bracket welded on so you can reach in from the outside with a steel rod and slide the gate. Some trailers have this type of gate at the rear also. Depends on your loading pens as to whether you need this. All commercial trailers I have seen have the top closed in, as they should be. Height should be high enough so you don't bump your head. 6 1/2 feet seems to be standard. On the trailer I made, there is a gap of 2 inches at the bottom of the sides so the trailer can be washed out to the sides instead of washing everything out the back. Commercial trailer makers aren't going to do this because of manufacturing costs. The lower part of the frame on a commercial trailer is made from one piece of steel folded to hold the floor boards. This makes a solid side which holds debris and rusts out fairly soon, at least in this climate. Owners have to remove the floor boards and weld up the sides periodically. All these sugestions add to the cost of the trailer, but will be worth it when handling cattle. KEH
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