Safety bypass gate for emergency exit from watering area to feeding area in livestock facility

A safety bypass gate for use in a livestock facility, comprising:

• a first gate member mounted for pivotal movement about a first vertical axis along one side for movement between a closed position and an open position;
• a first spring arranged to bias the first gate member from its closed position to its open position;
• and
• a locking mechanism having a channel member that is movable between a locked position in which the channel member straddles a top edge of the gate member to hold the gate member in its closed position, and an unlocked position in which said channel member is disengaged from said gate member to allow said gate member to move to its open position.

A method of managing livestock, comprising:

• providing a pen having a watering area separate from a feeding area, a first passage between said watering area and said feeding area, and a safety bypass gate having a closed position and an open position for allowing animals to pass through a second passage between said watering area and said feeding area;
• sorting animals as they pass between the watering and feeding areas;
• and
• causing said safety bypass gate to move from said closed position to said open position upon occurrence of a condition that blocks said first passage between the watering and feeding areas to provide an emergency exit through said second passage when said first passage becomes blocked.