Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2010 16:01:54 GMT -5
I would love some ideas from some veteran small farmers. In the next month we are building a gambrel-style animal barn and putting up fencing.
The barn will be home to our horses, cow & calf, goats, rabbits, and cats. So far it will have an insulated, perhaps heated, tack room (I would also store supplies in this room, like medicines, clippers, etc.), a goat pen (they will have a miniature door out to the pasture so the other animals can't come in their pen), 2 box stalls for occasional use (for penning up the calf at night, etc), a milking chute with a concrete floor, and a loafing shed off the back (this will be the animals' primary shelter--easy to clean out with the skidsteer!). This barn will have a center aisle, right now we're thinking it will be concrete. It will also have a large haymow. All animal feed will be as it is now--stored in bags in an old deep freeze.
After my first milking this morning I can already tell it would be handy to have hot water piped out to the barn...maybe a utility sink in the tack room? Or perhaps a way to hook up a hose to warm water so I could just spray her off directly without messing with a bucket? Guess with that scenario I'd also need a drain in the chute.
I also wonder about having a fridge in the tack room but I'm not sure how useful that would be?
Then for the fencing...we're planning to do high-tensile...perhaps 7 strands? A few will be electrified to keep the goats in. We're planning for a 4-board fence along our yard/driveway...probably will run a strand or two of electric inside this to keep horses from chewing on it.
So tell me any pros/cons to these ideas and I heartily welcome any advice! What would your dream barn be like?
The barn will be home to our horses, cow & calf, goats, rabbits, and cats. So far it will have an insulated, perhaps heated, tack room (I would also store supplies in this room, like medicines, clippers, etc.), a goat pen (they will have a miniature door out to the pasture so the other animals can't come in their pen), 2 box stalls for occasional use (for penning up the calf at night, etc), a milking chute with a concrete floor, and a loafing shed off the back (this will be the animals' primary shelter--easy to clean out with the skidsteer!). This barn will have a center aisle, right now we're thinking it will be concrete. It will also have a large haymow. All animal feed will be as it is now--stored in bags in an old deep freeze.
After my first milking this morning I can already tell it would be handy to have hot water piped out to the barn...maybe a utility sink in the tack room? Or perhaps a way to hook up a hose to warm water so I could just spray her off directly without messing with a bucket? Guess with that scenario I'd also need a drain in the chute.
I also wonder about having a fridge in the tack room but I'm not sure how useful that would be?
Then for the fencing...we're planning to do high-tensile...perhaps 7 strands? A few will be electrified to keep the goats in. We're planning for a 4-board fence along our yard/driveway...probably will run a strand or two of electric inside this to keep horses from chewing on it.
So tell me any pros/cons to these ideas and I heartily welcome any advice! What would your dream barn be like?