# Carport Barn



## SheepGirl

We are getting a 20x32 carport (deposit was already made on it) that we are converting into a barn (we are putting wood siding on it) and I was looking for ideas on designing the inside. Here is a diagram of where the doors are going to be but other than that it is fair game.




 

In this diagram I have the doors at 8', but I'm not sure if they're going to be 6' or 8'. There is going to be an 8' gap between the fence and the barn, I was thinking in that space I can put a couple pens and then also put in doors on the side? My mom said we can put doors wherever as long as it is symmetrical.

Here is what I need:
* Feed/storage room (enough for at least 50-60 bales of hay...my 8x10 "feed shack" can only do like 30-40 bales to give you an idea)
* At least one ram pen and one lamb pen
* Open area for the ewes
* Sheep chute where I can include my scale

(I don't necessarily need a jug; I can build panels so that way the jug is only temporary.)

I was thinking maybe an 8x10 feed room in the bottom right corner and then two pens next to it? I was also thinking maybe having a long wall in the feed area so I can do fenceline feeding so I don't even have to get in with the sheep and be squished while they mob me for hay/grain. Kind of like this:






Any other ideas to include in the barn? Or layout designs?


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## Baymule




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## norseofcourse

Will both doors be fully closeable? Weathertight?  Is there vapor barrier on the inside of the roof to prevent condensation?  What direction do the doors face, and what direction does most of your weather come from?

I do like the idea of a fenceline feeder.  How many sheep will be eating out of it?  How much room (width) will you need for each sheep?


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## LeviS

How tall is your building? If its tall enough you could have a loft of some sort, which would open up a lot of room. May be something to consider since you can always make a barn wider but it would be a bugger to make it taller. 


norseofcourse said:


> Will both doors be fully closeable? Weathertight?  Is there vapor barrier on the inside of the roof to prevent condensation?  What direction do the doors face, and what direction does most of your weather come from?


 x2


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## Bossroo

Barn lofts , especially for hay storage  ( spontaneous cumbustion )are  number one issue in barn fires and animal occupant losses.      Also, making a barn weathertight  and with vapor barriers will case the inside of the roof to condensate and drip water causing the prefect environment for mold on feed and other organic items.  Good ventilation at the eves and highest point of the roof is highly recommended for this as well as eliminating off gasses from urine , feces, and  other animal odors.


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## LeviS

Bossroo said:


> Barn lofts , especially for hay storage  ( spontaneous cumbustion )are  number one issue in barn fires and animal occupant losses.      Also, making a barn weathertight  and with vapor barriers will case the inside of the roof to condensate and drip water causing the prefect environment for mold on feed and other organic items.  Good ventilation at the eves and highest point of the roof is highly recommended for this as well as eliminating off gasses from urine , feces, and  other animal odors.


 The same could be said about storing hay inside anywhere, but done properly its a great tool.

Just to clarify weather tight and ventilation can be taken as two different things. Personal example, snow comes in sideways here always from the northwest, my pole barn that was (finally) constructed right before the snow started to fly, was not weather proofed. I had snow flying in, though that 1/4" (if that) gap, landing right on my kidding pens, which was obviously a major concern. I was told it was ventilation to have that space there but I certainly don't think that now.

Know where your weather normally comes from and plan ventilation and weather proofing from there. It's great that you are researching this before building, getting different views and experiences to make an informed decision.


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## OneFineAcre

LeviS said:


> The same could be said about storing hay inside anywhere, but done properly its a great tool.
> 
> Just to clarify weather tight and ventilation can be taken as two different things. Personal example, snow comes in sideways here always from the northwest, my pole barn that was (finally) constructed right before the snow started to fly, was not weather proofed. I had snow flying in, though that 1/4" (if that) gap, landing right on my kidding pens, which was obviously a major concern. I was told it was ventilation to have that space there but I certainly don't think that now.
> 
> Know where your weather normally comes from and plan ventilation and weather proofing from there. It's great that you are researching this before building, getting different views and experiences to make an informed decision.



You are absolutely right.  A barn can be weather tight and still have proper ventilation. 
And sheepgirl is quite the carpenter, so I know her building is going to be nice.

My wife has a picture on facebook of a building built around one of those carports.  I'll see if I can get it.


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## LeviS

Right now my barn is still empty for the most part, last year I had all panels so that was all taken down but Ill try and get a drawing up of my planned layout also.



OneFineAcre said:


> My wife has a picture on facebook of a building built around one of those carports.  I'll see if I can get it.


 I look forward to seeing it, I love see other people's layouts. They had a major influence on my building plans.


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## OneFineAcre

Here's the picture.  They started with this originally and added on two more sections.
Very creative.





And here is the link to how they built it.

http://www.mulligansrun.com/OurBarn.html


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## LeviS

stone floors.......sliding stall doors.......attractively designed......


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## Baymule

@OneFineAcre thanks for posting that! Love the carport barn! Sure gives us some good ideas!


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## OneFineAcre

Baymule said:


> @OneFineAcre thanks for posting that! Love the carport barn! Sure gives us some good ideas!


Pretty neat isn't it.  I read through the link, and on the first one they drilled holes in every piece of the siding through the steel legs, and attached the wood with through bolts.  I bet that was a lot of work. On the others they installed a channel on the legs that they can just slide the pieces of wood down, but that didn't look as good with the steel legs still exposed.  There are probably other ways around that, you could just install 3 boards horizontally at the top, middle and bottom and run your exterior boards vertically.  Or you could just install some sheathing, some tyvek wrap and lapped cedar siding.

Was thinking was it really beneficial to even start with the carport.  But, the good thing about using that as the base, if you aren't particularly skilled you are at least starting with a structure that is square with walls that are plumb.


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## Baymule

Not to mention that I am definitely rafter-challenged.


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## OneFineAcre

Baymule said:


> Not to mention that I am definitely rafter-challenged.



I forgot that part. That's a biggie. 
That's why all of my shelters at my old place were shed type, low sloped and metal.


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## SheepGirl

@OneFineAcre, that's where we got inspiration from. However my mom went through and calculated it out and the cost of the carport (free delivery and installation ), the cost of the gravel to be leveled, and the wood paneling for the siding was still about 1/2 the price of buying a pre-built barn (our only other option since my parents didn't want to build one anymore).


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## OneFineAcre

SheepGirl said:


> @OneFineAcre, that's where we got inspiration from. However my mom went through and calculated it out and the cost of the carport (free delivery and installation ), the cost of the gravel to be leveled, and the wood paneling for the siding was still about 1/2 the price of buying a pre-built barn (our only other option since my parents didn't want to build one anymore).



I can't wait to see what you build.  You said paneling for the siding.  You mean you are going to use the 4x8 sheets of T-111 siding, what I call barn siding?
I know when we moved I bought (2) 12x20 carports.  We had a nice place for the does, we needed something for the bucks, and another to keep some hay under and the milk stand and no way could we have built what we got for what we paid.

I want to see what you do because I'm going to do something with the ones we already bought, and may do more.


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## SheepGirl

Yep, T-111 siding. It's going to be painted white to match the rest of the buildings on the property.

My mom already has an idea for the outside, but I'm still trying to figure out how I want everything set up on the inside.


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## SheepGirl

ETA: I asked my dad and he said it will be here in 6 weeks or so, or mid-November.


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## OneFineAcre

@SheepGirl 

Do you have an update?  I think the last word was the carport was being delivered.
I'm particularly interested in the detail on how you are installing the siding.
I've got two smaller carports 12x20 that I want to at least side in some fashion.
Plus, we have a contract on the sale of our old house and if all goes well and we close Dec 2nd, I'm probably going to be looking a new larger barn.


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## babsbag

@OneFineAcre  I LOVE the picture of that barn. We have been tossing around barn ideas too and we were going to start with a carport and then we decided to do stick built because of the cost. BUT we are renting scaffolding when we do the rafters and the roof; not as young as we used to be and ladder work is literally a pain. But looking at that barn picture... I really like that siding, very classy.

I live in CA and in what they call a "wild land fire interface area" so any buildings we build to code have to have either cement board siding or metal. While I am not getting a permit for the barn there is still wisdom in that for those of us that live in a fire prone area. (pretty much all of CA) But the wood siding is so "barnish"...I like it...a lot.


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## SheepGirl

It was supposed to be delivered last tuesday. However they never showed up. My mom had taken off work tues and both of my parents took off the next day so that we could do the siding. My dad called five times to the place to figure out what had happened, because they never even called us on tuesday. So after 5 calls on wednesday they called us back and said they would deliver it next time they were in the area, in the next 10 to 14 days. However its been almost 2 weeks and we havent heard anything back. She did say they will give us conpensation for the inconvenience.

My parents are very frustrated to say the least.

As far as putting the siding on, my mom said we're going to put 2x4s horizontally abd screw them to the metal posts (I cant remember the type of screw though) and then attach the t111 siding to it that way. But when talking to my uncle this past weekend, he said it wouldnt work because the siding and 2x4s would stick out farther than the roof overhang? He works with garage doors and carports and that stuff so maybe hes right. We'll find out once it finally gets delivered and we can work on it.


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## BrownSheep

I would more than just frustrated.


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## Southern by choice

If you got the boxed eave you should have enough room, if you got the regular roof (rolled around to the outside and comes down a foot) then I don't know how you would seal it.
Did you get the vertical roof or the regular roof?


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## OneFineAcre

babsbag said:


> @OneFineAcre  I LOVE the picture of that barn. We have been tossing around barn ideas too and we were going to start with a carport and then we decided to do stick built because of the cost. BUT we are renting scaffolding when we do the rafters and the roof; not as young as we used to be and ladder work is literally a pain. But looking at that barn picture... I really like that siding, very classy.
> 
> I live in CA and in what they call a "wild land fire interface area" so any buildings we build to code have to have either cement board siding or metal. While I am not getting a permit for the barn there is still wisdom in that for those of us that live in a fire prone area. (pretty much all of CA) But the wood siding is so "barnish"...I like it...a lot.



Do the cement board and paint it "barn red" with just a plain galvanized roof.  That will look plenty "barnish".


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## OneFineAcre

SheepGirl said:


> It was supposed to be delivered last tuesday. However they never showed up. My mom had taken off work tues and both of my parents took off the next day so that we could do the siding. My dad called five times to the place to figure out what had happened, because they never even called us on tuesday. So after 5 calls on wednesday they called us back and said they would deliver it next time they were in the area, in the next 10 to 14 days. However its been almost 2 weeks and we havent heard anything back. She did say they will give us conpensation for the inconvenience.
> 
> My parents are very frustrated to say the least.
> 
> As far as putting the siding on, my mom said we're going to put 2x4s horizontally abd screw them to the metal posts (I cant remember the type of screw though) and then attach the t111 siding to it that way. But when talking to my uncle this past weekend, he said it wouldnt work because the siding and 2x4s would stick out farther than the roof overhang? He works with garage doors and carports and that stuff so maybe hes right. We'll find out once it finally gets delivered and we can work on it.



I think your uncle is correct, depending upon the roof detail.  If it's like the one in the picture I posted, then yes it is a problem.
That's why I wanted to see what you do.


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## babsbag

We have closed in a carport like this already for a shop and what we did is attach 2x4s to the sides of the legs and then horizontal 2x4s that sat on the vertical 2x4s right at the bottom of the roof and then attached the siding to those.  It did mean that there were no nails on the very edge of the siding if a seam happened to land on a metal leg but we were using the cement siding so didn't have to worry about any warping. It actually worked really well and it kept the siding inside the drip line of the roof. 

Still debating on new barn if it will be metal or cement board, price is about the same but the metal I don't have to paint. Whatever it is pretty sure it will be red.


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## SheepGirl

It is the vertical roofing. My mom didn't like the wrap around roof and she didn't want the roof panels to go horizontally on an A-frame. This is exactly what we got-- http://www.carport.com/index.php?bid=203208vbkooo4nclhclhbk-0000000000000000000000000000-0|0

Except the roof won't be as flat as in the image, it will be taller. But I'm not sure how big the overhang will be on it? As long as it's at least 2-3" we should be good.

The cement board looks nice. But my mom is already set on getting the wood panels and painting them white to match the other three buildings plus the chicken house lol. This is our chicken house we built in June/July. (sorry for so many pictures of this chicken house, I know y'all are picture junkies haha) Honestly, this was all that I wanted for my chickens... http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-build-a-4-x-4-x-8-brood-pen -- but my parents took the project into their own hands and decided they wanted to do this...So I think I will give these five pullets I bought and raised to my parents and they can have them with their house and I will just get my own production flock of Leghorns and Moyer's brown egg layers and have them in my new carport barn lol. So based on this I think the carport barn will look pretty nifty.

Side view






My mom painted windows on the sides of the building.





Front





Ramp/inside. Wire floor was my idea. I didn't want to buy or clean out bedding. The birds don't mind. They sleep on it every night. They could go to the feed shack where there is hay on the floor (that's actually where they've been nesting) but they like their house.





And a chicken picture, just 'cause. I used zip ties to ID my birds, red, yellow, green, black, and white. I have to replace them about every 2 months or so because they break or the colors fade/get dirty and I like looking at the brighter colors.


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## Southern by choice

These are *MD* prices but check out how more cost efficient it is to go to a 24 wide... the 24x36 is what we thought about... vertical boxed roof with 8-9 ft legs...
http://www.carolinametalcarports.com/northern_pricing.html

I have use the zip ties along with my NPIP bands to identify age, and breeding groups for my chickens for years. It works great... some have up to 4 bands. lol


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## SheepGirl

Carport.com/Elephant Structures/Carolina Carports say the delivery is on the 5th. Lets see if they actually show up this time. Such a shame that it took them a month to reschedule our delivery they had a no call no show for.


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## SheepGirl

This is what I posted onto the company's facebook page... they had it deleted by the next day. They never even messaged me or commented on it addressing my concerns or apologizing nor did they call us.


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## Pioneer Chicken

Oh, wow, sorry you're having such a time trying to get your carport. My brother had to deal with a company who acted like this and it was just so frustrating to hear his tryings to just get in touch with them and then getting moved from person to person. I can only imagine how frustrating it is, especially when you were so excited to get it. The least the company should do is give you some, if not all, your money back plus the carport,too; bad on their part for poor customer service.


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## Baymule

I just got my carport delivered and set up. We are actually going to use it for a carport. The company is American Steel and it took 2 months to get it delivered. I guess they had to mine the iron ore and make the steel.


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## Devonviolet

Love your chicken house, @SheepGirl. We have been looking for a design for our new chicken coop, and im thinking a larger version of yours would work out well for us.   Thanks for posting your photos of it.


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## SheepGirl

Supposed to be here in 3 days....

This past weekend we purchased 25 of the panels and my mom also bought 3 large old barn doors from an antique store a couple weeks ago. They are stall doors from an old horse barn. I will post pictures when I get home.


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## Southern by choice




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## OneFineAcre

Very cool.


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## SheepGirl

They called yesterday and said they can't come out on Friday because they got behind in deliveries due to the rain. They rescheduled us for Tuesday. 

It seems like I'm never gonna get my barn....  I'll be happy when it finally gets here and done. Once it gets here, I can pen my sheep up, I can buy hay, and I will be able to have pens inside where I can separate the ewes when I feed grain so I can give them each the amount they need. I think it will be a big help so I can make sure everyone's eating what they're supposed to.


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## Southern by choice

I know you must be really bummed. 

On the other hand (as Tevye would say) all those things will be sweeter when it is finally up! I am right there with you sheepgirl! 
We have slowwwwww progress.... 4 posts in, only 16 more to go.
Dh is not a morning person.

Question... we are considering 6-8 inches of the rock dust... are you putting dirt over top or leaving them on the rock dust? Cannot figure out whether it will be deep enough. Do you know what is suggested?


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## OneFineAcre

SheepGirl said:


> They called yesterday and said they can't come out on Friday because they got behind in deliveries due to the rain. They rescheduled us for Tuesday.
> 
> It seems like I'm never gonna get my barn....  I'll be happy when it finally gets here and done. Once it gets here, I can pen my sheep up, I can buy hay, and I will be able to have pens inside where I can separate the ewes when I feed grain so I can give them each the amount they need. I think it will be a big help so I can make sure everyone's eating what they're supposed to.


 
I'm waiting on you to figure out what I'm going to do 
Although I'm thinking about hiring
@Pearce Pastures now


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## Devonviolet

SheepGirl said:


> They called yesterday and said they can't come out on Friday because they got behind in deliveries due to the rain. They rescheduled us for Tuesday.
> 
> It seems like I'm never gonna get my barn....  I'll be happy when it finally gets here and done. Once it gets here, I can pen my sheep up, I can buy hay, and I will be able to have pens inside where I can separate the ewes when I feed grain so I can give them each the amount they need. I think it will be a big help so I can make sure everyone's eating what they're supposed to.



Oh, GEEZ SheepGirl! I'm SO sorry to hear about yet another delay! What a bummer! 

I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with your carport. We are going to need a barn in the near future, and are seriously thinking of starting with a carport.


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## SheepGirl

@Southern by choice, we are just going to leave the stone dust. I will be using straw for bedding, however Im not dure if I will have straw just in the smaller pens or in the larger area as well.


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## SheepGirl

The one with bars looks like this



 
the two without bars look like this.


 

i think they are probably 4 or 5 ft wide. 6 ft would be stretching it.


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## Devonviolet

SheepGirl said:


> @Southern by choice, we are just going to leave the stone dust. I will be using straw for bedding, however Im not dure if I will have straw just in the smaller pens or in the larger area as well.


I'm curious about using stone dust, with straw for bedding.  Isn't there, eventually, a problem (with smell) when you have urine going into the stone dust?  Or does the straw catch all that?


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## Devonviolet

SheepGirl said:


> The one with bars looks like this
> View attachment 5972
> the two without bars look like this.
> View attachment 5973
> 
> i think they are probably 4 or 5 ft wide. 6 ft would be stretching it.


LOVE these doors!!!  I'm going to keep a look out, for something like this in our area!


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## babsbag

OneFineAcre said:


> I'm waiting on you to figure out what I'm going to do
> Although I'm thinking about hiring
> @Pearce Pastures now



I get to hire her first


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## babsbag

Devonviolet said:


> I'm curious about using stone dust, with straw for bedding.  Isn't there, eventually, a problem (with smell) when you have urine going into the stone dust?  Or does the straw catch all that?



I think a lot of it depends on how deep it is, does it have good drainage under the rock dust, (we used decomposed granite in California) and how much time are the animals in the barn.

I am building a new barn too and we are doing a deep pit of road base and then the granite on top of that. Also the floor needs to be mounded a little or have good drainage around the barn so that water flows away from your barn and not into the grave pit. My ultimate goal is to have the goats in the barn only at night and build them a loafing shed for daytime. We will kidding in there too so of course those goats will be in there 24x7.


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## Southern by choice

Devonviolet said:


> I'm curious about using stone dust, with straw for bedding.  Isn't there, eventually, a problem (with smell) when you have urine going into the stone dust?  Or does the straw catch all that?



The stone dust allows for urine to drain through. Lots of horse stables use this and put dirt over top and just replace dirt/bedding.
Our whole reason for using it is to not have build up.

Sheepgirl LOVE the doors! My sisters horse stables have the beautiful stained wood with wrought iron on the top... her stable is prettier than most houses!  Talk about barn envy...  I drool over her barn.


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## Devonviolet

babsbag said:


> I think a lot of it depends on how deep it is, does it have good drainage under the rock dust, (we used decomposed granite in California) and how much time are the animals in the barn.
> 
> I am building a new barn too and we are doing a deep pit of road base and then the granite on top of that. Also the floor needs to be mounded a little or have good drainage around the barn so that water flows away from your barn and not into the grave pit. My ultimate goal is to have the goats in the barn only at night and build them a loafing shed for daytime. We will kidding in there too so of course those goats will be in there 24x7.



Thanks babsbag. We learned from experience, the importance of mounding outside dirt away from the foundation (I think we will be doing a footer). Thanks for the suggestion of mounding the floor in the middle. It makes sense.


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## Devonviolet

Southern by choice said:


> The stone dust allows for urine to drain through. Lots of horse stables use this and put dirt over top and just replace dirt/bedding.
> Our whole reason for using it is to not have build up.
> 
> Sheepgirl LOVE the doors! My sisters horse stables have the beautiful stained wood with wrought iron on the top... her stable is prettier than most houses!  Talk about barn envy...  I drool over her barn.



That's good to know, about the urine draining through the stone dust.  We were thinking about doing patio blocks to prevent that, along with lots of straw to absorb it. Now I'm thinking the stone dust would be cheaper and easier. Thanks a bunch for your feedback, babsbag and Southern!


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## Pearce Pastures

I love those doors!  What character.  I hope your building project takes off for you.  Delays make it so stressful.


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## babsbag

Devonviolet said:


> That's good to know, about the urine draining through the stone dust.  We were thinking about doing patio blocks to prevent that, along with lots of straw to absorb it. Now I'm thinking the stone dust would be cheaper and easier. Thanks a bunch for your feedback, babsbag and Southern!


I personally would not do the patio blocks. They will absorb the urine for sure. I had patio pavers in my dog's run and after 4 years it was pretty nasty and they seldom went to the bathroom in the run. Goats are not so discerning. The hay really doesn't absorb much of anything.


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## SheepGirl

They're here!!


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## Southern by choice




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## Hens and Roos




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## Southern by choice

@SheepGirl 
You know we are waiting for pics... what is the hold up?


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## Pearce Pastures

Got it put up yet


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## SheepGirl

Ok so it was so funny. When I got out of class I texted my mom to see if they were there yet and she said they were on their way. So I was headed home and I got off of the interstate and lo and behold there they were!! They were driving soo slow so I got in front of them and beat them home by a couple of minutes lol.

But anyway, the four of them were able to put up the legs and the trusses for the roof in about 3.5 to 4 hours. Then they left, with about another two hours of work to go (put the roof on). But they left their trailer with someone elses carport and their tools here so they have no choice but to come back tomorrow.  So they said they will be here in the morning. But anyway, they got their truck stuck in the mud and guess who pulled them out? That's right, this girl with her lil '94 Mercury Cougar 

I will upload pics from my phone here in a sec...


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## SheepGirl




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## OneFineAcre

Cool


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## norseofcourse

Looks good!  I love that the sheep are already checking it out.


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## SheepGirl

Right?! Ciqala, the matriarch of the flock (she's the dam to 3 of them, the granddam to 4 of them) so my guess is she was checking it out to make sure it was a okay for her babies. She was standing around there almost the entire time. Normally she gets freaked out about stuff like that. Like read here from my journal from 2 years ago when we first built the sheep shack. But I'm so excited!! We won't unfortunately be able to put the sides on this weekend but hopefully we will get it done soonnnn.


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## Southern by choice

funny how the sheep are already checking it out!


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## Devonviolet

That is SO cool, SheepGirl!!!  The pics look great.

We are anxiously waiting to see how your barn turns out! 

I know, I for one, am thinking about using a carport frame for our barn too!


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## Pearce Pastures

Love it!


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## SheepGirl

They got the roof on this am 



 

i also got all my chick stuff bought today because in the next couple of days im having 55 baby chicks delivered!!


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## Devonviolet

SheepGirl said:


> They got the roof on this am
> View attachment 6064
> 
> i also got all my chick stuff bought today because in the next couple of days im having 55 baby chicks delivered!!


That's cool, SheepGirl!  When do you start putting on the siding?  Will the baby chicks go in the new barn until they are ready to join the rest of the flock?


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## SheepGirl

We won't be able to do it this weekend, though my mom and I may start with the 2x4s screwed on horizontally. Hopefully the weekend after we can put the sides on and get the barn done. I am wanting to take a part the sheep shack and put the sides around the edge of the building to act as a windblock so they can start using the carport barn for their shelter. And also so I can put my hay in there. Which, by the way, I found a $1/bale cheaper source than my previous supplier and I can pay for it all at once instead of having multiple deliveries throughout the winter  So I will be getting a delivery early next week, I hope.

And no, the chickies I bought are going to be for sale as started pullets in April. We are converting our feed shack into a chicken house so they will have that. I would like to add cage pens (kind of like rabbit cages) in the feed shack and the new barn so I can take advantage of vertical space for chickens. I have a whole business plan wrote up for my critters, lol.


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## Devonviolet

SheepGirl said:


> We won't be able to do it this weekend, though my mom and I may start with the 2x4s screwed on horizontally. Hopefully the weekend after we can put the sides on and get the barn done. I am wanting to take a part the sheep shack and put the sides around the edge of the building to act as a windblock so they can start using the carport barn for their shelter. And also so I can put my hay in there. Which, by the way, I found a $1/bale cheaper source than my previous supplier and I can pay for it all at once instead of having multiple deliveries throughout the winter  So I will be getting a delivery early next week, I hope.
> 
> And no, the chickies I bought are going to be for sale as started pullets in April. We are converting our feed shack into a chicken house so they will have that. I would like to add cage pens (kind of like rabbit cages) in the feed shack and the new barn so I can take advantage of vertical space for chickens. I have a whole business plan wrote up for my critters, lol.


That's great about the hay. We are thinking about having the walls high enough that we can have a hay loft, to get our hay off the ground.  Not sure if we will do a footer or concrete blocks, with a treated lumber sill plate, to anchor the base of the carport to.


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## SheepGirl

I don't have any good pictures of it, but if you look closely in the picture of the carport with my sheep in it, you can see they used concrete patio blocks that we provided to further level the carport. And when they installed it, they anchored it with 2-3' long spikes. I'm not sure exactly how long they were, but they hammered them right through the base into the ground.


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## Devonviolet

SheepGirl said:


> I don't have any good pictures of it, but if you look closely in the picture of the carport with my sheep in it, you can see they used concrete patio blocks that we provided to further level the carport. And when they installed it, they anchored it with 2-3' long spikes. I'm not sure exactly how long they were, but they hammered them right through the base into the ground.



Yes, I see what you are talking about, with the patio blocks to level it.  

I'm talking about something different.  We would dig, a footer maybe 8" wide and a foot deep, and then build a wood form, to pour concrete or build a cement block wall, to bring the footer about 3 or 4 feet above ground. The carport would then sit on top of a sill plate of pressure treated (weather resistant) 2X4.  I'm just guessing at the numbers - I think the standard carport has 7 or 8 foot wall supports, so I'm thinking that would give us a 10 to 12 foot wall height, allowing us to have a loft to store hay in. Does that make sense? When we talk to the local carport company, we would have them help us with the logistics, to make sure it made sense to do it that way.


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## Pearce Pastures

Looking good!  I think we may need to do something similar for our bucks come springtime.  Maybe a smaller version of it.  How many sheep will be housed in there once it is done?


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## OneFineAcre

Devonviolet said:


> Yes, I see what you are talking about, with the patio blocks to level it.
> 
> I'm talking about something different.  We would dig, a footer maybe 8" wide and a foot deep, and then build a wood form, to pour concrete or build a cement block wall, to bring the footer about 3 or 4 feet above ground. The carport would then sit on top of a sill plate of pressure treated (weather resistant) 2X4.  I'm just guessing at the numbers - I think the standard carport has 7 or 8 foot wall supports, so I'm thinking that would give us a 10 to 12 foot wall height, allowing us to have a loft to store hay in. Does that make sense? When we talk to the local carport company, we would have them help us with the logistics, to make sure it made sense to do it that way.


I don't think you need to do all of that if you use one of those pre-fab carports as the base of your structure 
It would be a waste of your money
If you were stick building a barn then yes


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## SheepGirl

@Devonviolet Lol, I'm no architect, so yes, I would def get in contact with your local carport company and see what they recommend.

@Pearce Pastures It is 20x32 and will have roughly 10 ewes, 1-2 rams, plus 15-20 lambs. The inside configuration is what I'm trying to figure out now. My mom pretty much wants to have three sets of doors on the left side of the barn facing the house, with three pens (one to be used for feed) on the inside, coming out 8'. So I will have 12x32 space for the ewes and lambs and then the indoor/outdoor pens for the ram(s). I will have a dry lot coming off of the barn that will be a bit bigger than 24x64, but I don't have an exact measurement.

One of the pens will be for ewes weaning their lambs. Ughh I can't wait til it's all done so I can take pictures and show you guys


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## OneFineAcre

Please post progress pics not just finished pics


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## SheepGirl

@OneFineAcre trust me I will!


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## Devonviolet

OneFineAcre said:


> I don't think you need to do all of that if you use one of those pre-fab carports as the base of your structure
> It would be a waste of your money
> If you were stick building a barn then yes



Thanks for your feedback, OFA.  We are thinking about building the wall up, and putting the carport on top, to get head space for a loft. But, as I think you are saying, it may be cheaper, and easier, to pay for a carport with taller wall supports, to get the roof further off the ground.


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## Southern by choice

@Devonviolet you can order the carport with taller legs
youcan also get the upgraded anchors- like the kind they use to anchor mobile homes... I think it brings it up to some kind or "certified" standard


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## Devonviolet

Southern by choice said:


> @Devonviolet you can order the carport with taller legs
> youcan also get the upgraded anchors- like the kind they use to anchor mobile homes... I think it brings it up to some kind or "certified" standard


Thanks Southern. I will definitely look into that when we order our carport!


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## OneFineAcre

Devonviolet said:


> Thanks for your feedback, OFA.  We are thinking about building the wall up, and putting the carport on top, to get head space for a loft. But, as I think you are saying, it may be cheaper, and easier, to pay for a carport with taller wall supports, to get the roof further off the ground.


 
Yes, that's exactly what I meant.  I have very recent experience with carports.  When we moved in August the new place had a pretty nice barn for the girls to live in, I just had to put on a new roof.  But, the boys needed a place to get out of the weather, and we needed something to store hay under and a place to milk.  There was absolutely nothing I could have done more cost effective than the carports.  The standard 12x20 was $595 installed.  We got the standard for the bucks shelter and we got one with 1ft taller legs for the hay and milk stand, mostly so you wouldn't have to duck your head when you walked under from the side.  It was $695.

Bucks



 



 

Milk stand


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## SheepGirl

We will be putting up the sides tomorrow. My parents are taking off and I have off too. I will be taking pictures to keep yall updated on how we do it.


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## OneFineAcre




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## SheepGirl

Well turns out the building isnt level. The ground part is level but when get to the roof it isnt level. So that messed things up. We were going to put eight panels on one side because the legs for the side are supposed to be four feet a part on center but wouldn't you know.... five of them are correct and then you get to the next three sections and one is 41", and the other two are more than 48". So we were unable to screw the panels right on the legs, which we started doing. So we ran to lowes and bought a bunch of 1x4s and we screwed those onto the legs and we started screwing the panels on the 1x4s. So after all that, all we got done is three panels. But we got the 1x4s on the one long side and the back.




 

 

 

idk if you can tell, but our panels are dead level. Its the building thats crooked.


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## OneFineAcre

I thought you had planned on running horizontal boards all along.
Seems to me it will make the sheets more rigid in the middle as opposed to if you were to just screw the edges of the sheets to the legs.
Looking good so far.


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## Bossroo

STOP   right there...  if you say that the roof isn't level while the ground is...  nothing that you do from here on out will work.  I would suggest that you get the company back post haste to correct the problem before you do any further work or they will deny any errors and you will be stuck with a faulty building from now on.


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## frustratedearthmother

Agree with Boss!


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## SheepGirl

@OneFineAcre we were going to, but then my mom said they are all 4 ft a part so we will just screw the boards directly to the legs. But they arent all exactly 4 ft a part even though it is 32 ft long and there are 9 legs. so it shouldve been evenly distributed but it wasnt.

@Bossroo my mom was going to call them but th5wn i said they probably wont fix it since we done screwed stuff into the legs. So idk if that voids the warranty or not and im not sure if she has called them yet or not. But she was upset she was like $4000 and its not even level.


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## Mike CHS

I would at least try to get the company to fix the problem and it costs nothing to make a phone call.  I can't tell from the picture but is the right couple of feet on the left side 1X4's just connected to the plywood?

You may need to sister another layer to reinforce them since they might be prone to warping the way it is.


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## OneFineAcre

I assume when you say it isn't level, you are talking about how when you look at the picture of the siding, the gap between the siding and the facia metal is getting wider as you go from left to right?  It may be because when you installed those pavers to level the bottom, it "racked" the whole structure?  

Are you going to install some type of trim piece there?  You could could hide the fault with the trim.

You could have ran the siding parallel with the metal at the top, and then use a trim board to cover the out of level gap at the bottom.

Wouldn't hurt to call, but considering how much trouble you had to even get it delivered, probably not going do much good.


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## Bossroo

Sounds like the installers didn't install the framework properly. They should have corrected any irregularity at the time that they were doing the work in the first place.  CALL them IMMEDIATELY if not sooner and get this thing corrected POST HASTE or this building will haunt you as long as it stands , if it stands through the wind and gravity forces of nature.


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## SheepGirl

While I was at work yesterday, my parents had taken down the panels we put on and they put up most of the panels around the barn. Probably about 8 or 9 more to go. Pictures to come later


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## SheepGirl

Heres the barn from th back



 
this is how we do the 1x4s on the corners


 

and we took a part half of the sheep shack and made a feed room in the new barn. Im having hay delivered tomorrow so I didnt want it in the feed shack and then have to move them all over.


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## Bossroo

I will surmise that this barn will go tilt tilt after a few seasons due to poor placement and foundation !  Also the gaps in the siding will allow moisture to enter and cause dryrot in the siding.   Good luck !


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## SheepGirl

My parents fixed the level issue. They replaced the patio blocks with cinder blocks and the leveling issue fixed itself. We have two other buildings on cinder blocks, ones been there 3 or 4 yrs, the other 10 or so. I dont think it will fall over especially since it is anchored in the ground 2 or 3 ft around the foundation. The siding is painted with outdoor paint, so it wont rot. We used the same paint and same boards on the sheds we built 3 and 5 yrs ago and the boards are ok. If you have seen pics of the sheep shack, those boards are rotted because they didnt have any paint or sealant.

Theres really only gaps on the ends, top, and bottom, but that will be covered in trim, like the other buildings we have built.

we arent done yet. Theres still more we have to do


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## secuono

Without properly poured foundation, it will EVENTUALLY sink and possibly cave after that in heavy snow or rip apart in heavy wind. But that's all worst case and wont/shouldn't happen for awhile.
 Frost line in MD is at least 30 inches. So all concrete foundations need to be poured that deep, then with rebar and such to keep shape and all that jibber jabber. 

Also, I see that you built up one side. That will all erode away. My hills loose 1/2 to 1 inch of soil every year. All heck will break loose if that side washes out or erodes quickly. 
Hopefully all that wood will keep it together long enough for you to move it to a proper or new foundation if it does go to heck one day.


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## Bossroo

Notice that on the side there is a drip line right next to a drop off of the soil  =  erosion = tilt tilt =  PLOP !  Good LUCK !


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## OneFineAcre




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## OneFineAcre




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## secuono

Bossroo said:


> Notice that on the side there is a drip line right next to a drop off of the soil  =  erosion = tilt tilt =  PLOP !  Good LUCK !



Oh, how'd I miss that! 
My barn didn't have gutters before I came along. One side was 1/2-2ft worn away and the other 3+ feet eroded! 

Yes, put up gutters! And then use pipe to route it away on both sides. Or into barrels and use the water for livestock/gardens.


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## Baymule

Looking good so far. 1x4 boards for trim on the corners will close those open places right up, is that what you are planning on using? Glad your parents got it properly leveled. We got a carport too, for our vehicles, not animals. We leveled out the site with the tractor, but still was off on one corner. The guys that put it up leveled it with bricks. We are going to pack red clay around it to finish leveling it up, then go over that with our sandy soil. Keep up the good work!


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## bonbean01

You have gotten so much done and I KNOW that any issues that come up along the way, you will know how to take care of that IF and when it happens   Once we are all professional engineers and barn contractors, we won't have to worry about the what ifs....meanwhile....we continue and work hard and do our best for building and if something is not perfect down the road...we fix it!!!!  Just for the record....every single thing we've built here for our sheep and chickens have needed minor adjustments along the way and we learn with each project and continue building and learning....our next project here is improving our chicken area.  Lots of work...and looking good to me!!!!


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## OneFineAcre

Keep up the good work


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## SheepGirl

Got 1/3 of my hay delivered this am 

I have to get some more pallets to put it on though.


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## bonbean01

Nice!!!!!  Good feeling to put hay in your new barn I bet!!  Congrats Sheepgirl


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## Bossroo

SheepGirl said:


> Got 1/3 of my hay delivered this am
> 
> I have to get some more pallets to put it on though.
> 
> View attachment 6236


It would be advisable to place the bales on top of pallets to prevent moisture vicking from the soil and then mold growth on the bottom bales.  also space all of the bales by about 2+" apart so that air can circulate or risk spontaneous cumbustion of the hay.


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## SheepGirl

Yes Bossroo I know. I fixed it this am after i got some pallets from my friends work. I was in a rush yesterday because I was already late to work.


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## OneFineAcre

SheepGirl said:


> Yes Bossroo I know. I fixed it this am after i got some pallets from my friends work. I was in a rush yesterday because I was already late to work.


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## Pearce Pastures

I love pallets!  When they delivered our barn, they had a dozen or so really solid ones that came along with it and started saying they would help me to move the materials off of them if we wanted them to take those out of our way...no way!  Those puppies are nice to have around, for hay, making quick pens when you need one, keeping stuff dry during rainy season.  Have you seen the neat furniture people make with them too?


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## bonbean01

Pearce, we use them all over the place here!!!!  And yes, have seen the furniture and may just try that this coming summer for the back porch


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## babsbag

I need some dry ones right now and regretting the fact that I left all I had out in the rain. I would love to store hay on them this winter. Instead I will just have to put it on a tarp and feed it so fast that it has no chance to get moldy. Not too much of a problem with 25 goats. 

Barn is looking good.


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## Devonviolet

Hey SheepGirl! Sorry I didn't see this sooner. I just realized you were posting updates. 

I'm sorry to hear that you have been having problems with leveling issues.

I showed the thread to DH, who has dealt with erosion issues in the past and he came up with some suggestions, for minimizing future problems:
** The suggestion to put gutters on the facia, to redirect water runoff from the roof, is a good one. It's important to make sure you direct the water at least 4 feet away from the foundation, so it can't cause erosion. I really like the suggestion to run the water into rain barrels, to use for watering your garden or livestock. We plan to do a lot of that with our out buildings - and even the house, for that matter. Water here, in Texas, is a precious commodity and water bills can get up there real fast.
** Using a tractor, push dirt up to the base of the carport/barn. Pack it down tight.  Basically level it out at least six feet, so gravity doesn't cause water to erode the soil.  However it is important to have it graded 1/2 - 1" per foot, away from the barn, to allow water to flow away from the barn and not puddle or create gullies. Level the dirt inside the barn (to the base of the carport frame) as well.
** if you leave bare dirt, you are asking for problems to occur. It is best to cover that dirt with something like a sand base with gravel (1-1/2 to 2") on top. Or my preference of a fast growing grass/ground cover that will have a nice root mass, to hold the soil in place.
** As far as the gaps between the panels, he suggested putting 1X4" boards on top of all the joints between panels, with adhesive, to act as a sealant. The benefit of having wider boards is that you can screw the vertical boards to your panels, to make it more secure.  This also adds stability to the walls. On the corners, as @Baymule suggested, butt the boards (again with adhesive and screws) to cover those gaps. @OneFineAcre 's suggestion to fill the gap at the top, with a trim board, is also a good one.
** DH thinks your plan to paint it all is a good one. At least two generous coats of oil based paint is essential. As is making sure to fill any cracks/joints with paint, to seal out water/moisture.

Since we are planning to do the same thing, for our barn, it is exciting to see your barn take shape, and gives us hope that it is possible for us to build our barn, once we get settled (as in fence built, chicken coop built, and LGDs and livestock bought). Hopefully after we get our garden in this Spring, we can get started on our barn.  In the mean time, we plan to store hay in the big shed, that the previous owner built. 

Keep up the good work SheepGirl.  As @bonbean01 said, we aren't engineers, and we learn as we go. We are grateful, that you are going through this, and sharing your progress with us, as we are able to think some things through, and readjust our plans a bit.   Thanks!


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## SheepGirl

Here are some photos from the past couple weeks. Again--it's not finished. When it warms up we will be finishing it. However, it held up to a wind storm in February that knocked the power out for a few hours as well as a blizzard in March that gave us 9" of snow. Sheep were dry and happy.

Field & barn



 

View of the inside. Since we don't have electricity in the barn, I want to string Christmas lights in the V supports; right now I just have a spot light on the hay rack. I love extension cords!


 

Front side 



Side view


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## Latestarter

Really nice! It's not the taj mahal and not "perfect" but perfectly good   Trim boards in the vertical and horizontal will "eliminate" any unsightly (minor) leveling errors/gaps, and help to further seal up the inside from the elements.  Hope you're able to back-fill that downhill side to prevent wash-out/erosion. A gutter (on that side at the least) seems very prudent.  Since it's not an asphalt/tar roof, you could run the downspout directly into a livestock watering barrel.  Hope you've made plans for adequate ventilation after it's all enclosed (pretty sure you have... you think things through!).

Instead of extension cords, have you considered a small solar array and a 12 volt DC (battery) lighting system inside? It wouldn't take much or be that expensive as you won't be trying to power an entire house or major appliances... It can also be used to power remote cameras and eventual automatic pop doors   just sayin'.  Just a thought (as that's what I plan for my eventual barn ).

I plan to start w/goats next spring and have been smacking myself over the cost of a stick built bldg. These inexpensive carport structures - enclosed, are awesome! With something this inexpensive I can have a portion for a work shop (with a small wood stove perhaps?) and yard working equipment that right now basically takes up 1/2 my 2 car garage!

Lookin' good so far! Thanks for the update!


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## samssimonsays

I just founf this post! Looking good! I love the carport idea and have wanted to do one myself


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## cteague

OneFineAcre said:


> Here's the picture.  They started with this originally and added on two more sections.
> Very creative.
> 
> View attachment 5106
> 
> And here is the link to how they built it.
> 
> http://www.mulligansrun.com/OurBarn.html


That is awesome


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## Riverside Fainters

I love this thread. I told my boyfriend, if we ever have to or decide to knock down the goat shed, we are putting up a car port barn! I love the look. Or maybe I will build one at the farm! That would be awesome. BTW, I am totally jealous..


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## misfitmorgan

What ever became of the carport barn? I think it looks great from the pics and i know it is gonna be really nice when it is done.

I dont think we would ever do it though with construction backrounds and wood working tools etc i think we could build it stick built for less...of course stick built down side is it takes soooo long when you have to do it around work schedule and chores.


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## SheepGirl

Wow, it has sure been awhile since I posted an update! I will have to go take some photos today and upload them.


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## misfitmorgan

SheepGirl said:


> Wow, it has sure been awhile since I posted an update! I will have to go take some photos today and upload them.



Please!!


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## SheepGirl

Realized I never did upload photos of the barn. I may be going to my parent's house this weekend, if not, definitely for Thanksgiving... so I will make a point to go out there and take photos to upload here.


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## Devonviolet

Yeah, @SheepGirl! I loved watching your barn get installed.  I've been waiting 2-1/2 years for the "after" shots.  
  

How did you (eh-hem, your parents) resolve the water run-off problem?


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## Goat Whisperer




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## misfitmorgan

me waiting on those pictures.....


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