Are we a bit over the top?

[Livinwright Farm]

We built a 2 story 12x13 barn for our goats & chickens. It is sealed & as insulated as any New Hampshire home! It also has 2 heat lamps: 1 white running for 14-16 hrs a day to simulate daylight for the flock of hens, and 1 red running constant to keep the temperature above freezing(some days upwards of 58 degrees). Most farms we read about, or see, say to provide them with basic shelter from the elements.... are we crazy for giving them such luxury?

 

[Kansas Mama]

It sounds awesome but both chickens and goats need a fair amount of ventilation.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

They do have a decent amount of ventilation(3 double hung windows & proper roof venting) , and have access to their 25X55 area during good(not raining, snowing, sleeting, or below freezing) weather.

 

[mossyStone]

That sounds Awsome!!!


Don't tell my goats and chickens they will be moving out and coming to your place.....

Mossy Stone Farm home to

PB Nubains and Pygora's

 

[Our7Wonders]

Sounds cozy for your animals. I'm going to play the advocate a bit by asking, what will you do if the power fails? It's comfy for your animals to stay cozy all the time, however, if they don't get the opportunity to adapt to the cold weather will they be able to handle a cold snap that cuts the power?

I was worried about my animals when our temps dropped, but then my neighbor reminded me that none of the wild birds have heat lamps nor do any of the deer - so, given the opportunity our animals should be able to adapt to the cold pretty well. We've been down in the single digits and my goats haven't so much as shivered - my chickens still come outside and hang out most the day. I don't have any insulation or heat lamps, just nice draft free shelters with lots of upper ventilation. They've done well so far.

Not criticizing at all, though, it sounds like a very nice set up.

 

[PattySh]

We built a 32x42 2 story Gambrel barn in 2003 for our menagerie. Although not insulated with fiberglass it is concrete block on the lower half of the main floor with holes filled in so really warm and easy to clean, Hay loft on top keeps the barn warm on one half and the other top half is an insulated finished pool table game room. The entire barn is rubber matted including the aisleway(got a great deal from a closing dairy farm). I run a heat lamp in my poultry house ( a room added onto but is outside the main barn), they also have a heated 2 gal water bucket that we've rigged a wire top so no one can drown. Baby pigs right now have a heatlamp and Charlotte(sow) has a bird bath water heater in her 50gal drum w/nipple setup (works excellent!), goats have a heated water bucket, ducks have a heated dog bowl. Horses and cows each have a heated 15gal water tub. Mommy rabbits with babies have heated water bottles. I have lights available in each animals stall and two outlet plug ins outside each (for the water tubs, clippers etc). My tack/milkroom is insulated, has several plugins, is rubber matted and is really warm. I have a water spicot in that room that is heat taped. My boar is in a newly built shed a little way behind the barn and his is more insulated as he is alone and tho part of one side is open to the outside he is very snug in there, he also has a heated bucket. All baby animals get heat lamps and little coats to wear when it's cold. So my animals are very spoiled and I am very spoiled to have a barn so easy to work in in the winter. Believe me tho I kicked alot of ice out of alot of buckets for many years!! I might add that the pigs get a " warm cooked meal"atop their grain each nite in the winter.

We have a rubber bucket/pans for all animals incase of power outages and flashlights in the barn.

 

[tiffanyh]

Why would you tell us about such a place and not post pictures?????


Pure torture!

 

[msjuris]

FWIW, I worried that my goats would be cold during our mild PA winters. I'm very new to goats and gave them the best I could with what I had, a small barn-like shed a couple fenced in pastures and some dog houses.

They sleep on top of the dog houses and hate going in the barn unless its raining.

I added a buck last month, who came from a nice cushy home, like you've described. He was not prepared for the cold weather. It took him a few weeks to adjust and until he did he shivered a lot and hid in a corner of the barn.

edited for typo.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

Sounds cozy for your animals. I'm going to play the advocate a bit by asking, what will you do if the power fails? It's comfy for your animals to stay cozy all the time, however, if they don't get the opportunity to adapt to the cold weather will they be able to handle a cold snap that cuts the power?

I was worried about my animals when our temps dropped, but then my neighbor reminded me that none of the wild birds have heat lamps nor do any of the deer - so, given the opportunity our animals should be able to adapt to the cold pretty well. We've been down in the single digits and my goats haven't so much as shivered - my chickens still come outside and hang out most the day. I don't have any insulation or heat lamps, just nice draft free shelters with lots of upper ventilation. They've done well so far.

Not criticizing at all, though, it sounds like a very nice set up.

We have a generator that is capable of powering our house & the barn
The temperature isn't constantly 58 either. During the time that we had -3 out it got down to 38 in the barn.
No criticism felt in any way

 

[Livinwright Farm]

Why would you tell us about such a place and not post pictures?????


Pure torture!

I am assuming that you were not speaking to me... LOL