Barns- What do you love or would change about your barn?

[elevan]

Ok, I'm looking at building new housing for my goats.

I currently have a mix of pygmies and nigerians...with possible plans to add some lamanchas.

So, I'm looking at kidding and milking and general goat areas.

If you could start from scratch (and build it yourself) what what you do? What amenities would you add? What materials would you use?

Help me out by telling me what you love (or hate) about your barn.

Give me your ideas!!

Thanks!

eta: To change subject title. & BY ALL MEANS SHOW ME YOUR PICS!

 

[chandasue]

Big dreams here, I'll forewarn you! I'd have a nice big barn with several kidding pens and a separate "Grade A" heated milk room with running water, milking machine and all that jazz. It costs way too much especially when you consider that I'm not even selling any dairy products and it's not in my long term plans either. But if money were no issue I would go a lot bigger than what I have and an easier area to milk for sure.

 

[Livinwright Farm]

Honestly, I would find a preexisting horse barn(big enough to house at minimum 12 horses), -and just go to the hilt with heating, water, and drainage.

 

[elevan]

Ok, not saying that money is not an issue Which is partly why I'm building it myself (I am quite handy with tools, if I do say so myself)...of course I'll have help.

Also it'll include a place for the llama.

My current barn will cost more to fix than to build a new shelter, with the drainage issues and other problems it has...including no electricity

So...I'm thinking I'll have a boys "barn" on one side with the girls and llama on the other side. Separating the two would be a milk room / feed room...

Keep your ideas flowing...

I currently have 10 goats and 1 llama to house and of course that goat number will be going up....don't know what my max will be yet...

I don't plan on moving...but maybe tearing down and rebuilding an old barn wouldn't be out of the question...

 

[SpeedysBigRed]

Have you considered a prefabricated metal building that you put up yourself? They come in a zillion sizes, shapes, and price ranges. You can then finish it inside the way you want.

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G,day Elevan,how about for a start you post a photo of what you have!..................because you may be able to modify it..............What state are you in? ....How much snow do you get how far will it be from your house?................Does your budget "stretch to one of those barn kits " with a raised section in the middle?.....................What sort of feed do you store EG:small bales or large for your hay?....Do you "milk your goats for the house or to sell?.............

A new barn is a large investment and you "say" you will not be moving(I never say never),but I would think long and hard about what you can do to make the keeping of your goats "a pleasure ,not a chore".....................T.O.R.............

 

[20kidsonhill]

I love the fact that our barn has an exended roof on one side, we are able to store a small tractor under it, hay and a space for sick pens or overflow pens. We put a small calf hut in the over flow pen in the winter for added shelter.

This way sick animals or new animals can be kept out of the barn area, but still under good shelter.

 

[elevan]

G,day Elevan,how about for a start you post a photo of what you have!..................because you may be able to modify it..............What state are you in? ....How much snow do you get how far will it be from your house?................Does your budget "stretch to one of those barn kits " with a raised section in the middle?.....................What sort of feed do you store EG:small bales or large for your hay?....Do you "milk your goats for the house or to sell?.............

A new barn is a large investment and you "say" you will not be moving(I never say never),but I would think long and hard about what you can do to make the keeping of your goats "a pleasure ,not a chore".....................T.O.R.............

My current barn was built 30 years ago and built "cheap" then by my grandfather. Loved him dearly but it was not built to last. It is a pole style barn with tin siding and roof and this year it has started to leak badly. It is also situated in a bad area so that water stands around it and in some of it. To fix it would cost a whole lot more than I would spend on building a new structure. To be frank I would be ashamed to post a picture of it The current barn sits approximately 75 yards from the house.

I am in the U.S.A. in Ohio (a northern state). We see a decent amount of snow each year...true blizzards happen every 17 years according to statistics here.

We currently store 150 pounds of grain for each type of critter that we have in individual galvanized cans. Our hay is large square bales mostly.

Our goats are milked and will probably always only be milked for personal use and not sale.

Building a new shelter for the goats while technically a "chore" is not really seen as such by me. I am a woman who likes to build things and use power tools

Stats for new barn: It would be approximately 150 feet from the house making it relatively easy to hook up electricity. It would also be on much higher ground alleviating the drainage issue of the current barn. There is a small shed on the spot, so I am thinking to add to the shed leaving it for my "boy" housing. Possibly building my feed and milking room in between so that I can easily access from both sides. I want a large communal goat area...but there will also be kiddings and sometimes the need to separate individuals. Should I build stalls or plan on "moveable" and temporary pens? I will definitely have a separate feeding stall for the llama as the goats can get pushy with him at times How big overall do you think? I'm thinking a crushed limestone floor with some raised sleeping benches...I don't like concrete floors but I also don't like dirt floors. Wood floors rot, but I could use the "plastic" wood...

And again, no plans to move...this is family land and my Dad is "in" an urn in a memorial garden planted here and my Mom has the same plans so...I can probably be safe in saying that I'm not moving.

Keep the ideas and questions flowing...

 

[The Old Ram-Australia]

G'day elevan,thank for your reply,I think I should clear up the "chore" thing...........I meant that if you replace something ,make sure that what you replace it with operates better than what you had before.The size of the barn "as big as you can afford".

So you do get a fair amount of "snow".I would put some thought into the "pitch" of the roof,(we have friends in WY and they get "drifts" 6ft deep)think about the weight involved if you have a shallow pitch across say a 30ft roof,and how do you clear same ,before the whole thing collapses.

Consider three separate sections .1 Milking Pa lour.2 Feed Storage.3Area to keep the goats (portable pens for kidding,etc).

Milking Room,Do you intend to always "hand milk"?.Do you feed concentrates while milking ?I would suggest a concrete floor for this area with power ,water, heating and refrigeration for the milk.Off tasting milk is usually associated with contamination,dust ,feed etc.I would suggest a small area outside the milking room to feed concentrates( the goats soon learn the quicker they give their milk the quicker they get their reward)...How do you milk ,side or behind?..Its all very good to be able to milk two handed into a bucket ,but I found that a narrow topped container "like a quart fruit juice one"(Glass of course )held in one hand and milking one teat at a time ,meant you get all the milk and no hooves in the bucket.Another trick is to get one of those "home haircutting clippers" and take off all those fine hairs when the udder is quite tight,cuts down the "leg lifting at milking time"...While we are on the subject of tricks,before you start on the "teats",rub your hand along the "milk vein" and GENTLY bump the udder ,just like a KID does,tends to calm even "maiden milkers".The first two "squirts" go into something for the chickens.

Feed Storage can be in a "lean to" on the side of the main structure(it appears that your "grain storage" is rodent proof already.) Concrete flooring seems to be the most appropriate in my view.

I prefer portable pens ,because they are only used for a short period in any year.The larger the open space the better for the goats.For flooring have you considered a "deep litter system?...Hay racks hung on the wall,with the ability to refill them from outside.I would also ensure there is adequate ventilation(not draught'y)in the main goat area.

Do you intend to have yards or a small paddock running off the barn?If so ,and if you can access one ,a decent sized "boulder",up to about a "ton"(it saves a lot of "hoof trimming").

Hope the above is some "food" for thought................T.O.R............

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

We just finish last fall building a new barn...so I know how you feel. I spent hours walking around trying to get a flr plan down. But I have to say...if you are milking...make a milking room for sure...and shevling to put all the tools up and anything that can be stored out there.

It made things so nice..to put em on the stanchion and have most everything I need around me!!

How exciting for you!! Have fun. Im thrilled with our new barn!!

A few stahls are important too! Keep in mind..kiddings, illness's etc.

Best of luck!!!

PS We have added sand to the bottom of the barn in lieu of soils...it made a world of differance for us this year because the sand works well for keeping wetness down!! It carries the liquid away...almost like a leach field!! It really does make a differance!! The soils will hold alot...Sometimes my husband can be brillant!!! Shhh dont tell him that!!!! LOL