I have a little bit of money that I am going to use to build my own barn for animals. My budget is small, and the largest dimensions I can possibly do is 300 sq ft. (that does not include the fenced yard around it though, which I am aiming for 500 sq ft.) Is there anyone who has chickens, meat rabbits, and dwarf Nigerian goats in the same building? Right now I am thinking rabbits up high, chickens below, and goats in a lean-to on the side? I'd love to see if anyone has done this and how it worked, what the barn looked like, etc. Thank you!
Combo shed/barn ideas/plans? Please?
- Thread starter Stormimay
- Start date
Bryan99705
Chillin' with the herd
Would suggest you concentrate on the chickens and rabbits (really like the rabbits over the chickens concept but with a angled chute/chicken ceiling to keep the hop drops and urine off the birds (plus you can have it run into a catch tub on the end for easy cleanup) then have lean-to a 3 sided shelter on one side for the goats with a fence or hog panel wall so you see thru it and maybe back your feeders against it. This may keep the cost down, give good ventilation, and make it a more efficient use of space. Consider mounting your laying boxes to the inside of the barn with a access door so you don't have to crawl into the pen to gather eggs and maybe a outside door for access to the roost for east cleanout. Post what you come up with as it's neat to see the buildings people design (we like to steal your ideas for our barns too)
Chickens feed at ground level but roost at the highest point possible, lay eggs at medium or ground level.. Need to keep rabbits at waist height for easiest handling / cleaning / feeding / watering. Chickens will roost on rabbit cages and contaminate their feed and water as well as rabbit nest boxes. Goats feed and rest at ground level but will jump up on anything available. Rabbits will poop and urinate on anyone that wanders under the cages.
All in all NOT very sanitary conditions for biosecurity for cohabitation for one and all. Best to develop each their own housing.
All in all NOT very sanitary conditions for biosecurity for cohabitation for one and all. Best to develop each their own housing.
Bryan99705
Chillin' with the herd
Chickens feed at ground level but roost at the highest point possible, lay eggs at medium or ground level.. Need to keep rabbits at waist height for easiest handling / cleaning / feeding / watering. Chickens will roost on rabbit cages and contaminate their feed and water as well as rabbit nest boxes. Goats feed and rest at ground level but will jump up on anything available. Rabbits will poop and urinate on anyone that wanders under the cages.
All in all NOT very sanitary conditions for biosecurity for cohabitation for one and all. Best to develop each their own housing.
All those issues can be designed out of a well thought out building and depending on what part of the country it's used, the heat from one animal can help warm another. With some encouragement and smart designing, Stormimay can have a efficient, low cost animal shelter they can be proud of for many years
