Hoop Barns

[lkmartin1230]

Anybody on here that has one? I would like to know pros and cons of having one. We are adding another barn to the property and we are trying to decide if this would be a good idea or not. Thanks in advance!

 

[alsea1]

We found they work great. But we also found that if kids are in the mix you better incorporate some kind of walls they can't climb or they will ruin it in a hurry.

 

[Latestarter]

@babsbag has one.

 

[lkmartin1230]

We found they work great. But we also found that if kids are in the mix you better incorporate some kind of walls they can't climb or they will ruin it in a hurry.

Yeah I thought about that.....not to sure what I'm going to do about that.

 

[babsbag]

Mine is on a pony wall, I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I don't know if this is the kind you had in mind, I got this one from FarmTec. It is a Clearspan brand 30x40. I have 6 5'x5' kidding pens, a 10' wide aisle and the rest is open for the does. We have added an area on the front for hay storage. It is very tall, about 16' at the back and yes, we installed it ourselves.

 

[lkmartin1230]

Exactly what I had in mind! That looks great! Mine would definitely be smaller than this, because I'm working with a small space right now, but it's exactly what I was needing to see examples of.

 

[babsbag]

Ours was not a "pony wall" model we just made it into one, not really any difference between them. We just made sure the wall was level and built on that. One issue we have to still deal with is that mine was built on some fill dirt and it did settle. There is a lot of outward pressure on the "feet" of these barns so we have one wall that leans towards the outside. We set 4x4s in concrete for the pony wall but with the pressure and loose soil we didn't go deep enough. Level ground is a premium here so we had to grade a spot of the barn and we got in a hurry and didn't compact it and we didn't appreciate the outward pressure. So if you build a pony wall make sure it is built on good soil and out riggers wouldn't be an overkill IMO. Also, those tensioning cables that my DH wanted to leave off are crucial. Thankfully an engineer that he knows agreed with me.

 

[lkmartin1230]

Thank you for the advice and sharing info! @babsbag

 

[farmerjan]

There are several dairy farmers that I have worked with that have hoop barns of different sizes and styles. The pony walls are pretty much a necessity for any animals that can put a hoof or snout through them. @babsbag is a good one to talk to. I want to do one the next place I go. Have enough room for box stalls for my milk/nurse cows, room for the calves and such like she has for her goats. Little hay storage with possibly another for more hay storage.
I like the "openess" of them and they are lighter inside than a wood barn. A steel type hoop barn, or quonset hut type might be better for colder-SNOWIER places like we sometimes get here. I also know 2 people who have small sized ones that they just use for run in shelters for their calves and have cattle panel dividers to keep them away from the sides of the building.

 

[babsbag]

I love the bright light inside and the tall open "roof". Goats don't do well with enclosed spaces and limited ventilation so this is perfect for them, lots of airflow. When we added the front on ours for hay storage I had to find a way to enclose the top as our barn faces due south and gets the brunt of the rain and wind. I also built and installed sliding doors on the front so in the summer I can open it pretty much all the way up and in the winter keep in closed. Obviously this was during construction; I was closing in the space above the add on. We are going to add an addition out the back like the front one but I won't close in the top or add doors as the rain and wind doesn't come from that direction and I don't want to cut down on the ventilation, especially in the hot summers.

Farmtec can sell you these with extra ribs for a higher snow load. This has been one decision I have not regretted, I really like the barn.