Another Illinois 'stead

[mannytheseacow]

One of my major projects for the summer is making a building to overwinter my animals and support breeding. I've been working through plans, consulting with lots of people, working with our zoning office to create something legal, and trying to add a structure that supports my objectives for my little place.

I've finally settled on a final plan and construction is starting.


It's a 12 x 24 solar envelope with a 4' covered eve to the south. Two foot overhangs all the way around on the main roof. Vented eaves should provide adequate ventilation for both summer heat and winter fumes. I have salvaged double pane patio doors for windows on the east, south, and west sides that will be hinged to flip up in the summer. I'm going to keep the dirt floor for now but contemplating running a solar heated floor under the kidding pen. For lights, primarily for the hens to lay in the winter, I'm taking Matt's idea of small solar panels supplying LED lighting.

I've tossed around the idea of a cob building or straw bales. If I was building this for myself to live in I think I would do a combination of both. Since it's for animals it just needs to be well ventilated but not drafty. The worst thing for the animals is a stuffy damp building. So, I'm just going to rough frame it and probably sheet it in steel. The solar envelope idea should at least keep interior lighting to a minimum and allow cross breezes to air it out, along with some minor heating benefits and keeping everything dry. Also, the design was important to not block sunlight to my newly planted fruit, nut, and berry forest just to the north.

If need be, I can run a temporary extension cord from my main solar array to some heat lamps during kidding season.

A 500 gallon food tote will store rainwater for watering animals and the food forest to the north.

Hopefully I'll have some real updates and photos in the next couple of days.

[matt walker]

Whoah, big doin's! I had no idea when we were talking about this that it would be such a large structure. I like it, the layout looks really good and I like the plan for bare metal walls. If you think they are going to need it you can always stack bales inside and create a smaller, insulated temporary space that way for a winter or a kidding period. Can't wait to see it come together, what happens to the current chicken palace?

[pa_friendly_guy]

That is a nice sized building, and it works dimensional lumber. Nice looking building, and I like all the windows for light and heat in the winter. I was wondering about the door placement for the main section. Do you want it easier to unload feed into that bin, or do you want it moved toward the animal section so it is easier to clean out the poop? The way it is now you can not get any equipment into the building. You may never have that kind of equipment but you never know.

[mannytheseacow]

See, you guys think I'm just showing off the new project but really I'm looking for input!

Great feedback, guys! I like the idea of stacking some straw bales for insulation. I can see that happening. Really good thoughts on getting machinery in there, too, Guy. I never gave that any consideration. I was thinking that having the feed room centrally located would be best so I can feed the birds and goats all from the same location. There will be a wall between the goats and the birds but the feed room will just be a wire panel across the front and then open to a single sided feed bunk along the side. I suppose if I need to get a machine in there I could just move the feed bunk and feed cans out of the way. But, I'm going to have to think about this layout a bit more now. I like the idea of having the kid pens in the SE corner for maximum protection from drafts and maximum exposure to sun. We'll see.

As for that current chicken palace- it's a 3 x 7 add-on to the side of my little garden shed, which has been filled with hay bales for the last 4 months. The hay is going in the new barn, the wall is coming down between the shed and the chicken palace, and the lawn mower is coming out from under the porch and going back in the shed where it belongs! There might even be some extra room. I don't know, I've never had that problem before?

[pa_friendly_guy]

I think having the feed area in the center between the birds and the goats makes a lot of sense. Less handling and less distance to move the feed. Having the pens on that side also makes sense from a heat and light point of view. My thoughts would be more about cleaning out the poop. I would move the main door to line up with the main animal area so that a tractor with a high lift could get in there and clean it out easily. As I get older planning things that make my life easier is a major consideration for me. If the man doors do not work because of size, consider a sliding door on tracks, or larger hinged doors. I really feel that with all the poop in there during the winter from the birds as well as the goats you will not have to worry much about the cold. Just keep the goats out of the wind and you should be fine, The chickens will be in their own separate room that I am guessing will be a little more closed in and their poop generates a lot of heat. The number I have heard is one chicken is equal to about a gal of heating oil. Because the chicken area is narrower I do not think you will be able to clean it out with machines, my only comment would be to make the door wide enough to get a wheel barrel through so that you do not have to through poop 12 feet from one end of the building to the other, Or carry it by hand one fork full at a time.

[pa_friendly_guy]

Oh, by the way, I like the idea of 500 gal storage to store rain water. That is a great idea. I would try to keep it as high up in the air as possible so that you get the greatest flow and pressure from the tank.

[mannytheseacow]

I was already thinking of changing that main door to a big slider on a track, Guy. Great minds think alike, I guess (or crazy on a ship of fools ). That way, in really hot weather I can slide that door wide open and right across the big window in the front and use it as a cover.

You make a good point about getting machinery in there. I don't have anything right now, but I really like the idea of getting something in there, even if it's just a wagon so I'm not carrying scoops around.

Here's a picture of where I'm currently at with it:


Slow going, but steady progress. If I didn't have a separate full time job getting in the way...

I'm already seeing some minor changes as the frame takes shape. I'm realizing how tall it is! I think I can manage a hay loft on the high wall, or at least a shelf to store a dozen bales or so.

[matt walker]

Being able to get a machine in there is a great idea. If I could redo my barn I'd make a stall the length of the building, with removable dividers and a large door at each end. That way I could just run my tractor straight through and out the other side with the litter. Oh my, how that would save on labor! Crap, I think I'm gonna remodel my barn now, and I'm not kidding!

Also, hay and feed storage: Make the feed storage just somewhere to put bins or garbage cans, any permanent feed area will get nasty and attract rats. You want bins you can move around and change out eventually. The hay, I'd plan on stacking the functions of your stored hay and getting some insualtion/space dividing use out of it. Again, moveable and with good airflow. Maybe just a winter interior layout that uses the hay/straw as walls and dividers that slowly are used up as the season progresses. Maybe some slatted walls to dictate the stacks and keep the critters from browsing it, or something? My friend has his hay in a loft and I think it's the dumbest thing ever. Lift it way up there for the rats to settle in, then pull it down on your head every morning. Stupid.

edit: I guess this has me thinking about my barn layout now. To riff a bit more on the temporary hay walls idea; more than anything I wish my barn had no permanent interior walls, so I could re-configure at will, and clean more easily. I suppose if it were mine, after a bit of reflection, I'd reconsider the interior and think about just making a permanent shell with a wide open floor plan. Then set up systems inside as needed. Who knows, soon you'll need a spot for the dairy cow and the breeding pack of labradoodles, or something.

[mannytheseacow]

I totally agree. I remember seeing those removable stalls in your barn and thinking that's the way to go. I have some 4 x 4 cattle panels that I was planning to use for pens and such. Pretty much was already planning just a big open room. Then just fasten the panels in place with carabiners as needed to set up pens, when they're needed. And yep, that feed room was just a panel across the front and a one sided feeder down the side, just to keep the goats out of a couple of garbage cans of feed. Definitely not leaving feed on the ground or anything like that.

I've been using this one sided feeder idea that I got from premier (). They've been great for me. You have to remember I'm dealing with goats- total jerks. They will climb, knock over, break, etc. anything just because they know you don't want them to. Add to it, they waste hay like crazy and refuse to eat any hay that has touched the ground (but they eat poison ivy?). Since using this one sided feeder they only waste about 10% of their hay instead of 50%. They're not getting any hay now but it will be an issue in the winter.

Likewise, I would love to use bales as a divider/insulator but the little jerks will eat it, chew the strings off, climb it, and knock it over. But actually, now that you have me thinking, I could do a hay wall between the chickens and goats. I'll have to digest that a bit. I think you make a good point, though, about the hay loft. I could see that being a real pain. More convenient than making a run for hay every week, but still... very good suggestion!

Another thought I was thinking last night about using some stove pipe to run a tube at an angle from a feeder in the chicken pen adjacent into the feed room where I could just dump a feed bag of chicken feed into the stove pipe and put a cap on it, then forget about it. Eliminate a feed bin in the room and auto feed the birds all at the same time.

[matt walker]

Gah! Animals are such jerks.