Building New Coop/Barn...Phase 5 Great Barn Build, OCCUPIED! 3/6/16

[aart]

Our issue is the slope we have. Shade is great there so it might be okay as long as there was plenty of ventilation and a big exhaust fan, but the slope will necessitate expensive foundation prep adding to the total. I think we're back to buying a premade wood barn on skids, unfortunately, IF they can get it up to the spot coming through our back lot. Of course, that too will need insulating and pens inside, but on a much smaller scale than the barn we really wanted to do.

Wish I could afford a real barn and just have someone build it on site. I may get the entire plan for a premade one and get estimates for someone to do it for me here and maybe, just maybe, I could get a few extras out of that. Oh, well, was all excited about a big open barn interior and I guess it isn't in the cards with our very limited budget. We just need all the birds in one building to make chores easier in winter.

I'll take a picture of the location and you'll see the challenge. One wild plum tree has to be cut down and one cherry sapling transplanted and that's about it.

It's tough decisions when installing a large building like that.....how bad does it get up there?

Being from where I am I can't think of Goergia as being too bad even in the mountains....tho definitely understand wanting to consolidate all your coops.

 

[speckledhen]

It's tough decisions when installing a large building like that.....how bad does it get up there?

Being from where I am I can't think of Goergia as being too bad even in the mountains....tho definitely understand wanting to consolidate all your coops.

At our elevation, a day above 85* is rare. We can get to single digits a few times in winter, but most of the winter, it doesn't go much below the mid-20's at night in winter. We do have some humid summers, but less so than lower elevations, and it cools down at night up here much more than further south. We're right at the North Carolina line. We get some snow, some years not much, some years a few sessions with 5-7" or so, scattered throughout the winter. Only had one really snowy winter since we've been here (bought in 2002)

Here are pictures of the 25'x25' string line we ran to scope out the location. There is a PVC pipe at the 14' mark in case we did a 14 x 24 though it would probably end up being a 12' width due to cost of just adding the 2' onto it. I don't think 2 more feet is worth an extra $2K.

The grape vines and the fence they're on will be removed soon, but the front of the building (or front long side) will be directly behind that a couple of feet.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The Amish are just like any other people, some are great and some are terrible....with building and with animal rearing.
That maybe used to mean something good, now it's just overused and misused marketing term.

you are correct, just thought I would mention it, guest I would just have to say puppy mills, though around here they build nice barns.

 

[speckledhen]

@oldhenlikesdogs I'm sorry I forgot to answer your question! No, there isn't an Amish community right here, one is about an hour from here in TN but I don't care for their barns I've seen at the farm in Delano where we sometimes buy produce. We are so picky about our coops, I dont know if anyone's work would please us, LOL.

 

[donrae]

centrarchid (hope I spelled that right) is doing something very similar. Best I can see, he's using a gravel base. I know he has dogs for pest management, but you might ask him specifically about managing rats.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1019004/investing-more-in-american-dominiques

 

[speckledhen]

I think what may happen at this point after much agonizing and trying to figure things out is that we will complete a good design and maybe look for someone to build what we want here. My late father's estate is in process of being settled. Once his house is sold, there may be more wiggle room in our budget for this. This is the last building I want to build for chickens and I want it to be large enough to accommodate all current breeders, layers, elderly hens, bantams plus have room for growing out youngsters as well as housing a broody or two separately.

Centarhchid has a pasture situation, unlike ours where we have huge oak roots and rock ledges to dig down into. I'm still not sure what to do about a floor inside. I fear it would be like building an entire building inside of a building and the cost would skyrocket, though I'd love an actual barn. That barn was the original one we wanted, exactly the same one he's building. Another possibility is put a gravel base, build the framework with floor joists and sit the barn on that, then the floor is there for building on top of. Anyway, I appreciate all input. This is a huge expense and project and it's for ease of use in our future. Things aren't getting any easier, that's for sure.

ETA: Tom says he still wants to do the big barn like that one centrarchid pictured if we can. It will end up being over 10K when all is said and done, probably more. I know it seems odd not to have pop doors and let groups just go out through the center aisle, even mill around in there during bad weather but we have other buildings for storage and also, that bldg lends itself to a platform/loft inside. There is a lady whose handle on Youtube is Appalachia's Homestead, real name Patara Marlow, up in Grandview, TN. She has a 30 x 24 rectangular barn that she uses that way, though she also has goats and a milk cow. Her chickens are all over the place in the barn, though she has pens inside with nest boxes, etc for them. They just go out the end double doors to the pasture. Here is one link to her barn. Yes, it is messier, but mine would also have pens they couldn't get out of and one group at a time would either be roaming the center aisle or be able to leave the barn entirely:

Will definitely be installing one of this type fan:
http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/j-d...D3404C8C40F3936E24FC1E81F14C9429.mff-store3-1

 

[aart]

Funny how 'ease' is so complex.

 

[speckledhen]

See my added comment to the above post. Husband still covets that big red barn and he's thinking how to get it done. Stay tuned, y'all, LOL.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's how my shed is, just not as organized, I keep goats in one section, donkeys in another and the chicken can go where ever they want, except where we keep our hay, go big or go home, bigger sheds get hot but just making sure you have doors at both end helps a lot. Please share when you do decide, I am excited for you.

 

[speckledhen]

That's how my shed is, just not as organized, I keep goats in one section, donkeys in another and the chicken can go where ever they want, except where we keep our hay, go big or go home, bigger sheds get hold but just making sure you have doors at both end helps a lot. Please share when you do decide, I am excited for you.

We were just discussing this a.m. about putting a big door at the other end of the center aisle so great suggestion!

That way, DH can truck feed, shavings, etc, down with his lawn cart and just back it up in there, another way to ease the work load. We can both lift 50 lb bags but may not always be able to do that.

My sister is trying to get someone to come get all the junk, electrical supplies, lawn supplies, tools, etc, out of Dad's basement so we can put the house on the market as soon as probate court gives the green light. Should sell fairly quickly in his busy location, or at least, we hope so. Then, we can get busy on the work. May do foundation work before that if we can find the right guy. The guy doing my pasture can do it, but he's leaving for Guantanamo to guard the prisoners in November and I suspect he won't have any time before he leaves, no idea how long he'll be gone.