Bedding Inside Run-In Shed

[DuckDuckSook]

Hello friends!
I have 3 East Friesian sheep and I am looking to build a new run-in shed for them this spring. They currently have an old shed as a shelter when it is windy or rainy. The shed has a wooden floor, which is obviously not the best in terms of long-term use. It was here when we moved to the property so I have used it for just this year. I clean it out every 2 days, put down barn lime, and layer in some straw. When I build their new shed, it will just be the ground as the floor. Should I still use barn lime and straw? What do you do? How often do you clean out your run-in sheds? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Anne02]

Hello friends!
I have 3 East Friesian sheep and I am looking to build a new run-in shed for them this spring. They currently have an old shed as a shelter when it is windy or rainy. The shed has a wooden floor, which is obviously not the best in terms of long-term use. It was here when we moved to the property so I have used it for just this year. I clean it out every 2 days, put down barn lime, and layer in some straw. When I build their new shed, it will just be the ground as the floor. Should I still use barn lime and straw? What do you do? How often do you clean out your run-in sheds? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I had the same set-up, with a dirt floor and three sided shed. I used a mix of straw and pine shavings.

 

[DuckDuckSook]

I had the same set-up, with a dirt floor and three sided shed. I used a mix of straw and pine shavings.

Thanks! How often did you clean it out?

 

[Weeg]

Stall pellets are good to, then with a layer of straw, or pine shavings on top. Cleaning wise really depends on how much they use it. Just keep and eye on it, you'll be able to tell when its getting dirty. We never clean out the shed for our goats, since there manure is so small, it doesn't soil the bedding very easily. They seem to push it around and sift it enough to make beds, that we can just throw more bedding on top of it and its fine.
Never had sheep though, and it may be very different. Hope that helps!

 

[HKG]

Hello friends!
I have 3 East Friesian sheep and I am looking to build a new run-in shed for them this spring. They currently have an old shed as a shelter when it is windy or rainy. The shed has a wooden floor, which is obviously not the best in terms of long-term use. It was here when we moved to the property so I have used it for just this year. I clean it out every 2 days, put down barn lime, and layer in some straw. When I build their new shed, it will just be the ground as the floor. Should I still use barn lime and straw? What do you do? How often do you clean out your run-in sheds? Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I use hay

 

[Weeg]

I use hay

Same here. We throw all of the stinky, wet, leftover hay that has been slightly soiled by our horses in there for them. They wont eat it but will bed down in it. Makes a great way to use up soiled hay, and they love it.

 

[Anne02]

Thanks! How often did you clean it out?

I had two sheep in there, and they also had access to a pasture, so they weren't in it an awful lot. But we cleaned it maybe once a week or so.

 

[DuckDuckSook]

I had two sheep in there, and they also had access to a pasture, so they weren't in it an awful lot. But we cleaned it maybe once a week or so.

My sheep are in a penned in area of our property that is about 3/4 of an acre. They eat the grass in there and then I also give them hay. Currently, they are also getting hay pellets since it is winter and all the vegetation is dormant. I was thinking of keeping the hay feeder inside the run-in shed to keep it from getting wet. Right now, I rigged an old trash can as a feeder and the sheep are wasting quite a bit. I'm looking to get a different feeder but it doesn't have a roof/top so it will get wet. I'm guessing if I put the hay feeder in the run-in shed then the sheep will use it more and thus it will need to be cleaned more often. I just wanted to know if the method I'm using now in the shed (lime and straw) would work with a floorless run-in shed.