# Sheep Barn Design Help



## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

If you were building a sheep barn from scratch, how would you build it? 

My barn goes up in the Spring. 

It will be a minimum of 33' wide (already have the trusses) possibly up to 48'

It could be 72'+. 

I have an existing concrete pad with a drain running long-ways down the middle of the pad. This had an old farrowing house on it at one time.

I want to put 4=5 horses stalls along the northeastern wall. Everything else will be for sheep. (I can also use the horse stalls for lambing jugs) 

Or should I keep the horses and sheep separate because of tetanus? I do vaccinate for CD&T. 

I want an area to store 20 big square bales. Three of these stacked would come up to the 12' eave. The trusses CAN go a little higher, but I don't want a 16' eave like the cattle barn. I think my top end would be 40 ewes. 

It looks like I need lambing jugs, an area for ewes and newborns, a creep area, a place for the general flock, and a chute for working the sheep. 

Does anyone here have a design that works well? 

I had intended to keep the sheep out and let them lamb on pasture. That would work, but we're beginning to see Bald Eagles return to this area.


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## MJFarms (Sep 20, 2008)

Don't have a design for you but if your max is 72' then I'd make 72'. You'll regret anything less. My ideal barn for sheep would have 16' by 16' pens. Each pen would keep 8 to 10 ewe's. This way you can feed 1 sq bale per pen per day. So you need 4 pens just for the ewe's and at least 1 pen the same size for your creep and jugs. Plus some smaller stalls for ram pens. I better stop or the horse's will be out in the cold.


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## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

MJ, 

I'll be feeding 1 ton square bales. I can either pull it off by flakes and feed, or feed the whole bale outside like I do now. I have about 10 ewes now, but I don't separate my ram. He's pretty mellow, and hasn't given me any problems. 

I can go longer than 72', but then I'm off the pad. 

I'm trying to figure out a good flow in moving sheep from area to area as needs be.


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## plowjockey (Aug 18, 2008)

I have a small, old barn, but hope to someday have a larger one.

I make all of my sheep/lamb pens from metal cattle panels. They are easy to construct with, relatively inexpensive and are easy to move/remove, if you need to use the space for something else. I just cut them to size using bolt cutters and fasten them together with wire or removable chain links.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Check out Temple Grandins web page for sheep handling facilities. More than you need but a race is pretty useful esp when it dumps into sorting pens! We keep the horse with the sheep tentnus is pretty much everywhere anyhow.


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## MJFarms (Sep 20, 2008)

Judy, What breed of sheep? How do you move your large sq bales around?


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## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

MJ, 

Dorpers. This will be my second year with them. I chose them thinking I wouldn't have to shear, but it looks like I'll have to anyway. 

I do like their easy going personalities, though. 

Right now, I can load 5 big bales on a car trailer, or one on the 3/4 ton Dodge. I can tie the bale to a fence post and pull out from under it with the Dodge, or pull it off the trailer with the John Deere 850. That is all the tractor wants, though, lol. 

We now have a backhoe at the farm. I plan on getting a 4 tined clamp on hay spear for the backhoe. 

I really like the big square bales. They are easier to stack than the round bales, and people who put up square bales put them in the barn. I don't have to worry about round bales that have sat outside. 

I have a source with high quality hay, so I'm happy about that.

Ross, 

I will check that out. I'm Googling layouts so I'll be ready by Spring.


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

MJfarms- I don't get your 16X16 please show a pic or better details.. 

I would look at what the sheep equipment folks are making and base from that. I have some Ketchums and D&S Livestock, but if I had cash I'd go either with Sydell or I really like Premiers galvanized, (never needs painting.. HELLO..!) but the Ketchums jugs are sized 5X5 BE SURE TO KEEP THAT SHEEP FLIPPER IN THERE...! LOL


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## MJFarms (Sep 20, 2008)

Slev, What I meant was Ina perfect world if I could divide the flock into pens of 10 ewe's to make feeding easier I would have them separated into 16' square pens. Judy still designing in my head. Some day when I get rich raising sheep I'm going to build my dream barn. Hope the old will last a long time. It will need to.


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## sheepish (Dec 9, 2006)

Whatever you decide, it should be flexible, so that you can change the arrangement for different stages of the flock and for different seasons.
Big garage type doors that allow the sheep to come and go into separated outdoor pens are also useful.


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## Judy in IN (Nov 28, 2003)

Sheepish, 

I was planning on putting rolling doors on, with a sheep/dog door in the big door. We get a LOT of wind here. We've already signed on for a wind tower or two. 

The garage door would be nice, but much more expensive than one we can build ourselves. It has to be wide enough to accomodate wide tractors and the backhoe, of course. I will think about that, though. 

Right now, I'm thinking about putting the sorting chute over the top of the grate, with general flock pen and hay storage on the south side. That puts horse stalls, lambing jugs, nursery pen and creep on the north side, away from the wind. Those pens will be partially on dirt. I should be able to use the chute to move everyone to the proper pen as needed. 

Now, on to the subject of light. I was thinking putting panels across the top 3-4' of the sides, with a greenhouse shutter at the top of the eaves, east and west. I want the air, just not the drafts.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Dorpers. This will be my second year with them. I chose them thinking I wouldn't have to shear, but it looks like I'll have to anyway.


Dorpers tend to shed more as they age, and regrow less of their Winter "wool".
With any luck , you may only need to shear them the first year.

These are pics of the same ewe taken about 1 year apart. She has never been sheared, but simply shed better as she aged:


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## PNP Katahdins (Oct 28, 2008)

Bearfoot, is that a pure Dorper? They are not usually almost solid brown like that. She's very nice-looking.

Peg


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

PNP Katahdins said:


> Bearfoot, is that a pure Dorper? They are not usually almost solid brown like that. She's very nice-looking.
> 
> Peg


Thank you Ma'am!
She's 50% Dorper and 50% Katahdin
My Ram is 75% Dorper

Their offspring tend to look more like traditional Dorpers:


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