If you could build the perfect barn what would you do?

[ladyhk13]

Built into a hillside with 2 stories above grade, the basement level would be cast concrete walls, and concrete roof (think walkout bunker) with stalls and storage in the lower section for winter with a single door area leading to a loafing pen for animals to spend outside time on nice winter days. I would add an underground cool room below the basement level for the produce wed make with the garden, with full bunker capability for 4-6 people. The 1st above ground level would be the every day barn, full bath, tool and equipment storage with automatic watering system for animals, floor drains for easy cleaning in every area, a large equipment wash bay that could be used for washing livestock as well. The upper level would be feed and hay storage as well as a farm office. The entire (above grade) building would be 5.5" spray foam insulated for maximum animal comfort with a battery bank and solar on the roof for an air exchange system to remove the animal stink 24/7 HVAC when needed, would be a geothermal system. Exterior features would be: attached greenhouse with solar ventilation fans. 10kw generator house attached to exterior? The barn roof would have a rainwater system feeding a 10,000 gallon cistern. The roof would be outfitted with sola-tube skylights for passive heating and natural lighting to cut energy usage.

Oh and I forgot, a cupola on top of the barn with a quad .50 turret. Too much? Lol

I like a lot of your ideas. These are some of the things I have been thinking about...can the geothermal be run by solar power?

[ak474u]

I like a lot of your ideas. These are some of the things I have been thinking about...can the geothermal be run by solar power?

I'm sure it could, its just a pump. How much solar I dunno.

[ladyhk13]

I'm sure it could, its just a pump. How much solar I dunno.

That would be perfect for ac and heat. Been thinking of that for a house too. Haven't been able to find out about the solar part yet but never thought about putting it in the barn. Genius!

[bacpacker]

This topic has been on my mind for a couple years now. I have given this some thought at different points and had various ideas. Mind you my plans are for our eventual BOL, not where we are now. We don't currently have enough land to raise the animals we would like to here.

At this point, and plans are likely to change as time goes by, is to have a earth bermed barn preferably bermed from the north. The lower level will be for animal housing consisting of no more than 4 horses, depending on circumstances between 10 and 50 head of cattle, and several goats. For the horses I would have 4 stalls large enough for a mare and foal. For the cattle 4 stalls for heifers with calf. The rest of the cattle free to come and go in a large pen in the barn. This would also be used to feed sweet feed to the cattle in season. There would also be 2 small pens to be used for milking 1 cow at a time and a smaller one for milking goats. Run one animal in, milk it, and run it out, next. I would also have a area to hold the goats in, plus 2-3 small stalls for does with kids. I figure keeping female housed and protected with young for a few weeks would be good for them both. Goats and horse would be housed at night, cattle would be free to come and go as they please. Also from past experience in this area animals do fine winter and summer, coats thicken up in the winter, and shed off in the spring. These areas would either be open or have door that left like a garage door. This would facilitate cleaning with a tractor and front end loader. It would also have a cold room for quick chilling of the milk.
The second level would be for square bale or loose hay and feed storage mainly. And the idea of feeding from the next level is exactly they way we always fed. It works very well. I would also have a room to store all feed in that is secure from vermin. I would also have a couple cats hanging around, as well as a blacksnake or two. This upper floor would also have 2 other rooms, one for a small office, the other for storing all electrical switch gear in.
The roof would have plenty of solar panels on it and the room would have lots of batteries, plus controllers and inverters as needed. It would also be fully guttered and ran to a large storage tank to catch all the rain fall and plumbed to keep the animals watered while in the barn.
One thing I keep coming back to though. I would like to keep the hay seperate. I have saw two barns burn from folks putting up green hay. I would hate to loose everything like that. So I have also given a lot of thought to having a second barn just for hay storage and keep the animals seperate, just have enough to store current feed needs. I would also want a seperate tractor shed/repair facility for working on all the equipment/vehicles for the farm. It would have a small machine shop, weld area in it and most likely a pit to get under the equipment to work on stuff.
BTW, I LOVE THIS THREAD! Can anyone tell?

[ladyhk13]

BP your ideas are great. Having extra large stalls for mama and babies is perfect plus I think practical as well for when ya have to be in there with a large horse it's nice to have room to move around. I've been in stalls that are the standard 10x10 and I just don't feel they are big enough especially when the horse gets antsy. I think of their comfort too and it would be nice for them to have room to move around when they have to be stuck in there for hours.

Your point about barn fires and green hay is unfortunately all too true and having the bulk of it stored separately is a good idea.

I love seeing all these ideas from you guys. BWRR might not be so enthused as my plans expand though