Cow barn: dimensions and how to build a flock cheaply and quickly with your own hands

In order for the cultivation of cattle to be profitable, it is necessary to take care of the conditions of the animals. Only barns for cows built according to certain requirements will allow them to grow and develop normally. Their performance indicators also directly depend on the microclimate in the room, so the choice of materials and manufacturing technology must be taken with all responsibility.

Features of building a barn with your own hands

To make a flock for cows comfortable and functional, you should make calculations in advance, decide on the livestock that is planned for breeding.This is one of the main points when building a barn with your own hands. The houses should be comfortable for both cows and people.

Besides this, before you start building a barn for cows, you need to decide on the choice of materials. These should be simple, budget options, with a long service life. If livestock will be kept indoors during the winter, an efficient system of heating, air circulation, lighting and water supply should be provided.

To get a full-fledged barn for growing cows, you need to know what working areas it should consist of. This is:

• stall;
• feeding place;
• dung collection area;
• Anniversary with a canopy;
• maternity;
• boiler house;
• cattle corral;
• inventory room;
• milk storage.

Schemes and drawings

To make it easier to build a barn for cows with your own hands, you should prepare a project. In this regard, everything should be thought out to the smallest detail. These are schemes for laying engineering communications, and working premises, and walking areas.

Plan with dimensions

For the maintenance of cattle during the construction of a barn, certain standards are adhered to, regardless of whether it will be used for 2 heads or for 100. For 1 adult cow, 20 square meters should be allotted. m, and for a calf - 10 sq. m. For the maintenance of an adult bull, 12 square meters will be required. m of free space. To calculate the total area of the premises, you need to multiply these parameters by the number of cows that are planned for breeding.

The optimal distance between stalls is 1.2-1.5 m.It is better to make a cowshed in height from 2.5 m. For draining slurry from manure, urine, the floor slope should be from 2-3 degrees.

Norm for 1 animal Barn height1 adult cow10-20 m 2.5 m Calf10 m 2.5 mAdult bull 12 sq. m 2.5 mLarge livestock6 sq. m

Rules for choosing the location of the barn

Starting to build a barn for cows at home, you need to correctly choose the area for its placement. Taking into account sanitary requirements, the minimum distance from the barn to residential buildings is 15 m, and to the location of the water source - 20 m. By maintaining such standards, it will be possible to avoid water pollution and an unpleasant permanent smell in the house.

In addition, it is recommended to provide for the presence of pasture for cattle walking and feeding. Better if it is in the nearest availability.

What materials can you build with?

Each owner seeks to build a barn cheaply and quickly, using improvised means. The main thing in the construction of a barn is the use of materials that are safe for animal he alth; during operation, they should not emit toxic substances.

A good option would be to use a tree, planed boards, logs are suitable for this purpose. Given that the floor in the barn must keep warm, be resistant to aggressive environmental factors, it is worth using for its installation:

• concrete;
• tree;
• clay concrete composition.

Effectively retains heat in the barn clay covering. Concrete floors are more durable and hygienic. Wood is used more often due to availability, but quickly deteriorates and absorbs all odors.

You can build a barn for cows from cinder block, brick, foam concrete with your own hands. It is important to achieve optimal conditions for livestock, it is required to exclude the presence of drafts and cold indoors.

Organization of the construction process

To get a warm barn for cows, you must follow a certain algorithm of actions. Each stage requires a responsible approach and the use of quality materials.

Foundation

No matter how many cattle are planned to be kept, a reliable and durable foundation must be made in the barn. For a small room built of wood, a columnar foundation is enough. If the barn is designed for a large household, then a monolithic or tape base will be required.

The main thing here is that the foundation is at a depth of soil freezing - from 50 to 100 cm or more. Everything will depend on the characteristics of the climatic zone. The top layer of earth during the construction of the foundation should be removed and taken out.

The barn floor, both concrete and wood, should slope 5 degrees towards the nearest drain. Thanks to this technique, urine and manure will flow into collection containers. To achieve this slope, the floor level must be 10 cm above ground level.

If the floor will be made of concrete, the service life of which is at least 10 years, then wood is used to insulate its surface. But due to the fact that this material absorbs ammonia, it must be replaced at least once every 5 years. When planning sewers, they adhere to a width of 30 cm and a depth of 15 cm. Such parameters make it possible to freely work with a shovel when cleaning livestock waste.

Walls

Stone walls stand out with increased strength, but they have one serious drawback - their low ability to retain heat. The best option is the use of bricks and foam blocks.But they need additional thermal insulation to maintain a normal indoor climate.

In a climate zone where winters are harsh, a cowshed should be made of warmer materials - adobe/shell rock. They are inexpensive and have low thermal conductivity. As for the thickness of the walls, in most cases - one and a half bricks. When using foam blocks, it is enough to lay them in one row. Room height must be 2.5 m.

Roof

According to the recommendations of experienced farmers, it is best to choose slate sheets for roofing. This building material belongs to the category of budget and practical coatings. The installation process of the roof is relatively simple, you need:

• Make a frame from planed boards, which are pre-treated with antiseptic compounds.

• Lay thermal insulation over the wooden structure.

• Fix the slate sheets with fasteners.

The roof can be both single-pitched and gable. The second option is more preferable, there is also a place for hay, and the room turns out to be warmer.

Windows and doors

Windows are the main source of natural light in the barn. According to all standards, their area in total should be at least 10% of the entire floor area of the building. As a rule, the lower part of the window opening is above the floor at a height of 1.5-1.6 m.

There are the following types of barn windows:

• swing type with double glazing;
• swing, equipped with a polycarbonate insert;
• sliding with transparent polycarbonate sheets.

It is better to make doors in the barn with a hinged plan, which need to be additionally insulated to keep the heat inside the room. For convenience, the gate should be made lifting.

Interior design

In areas where livestock are kept, a place for feeding and a rest area should be equipped. And provide a drain and tanks for collecting slurry.

Feeders and drinkers

If there are a lot of heads, it is better to use automatic type feeders. The manual method of feeding is more acceptable for keeping calves or 1-2 cows. Material for feeders should be safe and not traumatic. Dimensions 70x40x80 cm. They can fit up to 6 kg of grass. Install feeders at a height of 7 cm from the floor.

Water tanks can have any configuration, the main thing is that it is convenient for animals to drink from them. Tank volume - from 100 l. It is recommended to place drinkers in the far corner of the barn.

Litter

It is good to use straw for flooring with the addition of peat, which helps to absorb unpleasant odors and moisture. Suitable for these purposes and sawdust, and shavings, and sand. Initially, you need to pour a layer of bedding 15 cm, later, as needed, lay a new one.

Making a barn for cows with your own hands is not difficult. You can use different improvised materials that are on the farm. The main thing is to keep the room warm and dry.

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