Do-it-yourself cowshed: a project and a diagram, how to build it right

Creating cowsheds in a village, a suburb with your own hands, on your own, requires care, careful calculation. Their productivity depends on how the requirements are taken into account, the conditions for keeping animals are met. It does not matter whether it is planned to build a cowshed for 2 heads or 10. It is imperative to be guided by sanitary standards, the general rules of construction production.

Types of cowsheds

Cowsheds, as separate buildings, are classified according to several criteria. First of all, this is the number of animals kept there. There are mini-farms for 3 heads, 10, 20 and more.In large barns, up to a hundred animals can be kept at the same time. It is allowed to unite under one roof, in the building of several functional areas: for feeding, walking, milking.

The more animals, the more space they occupy. One cow requires 2.3-2.4 square meters (bed), sometimes up to 6 square meters are indicated. This is the minimum "comfort zone" of cattle on the farm. Building area norms can be gleaned from veterinary reference books, the information is in the public domain.

An example of a barn is shown in the video:

The second factor that affects the configuration of the farm is the direct purpose of the building. It is preferable to separate heifers and bulls on the farm, growing and already sexually mature young animals.Each animal in the barn must have a separate stall, physically fenced off from the rest of the territory.

The third criterion refers to the type of barn and climate zone. In warm areas, it is possible to restrict the creation of a light paddock with protection from precipitation. In a cold area, you will need the construction of a full-fledged farm with insulated walls, a vestibule, and a heating system. Separate creation of seasonal cowsheds (light summer and capital winter) is justified if large-scale breeding of animals for milk and meat is planned.

In a mini-farm for 3-5 animals, it makes no sense to build buildings for each season.

Choosing a building site

A barn with an equipped stall for a cow must be located in certain conditions, terrain. This includes sanitary, geological, veterinary standards for keeping animals on the farm. It is better if it is a separate building, remote from residential buildings.

It is not allowed to build a barn in the lowlands, in wetlands, close to industrial facilities, factories or workshops. It is impossible to build a farm building on the sites of former cattle burial grounds, waste disposal sites, landfills.

Failure to comply with these rules will lead not only to problems with animals on the farm, but also to conflicts with regulatory authorities.

The barn should not be located near water sources, wells, pipelines, canals, wells.Permissible removal of the building is 20-25 meters. Electricity, water supply, sewerage are laid separately to the farm. It is best to choose an elevated, level place for building a barn, with good transport interchange.

The way of driving cows to pasture, transporting young animals to the barn or fence for slaughter is also calculated. To do this, a plan for the future construction of a barn is created, which indicates all these "little things" that affect the choice of location. If it is not possible to build a barn on a separate territory, the farm building is entered into the existing infrastructure, taking into account all the above requirements.

What tools and materials will be needed

Budget options involve construction with minimal consumption of expensive materials, on a cheaper strip foundation, using human physical strength (and not mechanisms, construction equipment).

Most often, pine is used to build a farm in the form of boards, timber, relatively inexpensive, affordable and easy-to-use lumber.

An important argument in favor of choosing wood is the fact that it is relatively easy to process by hand. It is not difficult to cut the measured lengths (or order at the sawmill) of the required dimensions and quantity. The fastening of the wooden parts of the barn is carried out with nails driven in with a hammer, or on screws, metal staples, corners.

Both that and another is not a problem, unlike the assembly of a barn from metal structures, where you will definitely need a power tool for cutting, stripping, special equipment for welding. Yes, and the calculation of the metal frame of the barn is technically more difficult, it requires special knowledge (involvement of professional designers).

The lumber itself can be taken to the farm not first-class, but with minor defects, knots or substandard.A small barn for 3-5 animals can be built using a minimum of tools. You will need saws for wood (preferably 2-3), a nail puller, a pair of medium weight metalwork hammers.

If the pit under the foundation of the farm will be dug by hand, you will need several shovels - bayonet and shovels. Earthworks are among the most labor intensive. In addition, before digging, it is necessary to make a breakdown on the ground, apply a layout of the contours of the building. It is more expedient to create the foundation of the barn from concrete, a practical and durable material. Therefore, crushed stone, sand, cement and reinforcement will be needed.

An example of a wooden barn is shown in the video:

When building a large farm, mechanization is indispensable. Trenches for laying the tape break through with an excavator. Their depth is determined by the parameter of soil freezing. In difficult geological conditions, on subsiding soils, in seismically hazardous areas, it will be necessary to build a pile foundation for a cowshed.

Under the bored piles, the soil is selected with a manual drill. It can be made independently or purchased. For cold areas of the wall, the truss floor is insulated with some kind of synthetic material (foam, glass wool, roll insulation). Inside the barn in winter there must be a positive temperature.

Truss cover should provide protection from precipitation, keep precious heat in the cold season. In the southern regions, this may be polycarbonate attached to the arches. In this case, the barn itself looks like a light paddock. For the middle lane and colder regions, the roof of the farm is made of asbestos-cement sheets, metal tiles, profiled sheets.

Consumption of materials for the barn is determined by calculation or according to established standards. You can order this part of the project along with drawings and diagrams, calculate it yourself using special programs.

In addition to the standard set of tools, you will definitely need measuring tools - a tape measure (folding or electronic), a construction meter, as well as a plumb line and level. They will help to maintain the dimensions of the building, control the parameters.

Drawings and dimensions

It is best to borrow a ready-made scheme for the future barn, and not make it yourself. It must take into account all dimensions, dimensions, location of gates, doors, windows. Do not forget about farm communications: there are strict rules for their installation.

It remains to choose a project suitable for your own needs, corresponding to the planned livestock, and download the drawings of the barn. It is important to detail the farm building in the form of plans, sections, individual nodes. This information will allow you to avoid critical errors, complete the construction of the farm efficiently and on time.

The dimensions of the building are directly tied to the number of animals contained in it, the purpose. For large objects designed for 50 or more heads, separate stalls are created on both sides of the room, with a central passage in the middle. (1.2-1.5 meters).

With fewer cows, the through passage in the barn can be done from the side, left or right.

It's not bad if a utility room is designed in the building for people to store inventory. The width of the farm gate is chosen in such a way that the animals enter and exit freely, without crushing. People at the same time use a separately provided entrance. The size of the window openings provide a sufficient level of illumination. Creating a lantern in the upper part of the barn roof creates an additional source of illumination.

It is convenient that the finished projects often indicate the approximate consumption of materials. This will eliminate the need to recalculate the norms yourself, manually.

Building step by step

Professional builders break down the full scope of a building into stages. This allows you to control each operation, improve the quality of work and reduce labor costs.

It looks like this:

1. Stake out area.
2. Foundation.
3. Floor, sewer.
4. Walls.
5. Roof.
6. Filling openings (windows, doors).
7. Ventilation, electricity, plumbing.

Step-by-step execution of procedures greatly simplifies the process itself, speeds it up.

Step 1. The construction of the cowshed begins with the selection of a site and its layout. Next is the breakdown of the building site. You may need a specialized tool for this (if the object is large). For compact barns, a tape measure will suffice.

At the corners of the future building, pegs are hammered onto which a white cord is pulled (sold in hardware stores). Then they move on to the next stage - the zero cycle.

Step 2. Digging a continuous pit for a farm is impractical, as it increases labor costs, requires the use of mechanisms.

It is allowed to make trenches at the location of the strip foundation under the main (bearing) walls of the barn, while controlling the depth of the pit. The choice of foundation design depends on the soil and the scale of the building. Tape or pile foundation options are used.

Step 3. When the concrete has set, they start building a sewer - it is needed to eliminate the waste generated during the cultivation of cows. Then the farm floors are laid.

Step 4. When installing truss wall structures, regardless of their type (wooden, brick, on a metal frame), verticality and compliance with design dimensions are controlled.

Step 5. After the walls of the barn are completed, proceed to the floor (cover). This is the part of the building that provides rigidity in the horizontal plane. It is possible to create an attic or a technical floor where the required communications will be placed, including ventilation.

The choice of building roof design affects the materials used, their consumption. For a gable coating, you will need the construction of runs, observance of the slope. In small barns, a flat roof at a slight angle is enough to allow rain to run off.

Step 6. When the "box" is completely finished, you can begin to equip window and door openings, lay communications. This completes the construction of the farm.

Foundation

It is impossible to build a barn building without a foundation. This is against building codes and is unsafe. If it is possible to use a tape structure, as a cheaper one, it should be used. The depth of laying is determined according to regulatory documentation, tied to the climatic region.

The amount of reinforcement, its pitch and profile are determined by calculation. As a last resort, they are taken from a typical project. It is impossible to do without reinforcement, this reduces the bearing capacity of concrete several times. Before pouring, they plan the places for laying sewers, gutter. Then the formwork is installed in the prepared trench, the reinforcement cage is laid.

Poured concrete gains 30% strength after 72 hours. This indicator depends on the brand of cement, temperature and humidity. After the specified period, you can proceed to the next stage.

Floor and gutter

Wood floors are preferable to others because they can be made by yourself with a minimum of cost and experience. Logs are laid in front of the flooring. These are wide boards or even trimmings of the upper part of the logs (croaker) to which the floorboards will be attached. Between the lags and the ground, an air gap is sure to remain so that the tree does not rot.

Do not forget about the impregnation of wood, so the structures will last longer. The gutter is arranged directly in the floor with the lining of its walls with metal, brick or cement mortar coating. This measure is necessary to prevent seepage of runoff into the ground.

The exit of the ditch ends outside the building, in a cesspool or manure pit. A slope should be provided so that the faeces from the farm flow into the container by gravity.

Walls

Before you build a barn, barn, choose the design of the walls. It is easier than others to build wooden structures.

It doesn't matter if it is solid wooden panels or sheathing along the truss frame, the verticality and compliance with the design dimensions must be controlled.

Openings for windows and doors of the barn are constructed in strictly defined places. If you miss this circumstance when building the walls of the farm, you will have to interrupt work later to fix the error.

The method of fixing barn structures should provide the required rigidity and stability. You should not save on nails, screws, corners.

Roof

The construction of a wooden barn is completed with the coating device, not counting the installation of communications, filling the openings.The beams connect the walls of the building together, forming a single structure. Depending on the option chosen, a pitched, flat roof or with a skylight is being constructed.

Each type requires specific calculations, so it is selected in advance. On top of the supporting structures of the truss cover, the roof is laid directly. For sheets, metal tiles, slate, you will have to make a crate - this way you can fix the material, tie it to the building cover.

Windows and doors

The number of windows in the barn is determined by the calculation of illumination. The number and size of doors - livestock, the needs of the owners. The design of window sashes in a farm building should provide the possibility of ventilation, opening.

The main requirements for the doors in the barn are strength, reliability, and the presence of constipation. The hinges must be free to support the weight of the gate, sashes. The most popular materials are wood, PVC.

Ventilation

Regardless of the size, type of barn building, it needs ventilation. According to a simplified scheme, the inflow (supply) of air comes from the vents or special intakes, the outflow - through the fungus in the roof of the farm (forced by a fan).

This solution will ensure sufficient aeration, animal he alth.

Communications

The device of the required communications in the barn is made in accordance with the needs of the animals, the owners. Lighting, water, electricity and heating should be minimal.

Established at the design stage. For large farms, provision should be made for equipped connection points for milking machines, electric heaters, cleaners and other equipment.

Tips & Tricks

When choosing wood as the main material, the following are taken into account in advance: the number of "residents", the pitch of the racks in the frame, which depends on this parameter, the height of the barn, the section of the supporting elements. It is allowed to use glued beams, splicing beams or cross-beams.

Boarded piles in the foundation of a truss are more economically advantageous than driven piles. The depth of their laying is related to the load from the walls, their type (wooden, brick, block). The use of wooden piles in a cowshed is undesirable for the reason that a tree immersed in the ground will relatively quickly become unusable and rot.

If it is planned to keep a large number of animals in the barn at the same time, additional functional premises of the farm should be provided. For example, such as the insulator of sick cows. If there are young animals in the barn, as well as recently calving animals with cubs, they are also allocated a separate zone.

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