Cowshed for 20 heads: drafting a project and a plan on how to build your own hands

Building a small farm, such as a barn for 20 animals, will require thorough planning. A competent approach to design at the initial stage of construction, the creation of optimal conditions for keeping cattle is the main thing that is important to focus on during construction. You should also take into account the climate in the region, fulfill the necessary hygienic and sanitary standards. This affects both the he alth and productivity of cows.

Project and drawings

Before you start building a barn, you will need a clear construction plan. A room for 20 cattle is considered a small farm, but even this will require a plan and detailed design.In such a building, animals can be located in 1-2 rows, which will facilitate maintenance.

First of all, you need to calculate the area. In this case, a number of parameters are taken into account:

• Each cow needs 6 to 9 m3;
• one calf will need up to 4.5 m3 when kept in a corral and 1.5 m3 in a separate stall;
• one bull in the herd needs a separate stall 1.5 m3 wide, with a total area of 9m3.

The project should take into account the availability of the necessary utility and auxiliary facilities: a small warehouse for feed and equipment, rooms for staff, an isolation room for sick individuals and a separate area for dairy products. You will need to calculate the area of the barn, the height of the walls, the level of mechanization, the ventilation system, lighting, think over the method of heating and water supply to the room.

Plan-drawing of a barn for 20 heads:

Design is as follows. The customer forms the terms of reference, in which he makes his wishes. The designer gets acquainted with it and correlates it with the norms and requirements of the governing bodies. Then the project is tied to the building site, materials are selected and an estimate is formed.

Containment Requirements

Small farms that can accommodate from 20 to 100 heads of cattle, with proper management, can bring a stable income. But at the planning and design stage, you need to know the basic principles of building mini-farms, cowsheds and barns.

It is forbidden to build a barn on the site where a pig farm or poultry house was previously located according to the rules of animal hygiene. Also, animal burial grounds cannot be considered.

Before starting construction, it is important to consider a number of rules:

• farm should not be located in close proximity to residential buildings and water sources;
• materials for construction are chosen of high quality, safe, with good thermal insulation properties;
• farm size should be adapted to the needs of the animals;
• barn area, utility rooms, sheds and walking area should be fenced off to protect cows from wild animals;
• cattle need daily exercise, so you need to make an arena or a walking area;
• it is advisable to arrange the stalls in two rows and equip each with a drinker, a feeder, a drain for waste.

Example of a small barn:

When choosing a site for the construction of a stationary facility for cattle, it is necessary to take into account the location of groundwater. They should be no closer than 5 m from the construction site. Highways and railways (at least 300 m), country roads (50 m) should be located at a considerable distance from the future cattle farm.

Zoohygiene requirements include the construction of a farm for cows on a small hill, on the leeward side, since possible pathogens of infections, odors should not spread to the nearest settlements.

It is necessary to equip the barn with convenient access roads for the delivery of feed, equipment, as well as for the removal of waste, dairy products.

Required tools and materials

Building a barn will require a certain set of tools and materials. The minimum set of construction tools for the construction of a housing for cattle is as follows:

• concrete mixer;
• electric drill;
• laser roulette;
• chainsaw;
• axe, hammer, chisel;
• hacksaw, chisel;
• shovel;
• level.

From the materials you need to purchase:

• concrete for foundation;
• rubble;
• roof covering material;
• floor boards;
• wall material;
• paint materials;
• facing tiles for utility rooms and rooms for dairy products;
• waterproofing coating, such as roofing material.

The place for exercise must be securely fenced:

Wall materials are of great importance in the construction of a barn. They must have thermal insulation properties. In the southern regions of our country, farmers do without a heating system, using insulated walls and floors.

How to build a barn for 20 heads with your own hands

After careful calculations, competent planning, preparation of estimates, construction can begin. Adhering to all the necessary norms and rules, having the necessary skills in construction, it is quite possible to build a barn on your own.

Foundation

The most profitable from an economic point of view, as well as functional, will be a concrete foundation. It will allow in the future to build wooden walls or foam concrete. Since the foundation is the foundation of the room, it must be as reliable as possible and have a long service life. If the project of keeping cattle is long-term, then it is not recommended to make the base for the premises wooden or columnar.

Floor and gutter

Floors should be solid or slatted, with a slight slope. Basic requirements for the floor material: good thermal conductivity, resistance to detergents. The best are floors with flooring made of rubber-cord plates, as well as expanded clay-bitumen and soil-cement.

The floors in the barn should be soft:

Soft bedding should be provided as hard floors are detrimental to cow he alth. In addition, they must have a slope for the liquid to drain into the manure channels.

Walls

Wooden materials showed themselves well in terms of thermal conductivity. However, they have a minus - fragility. Brick barns are often erected, which are also beneficial in a number of ways. But in a harsh climate in a number of regions it is necessary to make a two-layer structure, and lay a heater between the layers. Recently, foam blocks, sandwich panels and adobe have gained popularity. These materials are easy to assemble, durable and inexpensive. The advantage is their ability to maintain the temperature level in the room.

Adobe is a building material, a brick made from a mixture of clay, straw and some water. Today, the composition of adobe may include sand, cement, crushed stone or lime. Sometimes complex synthetic components are added, based on the purpose of the room.

Roof

Often use a shed or gable roof.As a covering material, corrugated board, roofing material, slate are used. A corrugated board is more preferable, since the roof is made at an angle, which does not allow snow to accumulate. It is advisable to make an attic - this is a place to store hay and additional insulation.

Windows and doors

For a barn for 20 heads, doors and windows made of high-quality, but inexpensive material are suitable. It is important that they are easily cleaned and disinfected. They can be installed in any convenient place at the discretion of the customer.

Ventilation

Barn ventilation system:

One of the simplest ventilation schemes is the equipment on the roof of the cowshed chimney. Often it is made from boards. Fresh air from the street enters through the windows, and the exhaust air is exhausted through the hood.

Communications

To supply water to the barn, you will need a pumping station or a pump. In this case, it is better to use the ground option. From the water source you need to run a hose, securely wrap it with insulation and bury it underground.

As for sewerage, at the time of planning, you need to take into account the presence of drains and floors located at an angle. With their help, it will be easier to extract manure from the barn.

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