Where would you put the barn?

[Goodlife]

I am getting ready to build a barn. I have attached the property layout (rough sketch anyway). The green is pasture. You can see where my house is and a pole barn. There is about 14 acres of pasture (place is 26 acres). I want to do some cross fencing but must first place the barn.

Where would you put the barn? I am looking to add on an additional 10 acres but for now planning on running about 10 head of feeder cattle. My first thought is to put the barn along the fence line shown just west of the pole barn so it is easy to access. If it is along the fenceline I can pull up to the barn to load/unload feed or cattle without having to open any gates. But this is about 150 feet from the house. Is that too close? Also, when I cross fence I would like to be able to run the cattle through the corral lot around the barn when moving from pasture to pasture. I know it is kinda hard to describe positions so we refer to the smaller area going into the woods on top as the thumb. The longer area where the house is we call the finger.

Any ideas for cross fencing would be interesting to me as well. I wanted to make either 5 or 6 paddocks.

[/url][/img]

 

[Goodlife]

Trying the image thing again. First time. Sory.

 

[backhoeboogie]

What's this barn going to be used for? How big is it going to be? Are you going to have to build a road to get to it?

There's no way to make any decisions or suggestions based on the info provided.

Access to it thru all seasons would be a big concern. I also don't want to drive through pastures and rut them up.

 

[Goodlife]

What's this barn going to be used for? How big is it going to be? Are you going to have to build a road to get to it?

There's no way to make any decisions or suggestions based on the info provided.

Access to it thru all seasons would be a big concern. I also don't want to drive through pastures and rut them up.

Looking at 60 x 40 for the barn with an 8 foot overhand. My design is to have a holding pen with the overhand covering 8 feet of the 25 x 25 holding pen. This feeds into my crowding pen to the chute where I will have a headgate. Also planning on having 2 horse stables in case my daughter convinces me to purhase a couple of horses.

Yes, I would have to either drive across the apsture or build a road which is of course additional work and expense. The west (left) side of the property is along a gravel driveway I share. Along the fence line by the pole shed I am building a gravel parking lot planned to have go right up to the barn so I would have a gravel parking lot fom the pole shed to the barn, also connecting it to the gravel driveway along the south edge of the pasture.

I thought I was all set but am having second thoughts since I would like to bring the cattle into the corral around the barn frequently to feed them. Daily really so they would not be afraid of the corral or the barn. But it seems pretty far to bring them in each day from the farthest paddocks. But I sure like the idea of being able to see the barn and corral from the fence as well as the access being so handy.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

What's your topography like? You'll certainly want the barn on well drained soil.

 

[tsmaxx47]

What's your topography like? You'll certainly want the barn on well drained soil.

drainage would be my first concern..........

 

[Goodlife]

Fortunatly it is mostly level and drains in all directions towards the woods. Land drops pretty much once you get into the woods. Valleys and sink holes in the woods.

 

[Dave]

I am always amazed at how many people build a barn in the lowest part of the property. Avoid low spots, creeks or drainageways. Build on top of a hill or ridge where water will flow away from it not into it.

 

[Anonymous]

Build as close as you can to water and power. Biggest problem i would have is the wife having to see it from the house.

 

[Goodlife]

Build as close as you can to water and power. Biggest problem i would have is the wife having to see it from the house.

Yeah...water is one of my concerns. Hooking up to public water. Need to get an extension agent out to help me figure if i can dig a pond that will hold water year round. This area is covered with caves so water flows underground. That is a prime reason I am interested in 10 acres next to this place. It has a small pond. I am planning on running the public water to the barn. I am afraid of my water bill if i try to water cattle this way though. Anyone else on public water watering cattle? I will catch rain from buildings into barrels but that won't do more than water the garden.

 

[Anonymous]

Any exsistimg wells on the property? Maybe have one put in also or instead of a pond?

 

[Goodlife]

Any exsistimg wells on the property? Maybe have one put in also or instead of a pond?

The thought of a well has occurred to me. $10,000 price tag is steep for a small operation like mine. Water is very hard so I am doing public for sake of happy marriage. Wife is tough in an awesome way but makes certain demands I must meet to have my hobby. I cant complain though as you all know I am spending much more than the $8k to hook up public water on my barn and fences.

 

[kenny thomas]

You said some of the majic words. Sinkholes, woods, caves. NRCS and your local Soil and water district possibly could cost share putting in a water system all over the farm. The fencing off areas around the sinkholes which very likely connect to the caves and underground water would be the reason. You might even qualify as a new farmer and get a very high %90 cost share. That would make that $10,000 project cost $1,000.
Whatever you decide public water is usually very costly for animal use.

 

[Goodlife]

You said some of the majic words. Sinkholes, woods, caves. NRCS and your local Soil and water district possibly could cost share putting in a water system all over the farm. The fencing off areas around the sinkholes which very likely connect to the caves and underground water would be the reason. You might even qualify as a new farmer and get a very high %90 cost share. That would make that $10,000 project cost $1,000.
Whatever you decide public water is usually very costly for animal use.

This is completely new to me. Can you elaborate at all Kenny? Why would they pay any of my costs? And yes, at the bottom of the sink holes are small openings and even caves that drop down a long ways when you throw a rock in. One sink hole has a cave like entrance big enough to drop a cow down. I have no idea where it goes. Can you give me any key words to use for internet searches or when I call the NRCS? I looked around the NRCS website and did not find any programs that seemed applicable. Most had to do with native american lands. But there is a lot of stuff so I may just not be looking for the right thing.

Thanks Kenny.

 

[kenny thomas]

Look for EQIP on the NRCS website. Not sure how the money is from the local soil and water conservation district but it is usually state funds. The cost share is designed to protect the water quality and in many cases here to protect endangered species in the caves and rivers. It will in the same way help with the production of the land.

 

[kenny thomas]

If you will give me the county you live in I will see if I can come up with a phone number for you to get the local person.

 

[Goodlife]

If you will give me the county you live in I will see if I can come up with a phone number for you to get the local person.

Monroe County Illinois. About 10 miles south of Waterloo. I searched on the website and found tons of stuff under EQIP. Hard to narrow it down to anything specific. I will certianly call them to ask though. I owe you a soda Kenny for your help.

Ed

 

[kenny thomas]

Get back to you in a few.

 

[kenny thomas]

Someone here should be able to guide u through the programs.
MONROE COUNTY SWCD
140 Williamsburg Lane, Waterloo, IL 62298
Phone: 618/939-6181 (Ext. 3) Fax: 618/939-4647
Chairman Mrs. Joann Hartman .......... 200 Holstein Place.. ............. Waterloo ........... 62298 618/939-7075
........................................... e-mail: [email protected] ..... ......................... fax: 618/939-6450
V-Chairman Mr. Terry Matzenbacher .... 7973 Gall Rd.. ...................... Waterloo ........... 62298 618/939-6899
........................................... e-mail: [email protected]
Secretary Mr. Lyle Wessel ................. 3180 Hanover Rd. ............... Waterloo ........... 62298 618/939-8417
........................................... e-mail: [email protected]
Treasurer Mrs. Patricia Wetzel .......... 254 Wetzel Dr.. .................... Waterloo ........... 62298 618/939-7621
........................................... e-mail: [email protected]
Director Mr. Myron Neff ................... 5919 L Rd. ........................... Waterloo ........... 62298 618/473-2803
........................................... e-mail: [email protected]

 

[Nesikep]

Any chance you can get a google map showing how your place lies?, I see the general area...

From your picture, if possible, I'd put the barn next to the pole barn.. Typically pole barns have hay in them, so it'll be close, but as several have said, it's gotta be well drained... Secondly, if you have your buildings in one general area, it's much easier to get power and water to them, which is really nice if you need to defrost your waters. I don't know the people around there, but when your stuff is close to the house it tends to be safer too.

As for fencing, I think I'd put a fence in along the top of the "finger", at the bottom of the narrowest point, and another near the top of the narrowest point, then you can divide the top section in two again, as well as the bottom, if need be.. I don't know where your current driveway is, but if you had to, you could cross the field near the lower suggested fenceline to your barn.

here's a starting point for the maps
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=waterloo+i ... s&t=h&z=13