Modern barn for animals. How to build a barn for livestock with your own hands? Walls and floor
2032 07/31/2019 6 min.When raising cattle, one should take into account not only the animal’s diet and timely care, but also create favorable conditions for life and breeding. Usually cows are kept in a specially equipped barn, built in accordance with all requirements and standards. Productivity directly depends on the temperature and humidity in the room, so this issue should be approached responsibly, starting with the choice of location for the barn and construction materials. In this article we will look at what to consider when building a cow barn with your own hands.
Specifics of the premises: project of a barn for cows
For walls you can use brick or wood.
Paula
Proper floor design is necessary not only to preserve and maintain heat, but also to retain water and properly clean manure. It is recommended to use baked brick or coal slag as a base for the floor, laid on compacted soil. On top of the main layer is laid a bedding of boards treated with an antiseptic. When using metal structures, it is important to consider a layer of insulation in order to maintain optimal floor temperature in winter. Sawdust or straw is used as bedding for cattle.
Roofs
The most functional is a gable roof with an attic underneath. It allows you to additionally retain heat, and you can also store hay in it in winter, which creates an additional air cushion. Slate or roofing felt is usually used as roofing material, and it is best to lay reed slabs or clay plaster on the ceiling itself, but more often boards fitted to each other are used, and then they are insulated with a layer of sawdust or sand. In cold regions, it is advisable to make a ceiling with double decking. It is advisable to make a so-called “cooling roof” in the barn, which is highly reflective.
When creating a roof structure, it is important to calculate that water does not flow under the eaves. To avoid this, you can make a steeper slope or install a drainage system.
Dimensions of the building being built
Even at the planning stage, it is important to think about the size of the room, based on the volume of livestock. The optimal size of the area for 1 animal is 10-12 m2, the height of the walls should be at least 2.5 meters. For large livestock, the area is calculated based on 6 m2 per animal. When keeping more than 50 heads, you need to take into account that you will need mechanical equipment, the noise level of which should be within 70 dB.
Organizing space for livestock: a place to rest
In the barn, animals should move freely and also have access to drinking bowls and feeders. In addition, it is worth including in the layout of the premises for machine milking and compartments for keeping calves. The size of stalls for calves can be made a little smaller - up to 10 m2, so it is recommended to place them separately from other animals. You can find out about drinking bowls for cows.
When planning space, you need to provide space for feeders and drinkers, as well as passages between stalls. It is advisable to immediately include in the plan the location of the future cesspool and a room for storing equipment. In the compartments where the machinery will be located, it is advisable to additionally install a layer of sound insulation so that the noise does not disturb the animals. The floor must be placed at a slope of up to 20 cm to ensure normal liquid drainage. The room must have at least 2 windows to allow natural daylight. Windows must be raised to a height inaccessible to animals.
Mandatory elements of the barn are stalls, feeders and drinking bowls.
The size of all windows is calculated from the volume of the barn. The optimal ratio is that the window area is 10 times smaller than the floor.
Contents of the heads: hood, heating and heated floors with your own hands
There must be fresh air in the barn, for which a ventilation system should be created. For this purpose, a pipe with an exhaust hood is most often used, which prevents precipitation and cold air from entering the room. The ventilation outlet is located above the roof ridge. The most optimal temperature for keeping cattle is 5-18 degrees, which avoids the animals losing heat to warm their bodies. In addition, for normal maintenance in the barn, you need to place stalls, feeders and drinking bowls, as well as a drainage ditch and compartments for calves. Read about the secrets of breeding cows as a business.
Get the stall right
The stall area per animal must be at least 2.5 m2. It is best to use metal pipes as fencing, which have a maximum service life. In the stall, the cow is on a leash, so in each compartment you need to install a ring with a fixed chain with a free length of at least 1 meter. Individual feeders and drinkers are installed in the stall, as well as a container for storing salt. A prerequisite is bedding so that the animal feels comfortable and warm. A stall for cattle must be designed taking into account the characteristics of the breed, dimensions and characteristics of the animal.
Drinkers and pig feeders for cattle
They can be (called) group or individual, and automatic or manual. For small herds, hand-held waterers and drinkers for each animal are best. They are made of wood, metal or brick, located at head level. The optimal size of the feeder is 70x80 cm, which allows you to fit up to 6 kg of dry or fresh grass. It is advisable to divide the feeder into two compartments for wet and rough food.
The use of automatic devices is not justified when the herd size is up to 10 animals, since in the early stages it is easier to control the feeding process individually for each cow.
The main requirement for bedding is that it should absorb moisture and manure well, and also be comfortable for the animal. In addition, it must be ensured that it can be easily replaced and cleaned. Do not allow hazardous elements such as iron rods, stones or broken glass to get into the litter.
Also read about rubber mats for cattle.
Before entering the barn, you need to install a wide box of sawdust soaked in creolin, which will reduce the risk of infection entering the room.
Video: how to build a cattle pen
This video explains how a barn works and how to build it.
conclusions
- The room (pig pen) for keeping cattle should (it is important to properly and well arrange) dry, well ventilated, warm and lit with a choke, where the cow can rest comfortably.
- Wooden boards or beams and concrete blocks are used as wall materials. For large barns, frame construction technology is used during construction.
- It is advisable to make an attic in which you can store a layer of straw for additional insulation of the barn for livestock.
- There should be at least 10 m2 per animal; with a large number of livestock, the size is smaller - about 6 m2 per head.
- When setting up a barn for cows, you need to place stalls fenced with metal pipes, as well as feeders and drinking bowls for each animal. Much attention should be paid to the bedding material. It should be warm, comfortable for livestock, and also absorb moisture well.
He will tell you how to make a stall for cows.
When you decide to have cattle, you need to think carefully about the conditions for keeping them. After all, the future of the entire farm depends on a well-built barn. Despite the laboriousness of the construction process, with patience and certain skills, it is quite possible to master it on your own, without the involvement of specialists. Let's look at its main points - the choice of location for the barn, the construction of all its elements and the necessary equipment.
Choosing a location for building a barn
When starting to build a barn with your own hands, you first need to choose its location. According to sanitary standards, the minimum distance from the barn to residential buildings should be 15 m, and to a drinking well or well - 20 m. This distance will protect drinking water sources from contamination, and the home from unpleasant odors. 
In addition, it is desirable that there be pasture nearby for walking and feeding livestock. Even at the construction stage, you can plant fodder crops there - clover, alfalfa or vetch.
Design and dimensions
The area of the future barn is determined based on the planned number of herds. At the same time, for 1 adult, taking into account the feeder and passage, 6 square meters are required. m of area, and for a calving cow - 10 sq. m. Thus, the useful area of a barn for 10 cows should be 60 square meters. m, for 20 cows - 120 sq. m, for 50 cows - 300 sq. m, for 100 cows - 600 sq. m, for 200 cows - 1200 sq. m.
In addition, it is necessary to provide utility rooms. Typically, for a barn with 20 or more heads, a milk storage room, a maternity room, an isolation room, a utility block and other premises are designed.
The passage between the stalls should be at least 1.2–1.5 m, and the height of the barn should be at least 2.5 m. A floor slope should also be provided for drainage of slurry from manure and urine - 2–3°. 
The design of a large barn can be entrusted to a specialist who can competently take into account all the necessary details.
How to build a barn with your own hands
The room for cows should be spacious, well-lit, moderately warm, with good ventilation and all necessary communications. Animals must be able to freely stand, lie down, and move to their sleeping area and feeding trough. In addition, you should choose the optimal materials - high-quality and economical.
Did you know? UN experts have calculated that cows, emitting 18% of all greenhouse gases, cause more harm to the ecology of our planet than cars or airplanes. The gases and dung of these animals alone are responsible for more than a third of the methane that enters the atmosphere, which warms the Earth 20 times faster than carbon dioxide.
Foundation
The durability of the building itself largely depends on a properly laid foundation, so it must have good reliability and strength. The foundation can be of different types:
- monolithic;
- columnar;
- tape
Video: foundation construction technology for farms
If you plan to build a building from wood or a wooden frame, then it is better to make a columnar foundation. It is carried out similarly to a monolithic one, only the foundation pillars with reinforcement, insulated with roofing felt, are poured with concrete. The distance between the pillars should be no more than 2 m. Also for small barns, a strip type of foundation is used with reinforced formwork poured with concrete mortar.
Regardless of the type of foundation, care should be taken to provide waterproofing, a water slope and a sand-crushed stone layer along the outer edge. Since barns are usually designed to last 10 years or more, a concrete foundation is the best choice. It perfectly withstands the weight of an adult animal, does not become damp, does not absorb water and odors, and does not allow rodents to pass through. You can also make the base from rubble stone or brickwork.
Floor
One of the most important elements of a barn is its floor. It must be warm and waterproof to prevent the accumulation of liquid waste. To drain the mixture of water, urine and manure, the floor is made above ground level with a slope of 3° towards the drainage gutter. A greater slope should not be made, as this has a bad effect on the animals’ limbs and can even lead to miscarriages of calving cows.
The concrete floor fully satisfies the requirements for waterproofness and reliability, but it is too cold, which provokes the development of mastitis in animals. Therefore, it must be covered with a warmer material, for example, wooden flooring, which is quite easy to replace periodically.
Walls
The material for the walls of the barn can be very diverse:
- tree;
- wooden frame;
- sand-lime brick;
- cinder block;
- stone;
- foam concrete;
- sandwich panels.
Video: DIY shed. Frame walls
A small barn for 1–2 cows is often built from adobe bricks. It is inexpensive and has good thermal insulation. The basement rows in such a barn are laid out from baked bricks.
When designing, the climate in the construction area should also be taken into account. Thus, a stone barn is distinguished by the fact that it warms up slowly during the day and cools down quickly at night, which is why condensation constantly forms on its walls. Therefore, it is preferable to use brick, which is a more “breathable” material, and the amount of condensation on the walls will be reduced. 
Also a good option for a barn are three-layer sandwich panels with mineral wool insulation. In such a room, the optimal temperature is maintained - warm in winter and moderate in summer. The outside of such panels is lined with steel and painted.
Important! When building a barn, it is recommended to adhere to the following stages: building a foundation, building walls and roofing, installing windows and ventilation, installing lighting, installing doors and gates, building a manure storage facility.
Regardless of the material the walls are made of, they must be plastered and whitewashed inside. This makes the room look neat and provides good light reflection.
Roof
The most common type of barn roof is a wooden floor and a gable roof covered with slate or tiles. Under such a roof it is very convenient to arrange an attic where you can store supplies of hay, fodder or any equipment.
Shed roofs are used only for small barns, since there is a risk of snow retention and subsidence of the structure.
Windows and doors
The main lighting of the barn is natural, through the window openings. According to the standards, their total area should be 10% of the floor area of the building. The bottom of the window is usually placed at a height of 1.5–1.6 m from the floor level. 
There are several window designs:
- casement windows with double glazing;
- casement windows filled with polycarbonate;
- sliding windows with clear polycarbonate.
The doors in the barn are made of hinged ones with insulation to keep the room warm in the winter. The gate must be equipped with a lifting mechanism.
Ventilation
The importance of ventilation in a barn should not be underestimated, as in the heat of summer, poor ventilation can lead to a significant reduction in cows' milk production. And at temperatures above 25–30 °C, animals lose their appetite, which has a bad effect on their general health. 
Therefore, the barn must be equipped with forced ventilation, which ensures the removal of polluted air and the influx of fresh air. A small shed can only be equipped with vents for natural ventilation, but with the possibility of periodically ventilating the room. But the mini-farm must have an exhaust hood with dampers and distribution ventilation ducts measuring at least 15x15 cm. The exhaust is carried out through a pipe located above the roof ridge, and the supply openings in the walls are located at a height of 1 m from the floor level.
Communications
In addition to natural lighting, artificial lighting should be provided in the barn using lamps. At the same time, all electrical appliances in the room must comply with fire safety measures.
Also, even at the construction stage, they plan to supply cold water and, if necessary, connect utility rooms to the sewerage system.
Did you know? The lines on the skin of the nasolabial planum of cows are similar to the patterns on human fingers. Their prints are also strictly individual for each individual. American cattle breeders from Indiana take advantage of this by creating a database of cow nose prints to search for stolen animals.
How to set up a barn for cows
The finished barn must be equipped with stalls, feeders, drinking bowls, bedding and other necessary equipment. 
Stall
When using the tethered method of keeping livestock, the barn is equipped with stalls. In this case, the room is divided into sections 125 cm wide and 260 cm long. If necessary, the length can be increased to 330 cm. It is not worth expanding the stall, because although the cow should be comfortable, she should not turn around, otherwise she will defecate right next to the feeder.
If the sections are arranged on both sides, a passage 1.5 m wide should be arranged between them. When making stalls, the weight and strength of the livestock should be taken into account, so the material should be strong wooden beams or thick metal pipes. 
Feeders and drinkers
Drinkers and feeders are an essential part of any barn. The feeder should be located outside the stall and extend the entire width of its outer part so that the animal can eat whenever it wants. The feeder has a trapezoidal shape with a bottom width of 40 cm and a width of the upper part of 60 cm. The front side of the feeder, located on the side of the stall, must be at least 40 cm in height, and the rear - at least 75 cm.
There are holes at the bottom of the feeder, which simplifies the process of washing it. In this case, the bottom of the feeder should be located at a distance of at least 7 cm from the floor.
You can make a feeder yourself or purchase a ready-made one. A wooden feeder must be well processed to a smooth surface so that the livestock does not get hurt. In addition, there is a large selection of feed tanks made from artificial materials on sale. They are distinguished by good durability, safety, and are easy to clean and disinfect. 
The drinking bowl must be placed above the feeder and closer to the far corner from the exit from the stall. The cow should be able to drink at any time, so it is better to make the drinker automatic.
Litter: what is better, what thickness?
To keep the stall clean and dry, it is necessary to provide bedding on the floor. You can use straw, sawdust, shavings, sand or straw with dry peat. Special rubber mats are also used. However, they are quite expensive and retain moisture for a long time, which can lead to injury and the development of dangerous bacteria.
Sand, in turn, is very convenient in the summer, but freezes quickly in winter. In addition, its heavy weight complicates the process of replacing the litter.
Important! If the stalls are provided with comfortable bedding, cows will tend to spend most of their time lying down. This has a beneficial effect on the process of chewing food, the condition of their limbs and reduces the percentage of lameness among animals.
The best option is straw or sawdust. This is a lightweight material, absorbs moisture well and is easy to replace. The main thing is that the sawdust is large enough and does not produce dust, so as not to cause respiratory diseases.
When creating deep litter, first lay out the first layer of straw 10–15 cm thick. As it gets dirty, add fresh litter (once a week, 3–4 rolls or 500 kg of straw). In the spring, all livestock are turned out to pasture, and the premises are ventilated. And in the middle of summer, all the rotted straw and manure are raked out with a bulldozer. 
Also on sale are special livestock mattresses for cows, made using modern technologies. The thickness of such a mattress is 2–6 cm, the width of one layer is 120–180 cm. This covering not only withstands the weight of animals well, but is also resistant to damage from their sharp hooves.
What else is needed?
Among other things, you should organize a pen for walking animals and a manure storage facility.
Corral for walking
A barn for cows must have a walking pen outside. Its area should allow free walking of animals, and the total length of the walking path for livestock should be at least 500 m. 
The pen must be fenced using wood or timber. You should also provide a canopy under which animals could hide from heavy rain or extreme heat.
For a farm with a large number of livestock, it is impossible to do without a slurry collector consisting of a mixture of animal manure and urine.
To do this, a manure trench is installed in the back of each stall, at least 20 cm wide and at least 10 cm deep, with a slope towards the slurry collector. Typically, a manure storage facility is located directly next to the barn. Its minimum dimensions are: depth - 80 cm, width - 120 cm. When planning a manure storage facility, it is necessary to take into account the number of cows and the fact that 1 cow produces about 12 tons of manure per year. 
If cows are kept on deep litter, then a manure storage facility is not provided.
Now you know how to build a barn yourself and what rules must be followed. Cows are very demanding about their living conditions. The health of the herd, the amount of milk and, ultimately, the benefit of the farm owner depend on a comfortable room.
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There is no single correct project for building a shed - in each region they focus on available and suitable materials, landscape, and weather conditions. In forest regions, a barn can be built from a log house; in another region it will be cheaper to build a stone building, and in a third - from a cinder block.
First, choose a suitable place for construction - it should be at a sufficient distance from the premises where people live. Next to it, it is important to have space for a manure heap, a stack of straw, a pit for silage or cake. In a word, the project should in the future grow to a decent size farm.
If you are planning to build a barn, be sure to provide space for a calf or calves in advance, on the assumption that the cow will need twice as much space. To divide the barn into sections, it is enough to use light partitions made of boards. The room should be well lit, which means the place to build the shed should be chosen to be moderately lit. In order not to get confused in your own calculations, create a detailed plan of the livestock barn on paper.
How to build a barn for livestock - starting with the foundation
If we want to build a barn for livestock with our own hands for many years to come, then we cannot do without a foundation. It must be made at least 70 cm deep - of course, a lot depends on the building material from which the walls will be made. The thicker and heavier the walls, the stronger the foundation should be. A plinth, which is isolated from the wall masonry with several layers of roofing felt, roofing felt or bitumen mortar, will not interfere with the top of the foundation. It wouldn’t hurt to make a blind area outside so that the walls always remain dry and there is no hint of dampness in the barn.
Your goal is to make the room dry, bright, warm and ventilated. By making the floor slope towards the door or drain hole, ensuring constant cleaning, we cope with the first point. Windows are responsible for the second - one for each animal, that is, if you have a cow and a calf, two windows in the barn will be enough. The walls, floor and roof are responsible for warmth, and ventilation (natural will be enough) is for ventilation.
When building a room, you need to take into account that in order for the cows to live comfortably, you will need to give each cow at least 6 m2 of space - from here calculate the total area.
Having asked the question of how to build a barn for bulls and other livestock, we will not find any differences with the recommendations described above.
Construction of a cattle shed - floor, ceiling and roof
The roof and ceiling can be made pitched if you do not need an attic space. In addition, a pitched roof can serve as an additional place for drying hay and straw. You can make a durable ceiling from beams, covering them with boards or fiberboard sheets. For better results, it won’t hurt to fill the openings between the beams with insulation before covering. After its installation, it is important to whitewash all surfaces with lime mortar - the ceiling, walls, window and doorways.
Building a livestock barn requires special attention to the floor. Since we are dealing with large animals, the floor should be as strong as possible. Typically, plank flooring is used for these purposes, which on average lasts about 4-5 years. However, the disadvantage of this method is that the tree absorbs livestock waste products, rots and spreads unpleasant odors even after a good cleaning. Its main advantage is that it is warmer than other options.
When keeping cattle indoors, it is necessary to provide the animals with good conditions. The bull stall must have standard dimensions, so before you build it, you need to gain some knowledge. The compartment for each individual is made convenient and safe, because the milk and meat productivity of cows depends on it. It’s not difficult to build a stall with your own hands if you follow the rules, follow all the dimensions exactly and have certain building skills.
Beginning farmers do not know how to make a barn for bulls as comfortable as possible, both for living animals and for cleaning, feeding and other care activities. The room should be located in a dry place where melt or rain water does not collect. The internal arrangement should help reduce the process of cleaning manure. When making a barn, you need to take care of its temperature inside, which will meet the requirements of the bulls. The room should not be blown through, and it should be located away from wells and residential buildings.
It is important to choose a safe and durable material to build your barn and stalls in. When choosing it, it is recommended to pay attention to thermal insulation.
Advice! Wooden raw materials are ideal for the construction of cattle housing.
When starting to draw up a project for construction, you need to immediately take into account additional heating, if required, a lighting and ventilation system. The dimensions of the space in the stall, the stalls between each other, as well as the location of the feeders and drinkers must correspond to the average parameters of the bull, so that he can move comfortably.
Stall dimensions
In order to understand how to correctly determine the height, width and length of the stall, you should refer to special tables. They indicate that at least six square meters must be designed for one bull. For a cow with a calf, four square meters more are allocated. The normalized average parameters for one individual cattle are 260 centimeters in length, 125 centimeters in width and can be more than three meters in length (unlimited). For double-sided sections, one and a half meters of passage width between them is sufficient. If a farmer is breeding bulls, then the premises are built taking into account that there will be young animals in the barn. Before building, a livestock breeder must take into account the specifics of his future activities, since the parameters of some breeds and the number of individuals are best taken into account in advance.
Laying the foundation
The durability and reliability of the building will depend on the strength of the foundation. There are three types of base and the choice of one of them must be correlated with the type of soil. With a large number of bulls, which increases the load, the foundation is made more dense. The columnar style is suitable for wooden spaces and is easy to construct, although it does not withstand much pressure. The monolith base is the most durable, but it requires specialized equipment and a large amount of investment. Strip foundation is an average option for strength and cost. The waterproofing process is the last step after pouring.
Construction of the floor
Concrete is most often used to cover the foundation. This material is more durable than others and is not saturated with odors of manure and other waste. In order to build the floor, you will also need wood. It is used to construct shields that cover the concrete surface. This is necessary to avoid the bulls freezing to the floor during the onset of frost. Shields must be dismountable for drying and cleaning. They must be covered with straw on top.
Wall arrangement
Wooden walls are suitable for a small room, but it is better to build a large building from brick or foam blocks. To keep the barn cool in the summer, you need to make small holes in the walls. They are located approximately 3 meters higher from the base of the floor. With the onset of cold weather, the holes are sealed to maintain the temperature inside the building (about twenty degrees Celsius).
Roof installation
Typically, roof installation is carried out with slate, since this material has a low price, but is characterized by high strength. You can insulate with any available materials as thermal insulation. To maintain heat in a room for animals, you can build an attic, which also serves as a warehouse for hay and feed.
Barn equipment
Each stall is equipped with feeders and drinkers. Bulls should be tied so that they can reach feed and water. They are located mainly outside the stall, the parameters of which must match the length of the feeder. The food container is made in the shape of a trapezoid, so that it is convenient for the farmer to clean it and for the cows to receive food.
Place the feeders at a distance of about 10 centimeters from the floor. If wood is used as a material, it should be well processed so that there are no nicks and the bull cannot be injured when eating food.
It is better to keep fattened cattle in a stall on a leash than in stalls, since they need to move less in order to gain weight faster. Bulls are usually tied with a rope or chain, the length of which should not interfere with feeding or taking a lying position.
Equipping a place for young animals
Dairy calves are kept separately, so they need to have their own housing. Cages or special houses are used as stalls. Young animals must be able to move in such a structure so that the development of muscles and skeleton occurs without deviations. Separate calf pens help keep track of each calf.
The winter offspring of cows must be provided with sufficient heat, so newborn calves are placed in hutches. Such boxes are commercially available, and they are made of white polyethylene film and have a dome shape with a one-way entrance. The boxes are easy to move from place to place, but at the same time they consist of a dense structure. Young bulls can consume food and water directly in them.
Specifics of premises
There are a number of specific points when arranging a stall or a room as a whole that are worth paying attention to during construction.
Important points to ensure comfort in the barn:
- equip movable and expanding stall structures, due to the variability in the size of a fattening bull;
- isolate violent cattle, as well as males left for procreation;
- provide separate housing for calves;
- the stall should not be expanded too much to avoid the animals defecating in the feeders and drinking bowls;
- create comfortable conditions for milking cows;
- If possible, you can build a paddock for walking.
The mobility of the structure of the stall itself can be ensured by constructing wooden or metal partitions that are easy to expand, reduce and move.
Advice! The correct position of the bull should be with its head towards the feeder and its back towards the waste pit.
It is best to build a utility block for keeping livestock away from the house at a distance of at least 15 meters. It is also necessary to comply with the requirements of sanitary standards, build a utility block at a distance of at least 20 m from wells and boreholes that provide you with drinking water (you especially need to pay attention to the location of the liquid collection tank and manure storage facility).
Utility block location
Location of the utility block on the site
To avoid claims from neighbors, the fire inspectorate and the SES, you should adhere to the following rules and regulations:
Location of the utility block relative to neighboring buildings
1. The distance of a utility block intended for keeping livestock from the neighboring plot must be at least 4 meters.
Note:(SP 30-102-99 “Planning and development of areas of low-rise housing construction” (see paragraph 5.3 Planning and development of apartment areas)).
2. The distance of the utility block from nearby structures on the adjacent site must comply with fire safety requirements:
- if both buildings are constructed of fireproof materials with difficult-to-burn partitions and roofs - a distance of 6 m;
- between fireproof buildings with combustible roofs - a distance of 8 m;
- between difficult-to-burn buildings with combustible roofs - the distance is 10 m;
- between completely combustible buildings - a distance of 15 m.
The fire gap between the walls of buildings without windows can be reduced by 20 percent (SNiP 2.07.01-89* "Urban planning. Planning and development of urban and rural settlements").
Note: I want to note that all SNiPs are advisory in nature rather than affirmative; it is best for you to find out more specific information about the norms and requirements of this nature from the architecture and urban planning authorities at your place of residence.
One more question should be addressed: “Do I need permission to build a utility block on my own site?” Let's see what the Law says about this.
A utility block, as well as a bathhouse, barn, outdoor toilet, etc. are not permanent structures. A permanent building is considered to be a house, a permanent garage (with a foundation depth of more than 1 m).
If you have documents confirming the right to own the land plot on which you plan to build a utility block, then you do not need a building permit.
Article 51, paragraph 17 of the Town Planning Code
The optimal location for the utility unit can be considered a place next to the garden - no special equipment is required to transport manure to the garden, saving time and effort.
Option for the location of the utility block relative to the residential building
Also, to improve the organization of the development of your site, the best option would be to shift one side border of the utility block relative to the residential building.
Note:
1. The first option for the location of the utility block has a straight line of the border of the walls of the utility block relative to the side walls of the house along the X axis;
2. The second option for the location of the utility block has a straight line of the border of the walls of the utility block relative to the facade of the house along the Y axis;
3. Calculate the final layout of the utility unit as follows:
- We move the conditional point A (yellow) of the first and second options for the location of the utility block away from the house, obtaining the conditional point A (blue) - a diagonal arrangement of conditional points.
- in this case, we get a displacement of one of the boundaries of the walls of the utility block U relative to the wall of the house U¹.
Utility block layout
Before you start building a utility block, you need to think about the layout of the room based on what kind of animals you plan to breed in your yard. And so let's look at the given layout of the utility block, which I made taking into account the keeping of chickens, geese, pigs and cattle in one room, dividing it into sectors.
An example of a utility block layout
The total area of the utility block is 36 m2 (6x6 m);
Walking area for livestock - 12 m2 (2x6 m);
The height of the utility unit from the floor to the ceiling is 1.9 m.
The diagram shows the general layout of the household block, in which a specific habitat is allocated for each type of livestock, and there is also a place for walking: D - for pigs, E - for poultry (chickens and geese).
An example of the arrangement of the attic space of a utility block
The height of the attic along the “ridge” is 2.95 m. The length of the roof slope when the rafters extend beyond the wall of the utility block by 20 cm will be equal to 4.3 m. The height of the attic space is deliberately made this high, since in this case it becomes possible to store on the attic with hay for cattle feed or bedding (for example, straw).
Explication of premises
Arrangement of premises for a pigsty
Sector A
Pigpen (for 2 heads) - 2x2.2 m;
Total area - 4.4 m2;
Room height - 1.9 m;
The volume of the room is 8.36 m3.
Sector A is equipped with:
A - feeder (wooden or metal);
B - pallet for broken clay bricks;
G - drainage ditch covered with metal mesh;
D - exit to the paddock for walking;
Z - door for supplying food without going inside the room;
Sector B
Setting up a barn
Cow barn (cow + calf) - 3x3.5 m;
Total area - 10.5 m2;
Room height - 1.9 m;
The volume of the room is 19.95 m3.
Sector B is equipped with:
A - feeders for plant feed (hay, haylage, silage, grass);
B - compartment of the feeder for salt lick;
B - compartment for a container with liquid feed;
G - drinking bowl (automatic drinking bowl);
E - door for removing manure from the room;
F - drainage ditch covered with metal mesh;
Z - a lattice wall dividing the barn into two sections (stall for cows and young animals);
I - entrance to the department with young animals;
K - entrance to the barn.
Sector B
Arrangement of a poultry house for keeping chickens and geese
Sector B is equipped with:
Poultry house:
1) compartment for chickens (for 10 heads) - 1.5x2 m;
2) compartment for geese (for 6 heads) - 2x2.2 m;
Total area - 7.5 m2;
Room height - 1.9 m;
The volume of the room is 14.25 m3.
1. Chicken compartment:
A - feeder for bulk feed;
B - drinking bowl;
B - container for bulk substances: sand and small natural stone;
G - two-tier perch;
D - place for laying eggs;
E - window, below is the door for the bird to exit into the pen for walking;
F - entrance to the chicken coop;
2. Goose compartment:
A - feeder for bulk feed and mixed feed porridge;
B - drinking bowl;
B - place for laying and incubating eggs (nest houses);
G - window, below is the door for the bird to exit into the pen for walking;
D - entrance to the goose barn.
The letter “V” in a yellow square is the wall separating the poultry house, located parallel to the passage in the utility block, made of cellular metal mesh.
Sector G
Arranging a room for a feed steamer and feed storage
Feed steamer (grain - vegetable storage) - 2.5x3 m;
Total area - 7.5 m2;
Room height - 1.9 m;
The volume of the room is 14.25 m3.
Sector G is equipped with:
A - feed steamer (heater stove, electric stove);
B - hole in the vegetable storage;
B - compartment for grain storage;
G - compartment for storing feed;
D - water container (if there is no water supply or a reserve tank for storing water);
And so, we have looked at the main components of the premises (sectors) of the future utility block and how these sections should be equipped for each type of animal and bird that will be kept in the utility block. Next, we will consider the question of what is best to build a utility block from.
Selection of building materials for the utility block
For the construction of a utility block, you can use various materials:
- for walls: timber, logs, bricks, blocks, adobe, etc.;
- for the floor: concrete, boards;
- for the ceiling: reinforced concrete slabs, boards;
- for partitions: boards, timber, logs, cellular metal mesh.
So what should you choose for building a utility block? What building materials are most suitable for constructing a barn to house livestock?
The outbuilding is built from timber, the cladding is siding, the roof is roofing iron.
For northern regions of the Russian Federation, the best option would be to construct the walls of the utility block from timber (150x150 mm) or logs (ø 18-20 cm); for flooring in the utility block, it is best to use a floorboard with a thickness of at least 50 mm; for the ceiling, a board with a thickness of 30-40 mm is suitable .
For central And central black earth regions of the Russian Federation where the climatic conditions are more favorable, in contrast to the northern regions, bricks or blocks (foam blocks, gas silicate blocks, etc.) can be used to construct the walls of the utility block.
To install the floor, you can use concrete or combined floors - a concrete screed 5-8 cm thick and wooden panels on top in each sector of livestock housing in the utility block. Ceilings are best made from boards 30mm thick, although reinforced concrete slabs can also be used, but this will be a more expensive option for building a utility block.
The utility block is built of red ceramic hollow bricks, the roof is bitumen (soft) tiles
For southern regions of the Russian Federation and Ukraine, you can use brick, blocks or adobe (adobe blocks, adobe walls) as a building material for walls. The floors are concrete, the ceiling is 30 mm thick board.
For central, central black earth, southern regions of the Russian Federation and for Ukraine you can make a combined utility unit. The walls of the outbuildings for cows with young animals, pigs and chickens should be made, for example, from timber, and the walls for housing geese and for housing equipped with a feed steamer should be made of boards 50 mm thick. This option will be more economical in relation to the monetary costs of building materials, the savings will be approximately 10-20%, the percentage of savings depends on the cost of building materials in the region of your residence.
Note: I would not recommend the construction of frame walls of a utility block, since the likelihood of rodents (mice and rats) increases significantly, unlike walls made, for example, of brick or timber.It is much more difficult to remove rodents with frame walls, and when installing frame walls for a utility block to protect against rodents, you will have to incur additional financial costs to protect the walls (from the level of the foundation and from the level of the ceilings) from rodents getting inside.
Now we will consider in detail the option of building a 6x6 m utility block from timber for the northern regions with an average winter temperature of -20 degrees, and for warmer regions - the southern ones, where the average winter temperature is -10 degrees - for such regions I will choose foam block as a building material for the walls.
The fundamental difference in the construction of a utility block in the northern and southern regions will be as follows:
- Construction material for the walls and floor of the utility block;
- Construction of the foundation, since the structure of the soil in these regions differs from each other - for the northern regions we will take as a basis heaving soils with a freezing depth of more than 1 m and with a groundwater level less than 1 m from the ground surface. For the southern regions, we will take non-heaving soil, with a freezing depth of less than 0.7 m and a groundwater level of 1.5-2 m from the soil surface;
- Insulation of the utility room (ceiling, walls, floor);
- A place for storing hay for cattle (attic, hayloft), as well as a place for walking cattle in the absence of a centralized herding of livestock to pasture.
Here, perhaps, there will be four main differences in the construction of a utility block in the above regions; I will consider these differences in more detail in the next article, which will answer the questions:
- procurement of building materials and their needs;
- the principle of building a utility block (from the foundation to the roof);
- equipment of premises (sectors for keeping livestock and poultry);
- additional questions (how and where to store hay, how to equip silage storage, etc.).
All questions that relate to the comfortable arrangement of a utility unit, in which animals will be comfortable at any time of the year, and it will be easy and convenient for the owners to care for the animals, will be considered and will not be left without attention.