| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| CloversMum |
Posted - Mar 30 2015 : 9:01:25 PM
As we are finalizing our barn plans, I need to make sure I'm not forgetting any important details...so please chime in! Features you wouldn't go without, features that are unnecessary (we will be very practical and nothing fancy here!), sizes of calving pens or holding pens...even ideas of how big the driveway up to the barn should be...how the barn should be in position to your house...anything and everything! Go!
Our barn plans are currently 76' x 70'...one side will be for my small goat herd and the other side for my cows. It's coming together but now is the time to tweak it if necessary, so please send suggestions my way. |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| maryjane |
Posted - Nov 15 2015 : 09:11:48 AM
It's absolutely gorgeous Charlene. I love seeing it on my way to town. It's the perfect skyscape in my book. |
| NellieBelle |
Posted - Nov 15 2015 : 02:48:48 AM
Looking more and more like a barn Charlene. Your animals won't want to come outside. :) |
| Sydney2015 |
Posted - Nov 14 2015 : 7:35:39 PM
Oh Charlene! It is so beautiful! |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Nov 14 2015 : 5:22:56 PM
gorgeous charlene!
do you use the deep litter method now? i do and LOVE it. its just so clean actually, smells clean. and the chickens just turn everything constantly so it really breaks everything down - by the time i pull about 3/4 out every 5-6 months it is so broken down that it really composts quite fast.
probably the only thing i didn't plan well for the deep litter method was adding 6-8 inches to all door frames so that it wouldn't fall out when a door is opened. |
| CloversMum |
Posted - Nov 14 2015 : 5:06:15 PM
My cupola is finished!
And ... inside the barn before the goat pens are made with used free pallets. Someday my goats will be moved up to a larger dairy barn and this will all be converted to a chicken/duck barn which explains all the chicken doors. Never again will the floor look this clean! We are also planning on installing stall mats as the concrete is just too cold. But I will also use the deep litter method so the straw will add up and insulate as well.
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| CloversMum |
Posted - Nov 09 2015 : 09:04:30 AM
One tip: shop around for light bulbs! Man, oh man, do prices vary on just the outside LED lightbulbs! Best price found was at Costco.
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| CloversMum |
Posted - Nov 05 2015 : 9:21:55 PM
Thanks everyone! I just ordered the rest of our lights and they should arrive just in time for the electrician to work his magic! |
| chives |
Posted - Nov 05 2015 : 7:13:27 PM
Charlene, the barn is just beautiful. It will be all done soon. |
| CloversMum |
Posted - Nov 05 2015 : 5:25:38 PM
I already have my Christmas gift! I guess I can sit in it to see if I see Santa fly by! :-) |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Nov 05 2015 : 12:27:32 PM
love it charlene! yes, us farmgirls with lots of work on our hands have to work smart! sounds like you are doing just that with your barn plans.
can't wait to see it done and ready for santa to arrive ;> |
| CloversMum |
Posted - Nov 05 2015 : 09:00:36 AM
Our light will have a photo sensor on it so since it is just one light, I'm hoping we can leave it on whenever it is dark. The problem is that right now, the barn look is very popular so that is driving up the price of the functional lights! I guess others are discovering how fun it is to decorate "barn style"!
The inside main barn lights will actually be on a digital timer so I can have the lights come on for the chickens and goats when it gets so dark in the winter. I don't go overboard with the lights as I do want my animals to have a natural cycle, but the winter time darkness gets too much sometimes. I'm loving the idea of automatic lights! Trying hard to lessen our work load and to work smart. I think Cindy mentioned that once when she was describing their farm and future plans. Smart woman, she is. |
| maryjane |
Posted - Nov 05 2015 : 08:52:43 AM
Nice!!!! Those are the lights we have all around the outside of our facility, only in red. When I "turn on the porch light," all of them go on and from a distance this place looks like a car lot, it's so lit up. Consequently, I don't have them on very much. |
| CloversMum |
Posted - Nov 05 2015 : 08:47:41 AM
The gooseneck outside light that I ordered should arrive in the next day or two. It is exactly what I had envisioned for above the people door to my barn. I cannot wait to decorate my barn for Christmas! Such a country girl I have become!
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| txbikergirl |
Posted - Nov 04 2015 : 4:18:55 PM
its gorgeous charlene. love all the details, those are the exact details i dream about often for my some day barn ;> |
| CloversMum |
Posted - Nov 04 2015 : 11:43:44 AM
Update ... the garage doors look like old-fashioned carriage doors! Love it. They still roll up and out of the way, but I love the details.
We will have flood lights over the garage door and an old-fashioned gooseneck black light over the people door. Those will be installed next week. It makes me happy just to look out my back window and see this! |
| Ron |
Posted - Oct 31 2015 : 5:07:32 PM
Cash is king...you never have to look back....... :) |
| CloversMum |
Posted - Oct 31 2015 : 4:39:02 PM
Oh Cindy, I am over the top with gratefulness and very much at peace. I've waited a long time for this barn ... going through the grant application, drawing up plans, redoing plans, thinking more, changing the plans, waiting on the NRCS, being chosen for the grant (!), waiting some more. I'm really overwhelmed that we really get a barn ... and having it become real out of the dreams and plans is great! Especially when it surpasses any hopes. I will be spending lots of time down in the barn, enjoying the peace, quiet, joy and we are looking forward to sharing it with others.
I'm at peace as well just knowing that we are doing what we should be doing. Every time I faltered, something happened to encourage me to continue.
Cash and debt free are definitely the better way to go ... don't mind a grant here and there :-). And when one pays for things as they go, you certainly discover what is really important. My kids are definitely learning this! |
| Ron |
Posted - Oct 31 2015 : 3:14:06 PM
Better than nice... |
| NellieBelle |
Posted - Oct 31 2015 : 1:35:19 PM
Looking good Charlene, and like the lighting panels above for the natural light. Nice that Cecily will have the walk to get down to barn too. Thank you for posting the updated progress. |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Oct 31 2015 : 09:09:49 AM
charlene, one thing i have loved about my 40s is learning patience. our generation was given so much by our parents, and you see everyone nowadays expecting to have a 3,0000 sq ft house with a pool and granite countertops and a BMW in the garage by the time they are 25. once lover boy and i started going debt free and saving up cash to complete things as we go, it is amazing how much patience you can acquire. and i believe patience = peace.
so i am sure you have the blessings of LOTS of peace over the wait for your barn! i too will receive that same blessing as our future barn will be a good ten years from now ;>
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| CloversMum |
Posted - Oct 30 2015 : 7:02:18 PM
Thank you! We have a definite change of weather now ... lots of wind this afternoon and lots of rain forecasted overnight. I guess we'll see if all the barn pieces stay put!
I also love when dreams start becoming reality and its even better than the dream. All the details are coming together. So grateful for this grant! |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Oct 30 2015 : 4:41:09 PM
gorgeous charlene, absolutely gorgeous. loving that the timing for winter is perfect. don't you love how dreams that take years are finished almost overnight! it always seems like it takes forever, and then all of a sudden it gets done. |
| Andrea0509 |
Posted - Oct 30 2015 : 2:21:49 PM
Charlene, it's coming along just beautifully! Thanks for sharing pictures :) |
| CloversMum |
Posted - Oct 30 2015 : 1:33:34 PM
Here's the latest update on my barn ... the electrician will be coming next week and the builders should be done by Monday or so. Then, we'll be putting up goat stalls, chicken wire for chicken coop and duck pens.
You can see part of Cecily's concrete path that meanders around our house and out towards the barn. She walks on it every day with her crutches. The cupola will be finished with red metal and white louvers for venting.
I love the red metal! And I'm loving the transparent siding between the two roof lines as it allows oodles of natural light inside the barn.
This will be under cover but outside area for some of my animals. The plywood will be painted the same red color as the metal. We decided to go with plywood here, instead of metal, because there is a greater chance of banging this as we clean and didn't want to dent the metal. It is way easier to repaint or even replace a piece of plywood than a whole sheet of metal. Since it is all under cover, the plywood should be fine and wear very well. |
| txbikergirl |
Posted - Oct 21 2015 : 5:18:30 PM
charlene,
the barn is gorgeous, the gift is heartwarming, and the dream is becoming a reality. enjoying it from the sidelines, you are very blessed. |
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