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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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 Posted - Jan 12 2016 : 8:00:56 PM
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| In a barn, where should one plan for drains? Our barn will also have two mailing parlors, one for cows and a separate one for goats. I know that there should be a drain in both of those areas. Other areas?? |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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maryjane
7074 Posts
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Posted - Jan 13 2016 : 08:51:40 AM
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| Mailing parlors? Can you explain? |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Jan 13 2016 : 09:05:03 AM
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Haha ... Can you tell I am still trying to use my daughter's iPad as my laptop is still with my bookkeeper? Oh dear.
So I am trying to think of all the places I would potentially need drains in our dairy barn that will have two MILKING parlors :) and a future possible processing room. I also want to be sure to have the water pipes placed where I want two BarBarA waterers, one in the cow area and the other in the goat area. Both would be under the roof. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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txbikergirl
3197 Posts
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Posted - Jan 13 2016 : 4:54:30 PM
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charlene, i don't have the same winter snow/cold/freezing issues the rest of you do so i don't know how much use my comments are for you. after researching the need for the "garbage disposal" type equipment needed in barn drains to ensure anything going down them is chopped up to reduce clogging issues i have decided against drains. i am going with sloped concrete, and shallow wide trenches like i mentioned to mary jane.
right now with the open air milking parlor it isn't an issue as i just handle waste like mucking - anything large is picked up and moved to the appropriate compost area. then everything is just hosed down onto the open ground.
when we do our cow shelter we'll do the same in the limited concrete area there, even though it won't be full open air. one thing we will do in certain areas with lots of water use will be creating large gravel pits that function as drains where the concrete trenches end. by "mucking" the large stuff out separately, then any small items washed into the gravel pit with the water won't be an issue. we have very permeable land so don't have sitting water issues, and given we have little freezing that won't cause issues for us. we will literally just dig big holes, fill them with sand and gravel, and then let water filter in. similar to how country folk do laundry grey water lines.
i also want to mention that i am a real big "keep it simple" person. the thought of clogged up drains with manure and muck just makes me unhappy, and it will happen sooner or later - even if it takes 10 years. i'll stay with basic and simple for us, but we also aren't handling as many livestock as you are planning to so that could be an issue for you. |
_(199x300)_(66x100).jpg?v 93697001) Firefly Hollow Farm , our little farmstead. Farmgirl living in the green piney woods of East Texas on 23 acres with a few jerseys, too many chickens, a pair of pugs and my Texan hubby (aka "lover boy") |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Jan 13 2016 : 8:29:33 PM
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| Sloped concrete with wide shallow trenches sound like a simple but feasible option. We do need to be careful with our water run-off but will have French drains to help and some piping to help avoid gullies forming and washing away our top soil. We deal with extreme clay-like soil and we will always focus on soil building. |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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Plumbing
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