Sheep Barn/Housing: Why We Built the Barn We Did!

What kind of barn should I build if getting into sheep farming or looking to expand my sheep operation? This is a big question for many people, and we get alot of people asking us about our barn, so hopefully this video answers some questions you may have.
Some of the topics covered are:
Feeding sheep
Waterers for sheep
Pros/Cons of hoop barn type structure for sheep livestock
Music: Betya - Lauren Duski
Website for omafra guidelines for feeding sheep as talked about in this video:
www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/l...
Website for the company we bought our barn from:
omnicanada.com/structures/util...

[@paulsolon6229]

Smart man Well-spoken. Clear presentation, shows organized mind

[@valleyridgefarms]

Thankyou! All I want is for it to help some people. I get a lot of questions about our barn so hopefully this will answer some.

[@anydaynow5595]

I loved the video, great commentary

[@kunwarsuhailpasha3441]

Thanks for this information,

[@ser3589]

Great video. Great information. Thank you

[@commercialbroilerchicken3399]

thank You. Great content.

[@cinderblock2289]

We all have to work within the arena we have. You have done an excellent job with the building. Life is a learning lesson and sometimes it will take more than one try. I am impressed by your thinking about the options and selecting which will work for you and the ewes.

[@valleyridgefarms]

Thanks, exactly, make a decision, move forward, and work with it.

[@interdooporto5361]

Me dieron una buena idea, saludos desde México 🇲🇽

[@abdulaahishireyabaroow1357]

Keep going my techar

[@SB-eu6jd]

Wish you the best

[@valleyridgefarms]

Thank-you!

[@Faithfulfamily]

Good video. Informative. We should do one of our setup next year i think. Much smaller flock than yours. We lamb in northern BC in the dead of winter too with only heat lamps as supplemental heat. Question. What is TMR? Haven't heard of that.

[@valleyridgefarms]

Stands for Total Mixed Ration, a mixer that you put all the ingredients in and mix all together, hay, Grain, mineral, corn silage or whatever to make a balanced ration. Most dairy cow farmers do this.

[@Faithfulfamily]

@@valleyridgefarms ok. I think I've heard of people using cement mixers for that.

[@valleyridgefarms]

@@Faithfulfamily yea, maybe, except generally it's pulled behind a tractor and feeds a lot of animals at once, more for large scale producers.

[@warrenshearer1590]

We have a metal arch rib style building and are wanting to do the same system as yourself. I am curious what will we have to do for air exchanges to control the humidity in the barn and also in the summer how do you handle the high temperatures?... Our building is 40X60 so it is pretty small in comparison to yours and has only one large door at the end wall. We are located in Saskatchewan so our temperatures are pretty extreme. thank you and keep up with the great video's

[@valleyridgefarms]

For humidity, it's only an issue on really still days or nights. My barn is not sealed up very good and that acts as minimum ventilation. However, a vent at both peaks would probably help with that. For hot summertime, I would open the sidewall curtains in extreme heat. That would be the best. But just having each end completely open would likely be enough for a barn of your length. The most ideal, though also most costly, would be chimneys in the ceiling along the whole barn, with sidewall curtains.

[@ppac300]

where did you get the barn kit for your building?

[@valleyridgefarms]

St Catharines Ontario, omni structures

[@justinwjmaccurdy]

How do you clean out the side pens if your central alley way is elevated? Is there an access point on the other end that you didn't film? Curious to know. i like your set up and i'm looking at financing a project like this at around the size of a 40' x 100'.

[@valleyridgefarms]

Yea, maybe i didn't show it well in the video, but there are actually two tarp doors on each end on either side of the centre doors that open up for the tractor to get in and out.

[@kunwarsuhailpasha3441]

What are you use for covering ?

[@Kashgar2007]

How did you structure the large doors? We have a large hoop barn we are updating and are not happy with the current door set up (tarp doors on a hand winch). We just replaced all the tarping at ~$40000 (65x140) installed.

[@valleyridgefarms]

Not sure what you mean by structure of the doors... We have three on each end, 2 which are tarp doors. Don't like tarp doors especially on the wind side of the barn.

[@lboh5260]

I have a 100x60 barn thinking about converting. How much bunk space do you think they need per head?

[@valleyridgefarms]

About 16 inches per head...

[@ambryacres]

Is the only concrete in the feed alley or is the whole floor concrete?

[@valleyridgefarms]

Just the feed alley has concrete, rest is dirt floor.

[@brianmugere]

Hey! Is that a tarpaulin? And, how deep is the straw bed?

[@valleyridgefarms]

Yes it is. The bed can get up to 16 inches deep.

[@rickngerricromarty7172]

Does it rain in there from condensation?

[@valleyridgefarms]

Not really because i don't try to keep it warm in it, so temp is basically the same as outside

[@waynesworld2014]

What minerals are you giving to your flock?

[@valleyridgefarms]

We give a sheep specific mineral from a local feed store

[@waynesworld2014]

@@valleyridgefarms so can I ask do you just feed corn

[@valleyridgefarms]

@@waynesworld2014 depending on the time of gestation period, or nursing, or breeding, but they always get hay and mineral, and then add corn and soybean meal to balance out the ration according to their needs

[@MrMoellers]

Would this work with goats?

[@valleyridgefarms]

I would think so, depends on how warm goats need it to be and where you live as well. Hard to heat or insulate these barns

[@benmarrie]

Alice Davis