Sheep Tunnels- Pro's & Con's

derferjam

Hi
I was going to put up a tunnel but I was wondering is there anyone with bad things to so about them and what sort of money needed to put one up for a flock of 200 and what I'd need to make it work
Thanks

Green farmer

Don't have one myself but spoke to a guy who did. He told me

Pros- cheap, ewes are happy in them as bright, less bedding
Cons- grey crows picked holes in it, need low height tractor for feeding hay and silage, humid if not property ventilated.

Also I think Con was putting one up a few months ago, he'd be the in-house expert around here.

Conmaicne Mara

Mine isn't up yet. We have the foundation done and some site specific work completed as in two low side walls to hold in the ground pegs.

If I could have had one for the same money I'd have put up a shed.

My tunnel should end up being 23 foot wide and 42 foot long. I forget exactly how many ewes that would hold to capacity but you'd need a much bigger tunnel for two hundred ewes.

The pro for me was the budget, I could afford the tunnel, I couldn't afford the shed.

The big con is the "roof", no more than any other roof it'll only go in bad weather, except with a tunnel I imagine the entire roof will go rather than a few sheets.

Would advise getting guttering, dependent on site can collect water in tanks for watering ewes, or for other jobs around the farm during the year anything from washing down to spraying.

Do some thinking about the pens, the layout and what they'll attach to.

Mine was €2,250 for the bars and fixings, the cover, two made double doors, the hot spot tape, the door frames and the ventilation netting.

rangler1

derferjam wrote: »

Hi
I was going to put up a tunnel but I was wondering is there anyone with bad things to so about them and what sort of money needed to put one up for a flock of 200 and what I'd need to make it work
Thanks

Have a tunnel here, had to get accomadation in a hurry, would have went for a shed otherwise, its two years up and very pleased with it, I put it up on 2 ft walls for two reasons, to be able to push against the side with the loader and to get a bit of height at the sides, it's 17ft high at the centre, so plenty of room. It's on an exposed site and this years storms did no damage
Its 36 by 120ft and holds 200 comfortably, you could go to 250 in it

sako 85

To give some perspective, we erected a sheep shed last year, 63ft (4span) X 40ft and a 15ft 9 X 3span link to an existing shed, all cost including concrete walls and floors, fixtures & fitting and electrical was of the order of €30,000.

It suited us to go for the shed but it was a large investment.

arctictree

Some differences in price there lads.

Conmaicne Mara

arctictree wrote: »

Some differences in price there lads.

In the late 80's Dad built a grand aided sheep shed, he was just talking about it there yesterday saying they were "talked into it" by Acot.

My view on things is you've two options, you're either a price taker or a price setter and a price taker can't spend like a price setter.

rangler1

sako 85 wrote: »

To give some perspective, we erected a sheep shed last year, 63ft (4span) X 40ft and a 15ft 9 X 3span link to an existing shed, all cost including concrete walls and floors, fixtures & fitting and electrical was of the order of €30,000.

It suited us to go for the shed but it was a large investment.

approx. costs here from what I can remember
€14000 +vat for the tunnel erected
100 mtrs concrete, but did a 40ft by 40 slab as well.
€7000 +vat for steel, shuttering hire, and feeding barriers, electrical

derferjam

Thanks for the advice people. Has anyone ever heard of or have seen a set up in the tunnels where it is able to acommidate other work.

Farrell

derferjam wrote: »

Thanks for the advice people. Has anyone ever heard of or have seen a set up in the tunnels where it is able to acommidate other work.

Can be used to store straw / machinery

ganmo

Farrell wrote: »

Can be used to store straw / machinery

Can they touch the plastic?

Farrell

ganmo wrote: »

Can they touch the plastic?

Where I was yes straw touched the plastic at times (depended on driver). In fairness it was a piggery & there'd be 4 fills a year

Oldtree

It may/may not have a bearing here, but on my polytunnel between the plastic and the iron work is a heat resistant tape to protect the plastic from the iron work, that can get very hot at times and erode the plastic over time.

Conmaicne Mara

Oldtree wrote: »

It may/may not have a bearing here, but on my polytunnel between the plastic and the iron work is a heat resistant tape to protect the plastic from the iron work, that can get very hot at times and erode the plastic over time.

Hotspot tape.

derferjam

Has anyone seen the tunnels been used for something after the winter/lambing season is over.
Outside of storage of Tractors et al.

Conmaicne Mara

derferjam wrote: »

Has anyone seen the tunnels been used for something after the winter/lambing season is over.
Outside of storage of Tractors et al.

You want to be careful with machinery, particularly tractor exhausts which tend to point hot gasses upwards I've heard of some getting elbows fitted to the top of the exhaust.

Friend of mine saw the bones of my tunnel and I know he get's a lot of timber, suggested it'd be a great way of drying it out and he loved the idea.

Storage of all sorts of things I suppose. Turkeys for Christmas (if you wanted the hassle), though heat might be a problem for really young birds.

Farrell

Heard of guy has turkey's , then lambing, then sucks over summer & start all over again with a good clean & wash in between.

derferjam

Farrell wrote: »

Heard of guy has turkey's , then lambing, then sucks over summer & start all over again with a good clean & wash in between.

I presume you mean Ducks not sucks.... But wow that is fairly full on how long has he been doing that and what sort of floor has he got in the tunnel?

derferjam

What sort of flooring have most people seen being used in the tunnels

derferjam

rangler1 wrote: »

approx. costs here from what I can remember
€14000 +vat for the tunnel erected
100 mtrs concrete, but did a 40ft by 40 slab as well.
€7000 +vat for steel, shuttering hire, and feeding barriers, electrical

who did you get to do it

rangler1

derferjam wrote: »

who did you get to do it

The tunnel was from colm warren in meath, the rest was done by myself and two neighbours (redundant builders)

Put up pics when I built it, here's the link

post three under name of rancher

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=82080860

Green farmer

How that's a proper tunnel

The Cuban

rangler1 wrote: »

The tunnel was from colm warren in meath, the rest was done by myself and two neighbours (redundant builders)

Put up pics when I built it, here's the link

post three under name of rancher

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=82080860

Thats a nice shed, how is it holding up now over time? If you were to do it again would you do anything different??

rangler1

The Cuban wrote: »

Thats a nice shed, how is it holding up now over time? If you were to do it again would you do anything different??

Not a bother on it during the storms, wouldn't change anything.
another €10,000 would probably have a good shed but wouldn't have been as quick to erect

derferjam

rangler1 wrote: »

Not a bother on it during the storms, wouldn't change anything.
another €10,000 would probably have a good shed but wouldn't have been as quick to erect

For the extra 10,000 you would build a shed but do you think that for the extra 10,000 you would have a shed that would still 200+ ewes like the tunnel?

Do you sponge your ewe? Or have any problems with lambs mixing up with ewes

rangler1

derferjam wrote: »

For the extra 10,000 you would build a shed but do you think that for the extra 10,000 you would have a shed that would still 200+ ewes like the tunnel?

Do you sponge your ewe? Or have any problems with lambs mixing up with ewes

I don't sponge the midseason flock, but would have 160 lambing in a fortnight, you have to basically live with them or they would be mixed up when they lamb, and then they're put into individual pens.
Of course you could kit out a shed the same, the tunnel is a healthy airy environment but you could use galebreaker on the shed too.
Incidentally that's a finer galebreaker than I've seen any where else. I had to take down ordinary galebreaker from a shed beside the tunnel because it was letting the rain drown the place,
so there is different qualities out there

Lano Lynn

had hoped to see progress on Conmaicne Mara tunnel at this stage but seems he has closed his account

Green farmer

Pity, he was a great addition to the sheep forum

sea12

Green farmer wrote: »

Pity, he was a great addition to the sheep forum

When did con man leave? Thought he was gone quiet alright. Was a great addition to the forum. Hopefully he will be back under new name soon

Green farmer

He could do a rangler on it !!!

Farrell

Green farmer wrote: »

He could do a rangler on it !!!

Hopefully

derferjam

Why was he blocked

sea12

Rangler I see your tunnel in the journal this week. Fine job. How many does it hold.

rangler1

sea12 wrote: »

Rangler I see your tunnel in the journal this week. Fine job. How many does it hold.

Thanks 220, 200 comfortable

gazahayes

rangler1 wrote: »

Thanks 220, 200 comfortable

Going putting up a second hand tunnel just wondering can you get insurance on the tunnel