Cheapest lambing shed

arctictree

For various reasons I need to make a temporary lambing shed.

Anyone know what the cheapest option would be? I need about 500 sqft.

I was thinking of maybe 9 x 9ft posts drivin into the ground. A few beams on top and covered with tarpaulin. All should be reusable when I take it down. Shouldn't be more than €400 in total. What ye think?

ganmo

a couple of big squares to give a bit of shelter

jmrc

Snow? could that be an issue?

Green farmer

9ft posts sound good .often though about making temporary lean to's from old scaffolding bars I've thrown about. Any access to old pallets for side walls ? Might be a lot of work but I've also seen clips on YouTube of guys making poly tunnels from esb ducting, a roll of plastic and a few lengths of timber.

Username John

arctictree wrote: »

For various reasons I need to make a temporary lambing shed.

Anyone know what the cheapest option would be? I need about 500 sqft.

I was thinking of maybe 9 x 9ft posts drivin into the ground. A few beams on top and covered with tarpaulin. All should be reusable when I take it down. Shouldn't be more than €400 in total. What ye think?

I dunno Artic - tarp is a bit of a disaster. I have bales under a tarp, and I dont like it. I dunno would I use it for a roof at all - I'd be afraid that twould collapse in heavy rain, or leak so much twould be useless or take off in high wind...

I was planning on doing the following next summer, for storing bales plus general odds and ends
- building a 15ft x 30ft shed
- Using ESB poles for the uprights
- I have some larch trees, so cutting a few of them for beams
- galvanize roof
- maybe put some galvanize at the back, or else pallets, or most likely a mix of both...

I could use larch trees for the uprights too, but I would prefer the ESB poles, will have to see what price the poles are.

The expensive part would be the galvanize. For 15ft x 30ft, that would be about 10 15ft sheets, so 150ft. I would guess cheap galvanize is about 2.50 / ft, so thats about 400euro...
There would be other bits, some kinda strapping and galvanize nails, but they shouldnt be too much I'd hope...

This ad lists €1.75 / ft dor some kinda cladding, so maybe my estimate of 2.50 is higher than it should be...

Just a thought, might be worth making a few calls to see how much galvanise roofing would be?

arctictree

jmrc wrote: »

Snow? could that be an issue?

True, especially up here. I have seen heavy snowfall here take down trees with virtually no wind.

arctictree

Username John wrote: »

I dunno Artic - tarp is a bit of a disaster. I have bales under a tarp, and I dont like it. I dunno would I use it for a roof at all - I'd be afraid that twould collapse in heavy rain, or leak so much twould be useless or take off in high wind...

I was planning on doing the following next summer, for storing bales plus general odds and ends
- building a 15ft x 30ft shed
- Using ESB poles for the uprights
- I have some larch trees, so cutting a few of them for beams
- galvanize roof
- maybe put some galvanize at the back, or else pallets, or most likely a mix of both...

I could use larch trees for the uprights too, but I would prefer the ESB poles, will have to see what price the poles are.

The expensive part would be the galvanize. For 15ft x 30ft, that would be about 10 15ft sheets, so 150ft. I would guess cheap galvanize is about 2.50 / ft, so thats about 400euro...
There would be other bits, some kinda strapping and galvanize nails, but they shouldnt be too much I'd hope...

This ad lists €1.75 / ft dor some kinda cladding, so maybe my estimate of 2.50 is higher than it should be...

Just a thought, might be worth making a few calls to see how much galvanise roofing would be?

Yes, I was thinking of galvanized, but was turned off by the cost. Maybe galvanised for the roof and tarp for the walls? All reuseable I suppose. Will have a nose around done deal.

Green farmer

What type of span are you thinking about for the roof ?

Connemara Farmer

Polytunnel.

Green farmer

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Polytunnel.

Go away Con,

I'm still waiting for my invite to the official launch of your tunnel. Did you put up pictures of your finished tunnel ? I cannt remember.

Username John

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Polytunnel.

How much (approx) would a poly tunnel be - say 30ft x 15 ft?

Future Farmer

arctictree wrote: »

For various reasons I need to make a temporary lambing shed.

Anyone know what the cheapest option would be? I need about 500 sqft.

I was thinking of maybe 9 x 9ft posts drivin into the ground. A few beams on top and covered with tarpaulin. All should be reusable when I take it down. Shouldn't be more than €400 in total. What ye think?

Hi Arctictree,

Do you really need a shed? Lambing out isn't the worst if you have it set up right. How many ewes we talking about?

Aside from the obvious comfort issues.

Think you'd be best using ESB poles & galvanised - these temporary buildings have a tendancy to end up being not so temporary. The hardcore will be important too, any road work going on near you (that filling can be got for nothing).

Are you in rented ground? How much shelter is there where you plan on putting it up?

Green farmer

The biggest thing about any shed or tunnel is making them high enough to the tractor in afterwards to clean them out. Used to use a few old stables for lambing before. Could only get a wheelbarrow in afterwards to clean then out. A lot of work with the fork.

Connemara Farmer

Green farmer wrote: »

Go away Con,

I'm still waiting for my invite to the official launch of your tunnel. Did you put up pictures of your finished tunnel ? I cannt remember.

I looked at all the options before I went for the tunnel, the tunnel consistently worked out cheapest UNLESS you can get everything second hand/free and have your own machinery.

Username John wrote: »

How much (approx) would a poly tunnel be - say 30ft x 15 ft?

Give this guy a ring.

http://www.gardenpolytunnels.ie/

Green farmer wrote: »

The biggest thing about any shed or tunnel is making them high enough to the tractor in afterwards to clean them out. Used to use a few old stables for lambing before. Could only get a wheelbarrow in afterwards to clean then out. A lot of work with the fork.

Spoiled by machinery ye are.

The guy above will make the legs as long as you like for height.

Warning for machines in tunnels, hot exhaust gasses will melt/weaken plastic, would want a 90 degree elbow on top of exhaust or something similar to deflect gasses in a safe direction.

arctictree

Green farmer wrote: »

What type of span are you thinking about for the roof ?

About 16ft?

arctictree

Future Farmer wrote: »

Hi Arctictree,

Do you really need a shed? Lambing out isn't the worst if you have it set up right. How many ewes we talking about?

Aside from the obvious comfort issues.

Think you'd be best using ESB poles & galvanised - these temporary buildings have a tendancy to end up being not so temporary. The hardcore will be important too, any road work going on near you (that filling can be got for nothing).

Are you in rented ground? How much shelter is there where you plan on putting it up?

The problem for me is that our farm is about 1KM from the house and not visible. Much handier if the ewes are in the yard.

Might go with the poles and some galvanised for the roof.

Green farmer

My sheds are a few fields away from house as well. Much easier to have something outside the door in the middle of winter. I'd put up something handy in the back garden, only for the fact that the wife would kick me out if I tried. I have a 1/4 acre back garden. I sneak the sheep in every now and again when the grass gets away from the lawnmower. I get away with that, but just barely.:)

arctictree

Green farmer wrote: »

My sheds are a few fields away from house as well. Much easier to have something outside the door in the middle of winter. I'd put up something handy in the back garden, only for the fact that the wife would kick me out if I tried. I have a 1/4 acre back garden. I sneak the sheep in every now and again when the grass gets away from the lawnmower. I get away with that, but just barely.:)

I know the feeling. "Get those feckin livestock out of my garden!" she's said a couple of times this year!