# Anyone lambing in hoop barns?



## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Looking to expand the ewe flock, relative in SD has 200 ewes for sale. Need a new barn if we do it. Looking into hoop barns for ease of cleaning out and for good ventilation. Curious if anyone recommends any brand of hoop building.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I have a 42x60 Farmtek for hay storage. It's 10 years old, built on a 5' pony wall.

The building is good, but there are a few things I would do differently. I used 8x8s every 4th post and 4x6's in between--I should have used 8x8s across the board. I sank them 42", but would have been more solid if I had gone deeper--at least 48" with a concrete dead man.

There are different scale/price Farmtek building--don't go for the cheapest--they're cheap for a reason--but also don't go for the most expensive.

Look at the wind/snow load requirements for your area, then buy the appropriate model.

For sheep, you might consider a two layer concrete block (2.5x2.5x5') pony wall with the bottom block sunk 1/2 way in a footing trench. This would leave you with about 4' above ground for the sheep to push against.

I recommend Farmtek.

Hope this helps.

Ralph


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Thanks Ralph. I'm just not sold on hoop buildings in general. Although when I toured Hoop Beef 8 years ago, I was dead set on one, until I saw it cost the same as a pole shed the same size.

Not sure what height of wall I want to go, but at least 3'. Would like it wide enough to drive down the center with loader tractor and have pens on each side of equal size. Thinking probably 40' wide by 100' long.


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

Stack Go at least four and a half feet high with the pony wall. Any less and the sheep will nibble on the tarp when they're bored. We went 5' and think it works well esp with a foot of bedding in the barn. We went 38 x 100 and it worked for us. Great place to fatten lambs out of the rain too.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Thanks, that’s great advice. And I’m thankful to know I’m not the only one that the manure gets a little high before cleaning.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Some insurance companies will insure certain brands and not others so that would be a good place to check what not to build.

Wind sure does get a lot of them around here.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

swmnhay said:


> Some insurance companies will insure certain brands and not others so that would be a good place to check what not to build.
> 
> Wind sure does get a lot of them around here.


Many people buy the lighter duty buildings and that causes them to fail. The Farmtek recommendation was to put it perpendicular to prevailing winds. Example, if your prevailing wind is out of the south, the building should be built on the east-west line. This allows the wind to go across the building rather than push on the ends.

Ralph


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

rjmoses said:


> Many people buy the lighter duty buildings and that causes them to fail. The Farmtek recommendation was to put it perpendicular to prevailing winds. Example, if your prevailing wind is out of the south, the building should be built on the east-west line. This allows the wind to go across the building rather than push on the ends.
> 
> Ralph


I've seen quite a few hoops that kinked in from the side.I never have seen one pushed over from the end but have seen traps torn off when the wind hit them from the end.Most all were the narrower ones about 30' wide.There are a few larger ones here and they seem to be built a lot better and take the wind better,the frame anyway the tarps not so much

A friend has a Sioux which is supposed to be a better one and it kinked in in a straight line wind,a lot of pole sheds where lost also in that one.90 mph wind.

There is a reason they put windmills here.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

swmnhay said:


> There is a reason they put windmills here.


Silly Cy. I heard this at a Cenex coffee shop one morning few years ago. The reason it's so windy is BECAUSE of the windmills. They are actually big fans that create the wind.

Can't make that shit up. I am not joking. I really wish I was.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

stack em up said:


> Silly Cy. I heard this at a Cenex coffee shop one morning few years ago. The reason it's so windy is BECAUSE of the windmills. They are actually big fans that create the wind.
> Can't make that shit up. I am not joking. I really wish I was.


They make it rain!It's been wet since they put them up.Here I thought they would help dry the hay,boy was I wrong.lol


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

I can post the pics here Paul


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## Kasey (Jun 24, 2015)

I would go taller on side wall and put a curtain on it to provide even more air flow in summer. I have a 4 foot wall and I take a few boards out in the summer so I can take advantage of the west winds. I have a Winkler from riverside hoop barns. They are well made and a good price.


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## 560Dennis (Jun 1, 2015)

Suggestion , ventilation is critical , I'm not sure how to prove it. But I don't think that environment is very healthy. IMO

Suggested air turn over is 7 to 12 minutes , that might be do able not sure , please check it out


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

I'm guessing here, but I hope you are leaving it open with good circulation. I was in side one a couple of years ago that was enclosed. It was a spring day, with temps rising, thought I was in a rain storm, with the sweating roof.  A friend has one with roll up side curtains, as Kasey mentions. I forget the width, but 200' long, IDR the head of cows he kept inside, but no sweating issues either.

Larry


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

Leave the ends out, put 3x4 bales there when needed and removed when not


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

Check out "Sandi Brock" on you-tube


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Shetland Sheepdog said:


> Check out "Sandi Brock" on you-tube


She makes it work, I've seen her videos. Money is also not an issue for her and Mark. 
I used to watch her from time to time but I simply can't stand the crying when she has to put a ewe down.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

Did you look into real estate taxes at all? Here they aren't taxed since they are not a permanent building. I have a friend that build one on concrete median barrier panels. He ended up putting spouting on the side. Water comes off the tarp, lands on the ground and wicks back under the concrete blocks and into the building...


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

PaMike said:


> I have a friend that build one on concrete median barrier panels. He ended up putting spouting on the side. Water comes off the tarp, lands on the ground and wicks back under the concrete blocks and into the building...


Yeah, not so sure that would be a good idea. I would think any building set on top of barrier blocks with no foundation would do that.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

We run ours east to west so the wind scours the snow off better. When I'd stack hay north to south under tarps the down wind side (east) would always have snow piled up on it.

Here, even setting on the big concrete blocks it's still considered a temporary structure and not taxed, while in my cousins county next to us any hoop building is taxed like a pole barn.


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