# Need Opinions on Barn Plans



## cajunmom (Apr 29, 2013)

Dh and I bought a portable building that we would like to turn into a doe barn and milk parlor. I'm having trouble with figuring out the layout of everything before we start building on it, so I'm bringing it here for opinions.
The idea is for the main part to be the milk parlor and feed room and I would like to have some kidding stalls inside with doors that open up to its own outside pens. I had also planned to have one big run in shed/shelter off the back for them, but I'm having trouble placing all of this with whats available.
The building is insulated and has sheet rock, electricity, and places to have running water. I'm not the best at drawing but I hope this will give you a good idea. To the right of the door is a closet and on the left wall is an ac unit. The "arrow" on the right is showing which way the roof goes. I will add some pics of the actual barn in a comment as soon as I can get them loaded. The building is 12ft by 20 ft.


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## cajunmom (Apr 29, 2013)

Please excuse the mess. We have used it for storage while building the buck pen and have slowly been pulling what was left inside from the previous owners.


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## Goat_in_Himmel (Jun 24, 2013)

If I was doing it, I would wall off the right side all the way to the back, divide it in two, and have maybe 6x6 for milking, and 6x6 for feed. That's what I've got, and it's comfortable to work with. I think I'd put two kidding stalls with their individual doors on the left side, with take-down walls for when nobody is kidding, to increase the common area available. I like the broad roof at the back, a place to shelter when it's raining. My girls like having the dry spot to shelter in on the leeward side of the building. Overall your barn is similar to mine, and it houses four NDs comfortably. I'm not sure how roomy it will be at kidding time. (I'm thinking that I could always empty the feed area to use as an emergency kidding pen/isolation pen if I needed it. That might be something to keep in the back of your mind, too.)

Lovely intense blue sky you have, by the way. Solid grey here, thinking to snow.


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## cajunmom (Apr 29, 2013)

Goat_in_Himmel said:


> If I was doing it, I would wall off the right side all the way to the back, divide it in two, and have maybe 6x6 for milking, and 6x6 for feed. That's what I've got, and it's comfortable to work with. I think I'd put two kidding stalls with their individual doors on the left side, with take-down walls for when nobody is kidding, to increase the common area available. I like the broad roof at the back, a place to shelter when it's raining. My girls like having the dry spot to shelter in on the leeward side of the building. Overall your barn is similar to mine, and it houses four NDs comfortably. I'm not sure how roomy it will be at kidding time. (I'm thinking that I could always empty the feed area to use as an emergency kidding pen/isolation pen if I needed it. That might be something to keep in the back of your mind, too.)
> 
> Lovely intense blue sky you have, by the way. Solid grey here, thinking to snow.


That's mostly what I'm thinking. We plan on extending that back overhang and making it a loafing pen, similar to the pic below, so plenty of shelter there. Would I need to divide the loafing pen in case I need to separate for some reason? I'm trying to think during milking and weaning time. I have NDs also.

We had the gray sky yesterday, but today is 60 and clear. I would love it to snow here.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would do movable panels to make kidding stalls and take them down when not needed.


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## Goat_in_Himmel (Jun 24, 2013)

I wouldn't divide the loafing pen permanently, but would keep pallets or portable walls on hand for temporary dividers, if they became necessary. Like the ones you aren't using for kidding stalls, once everyone's born. I am sure your girls will enjoy the overhang you're planning, especially as it's on the shady side of the building. I imagine a Louisiana summer is _warm_.


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## cajunmom (Apr 29, 2013)

Goat_in_Himmel said:


> I wouldn't divide the loafing pen permanently, but would keep pallets or portable walls on hand for temporary dividers, if they became necessary. Like the ones you aren't using for kidding stalls, once everyone's born. I am sure your girls will enjoy the overhang you're planning, especially as it's on the shady side of the building. I imagine a Louisiana summer is _warm_.


Dh and I were just talking about that when I read ksalvagno's comment about temporary walls. It wouldn't need to be permanent and would provide more room when not in use. We figured out the part that was messing us up with the kidding stalls. There is an ac unit that takes up space on that wall. Dh said we will just move it and that will solve most of the issue we were having. Don't know why we didn't see that in the first place.
Yes, during the summer they will be glad for the shade and that it's open for whatever breeze we can get. It is facing the north side, so I most likely will need to have at least a half wall for that winter wind we get.

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