# New Barn vs. New Garage



## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

When I had my house built 13 yrs. ago, I had a pole barn built with a concrete floor and big overhead garage doors. I also had a an overhang put in the back for my dogs. That was enclosed with chain link fence. (10'x 30')
The garage is 30'x40'. 1/3 is goats, 1/3 is milkstand and hay, rest is cabinets, shelving and a workbench. 

The dog are long since gone, I enclosed the overhang and made a goat barn.
Then I moved 10' square chain link fence panels into the "garage" area, moved in milk stands, feed bins and hay. Needless to say, there is no room to park anything but a couple of 4 wheelers. 

Hubby said we either have to build a new garage or a barn! I vote for the barn, duh! That leads me to my dilemma. I am not a designer! Does anyone have any good ideas for 20 goats- Alpines- a good milking area-probably enclosed and heated. I am milking between 5-10 goats, depending on the year. This year, 6 are in milk. 

The new barn will be 40'x60' with the main pen large enough to drive a tractor through, a manger with locking head catches and 4 or 5 kidding pens. 

I think I am going to have a feed room, hopefully it will keep rodents and vermin out, a milk parlor with 2 milk stands and a hay mow for hay. 

Questions:
What kind of floor? I currently have concrete, it works pretty good, but I need drains.
Do you think I can do this for $20-$25,000? (I don't want to borrow much more than that). 
Does anyone have a sketch to help me see how this would look. I can't draw a straight line with a ruler! 
Thanks!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Do you mean the whole cost of the barn being 20-25k? If so, there is no way for concrete.

In 2006, we did a 40x56 barn with hay loft and 10' overhangs on 3 sides. Barn was completely open with no stalls (we used corral panels to create our "stall" areas). We had large doors that a tractor or even a hay wagon could be pulled through at 2 ends. The hay lofts were on either side the whole length of the barn but center was open. We also had 2 doors on one side and 3 doors on the other side that were more the size of man doors or single horse stall doors. Metal roof and sides. Flooring was excavated and rocks were built up to have drainage to eventually #9 clean limestone that the animals were on. We also had electric. No water since our other barn was close and had water in it. That set us back about 50k.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Ok, then I have to rethink the concrete! I need size, but don't want to go overboard! Thanks!


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## Silverado (Sep 11, 2013)

40x60 would take about 38 cubic yards of concrete. Figure about $100 per yard for estimating purposes and you're at $3800 just for material. Estimate labor to finish at around $2 per square foot so that's another $2000. Concrete floor would take up about $6000 of your budget. I've paid as little as $0.75 for finishing but that's getting hard to find.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I'm renewing this post! We are going to build the barn- 40'x64' with concrete in part of it. It's going to have a milk room with 2 milk stands, a room with a sink, etc. and heated,
a feed room, and lots of goat pens with drive through sliding doors for tractors and hay waqons! I am so excited!:wahoo: I finally will have a barn for the goats that will be way big 
enough! They are supposed to start next week. The Amish crew thinks they can get the basic pole barn up (metal siding- can't afford the wood) in 8 days! Then all the inside 
stuff will take a few weeks! 

I sure hope it all goes the way it's supposed to! I've saved for many years in order to build the barn! Now I will have to figure out how to get water out there- it will be pretty far from the house.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Wow, that sounds so nice! Good luck with it going up on time!


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Good luck with your new barn ! Who needs a garage anyways 
We have about the same size foundation of a old barn we want to reconstruct. We are looking to build it in increments cause we may sell down the road ( given the right price comes along ). So , if you don't really need the whole barn just yet , maybe give some thought into constructing part of it now and the rest "down the road" .


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## Justice-Kidds (May 2, 2013)

I want to see pictures if you can.


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## Zerotime (Oct 29, 2013)

First time posting! Congrats on the new barn. When it comes to speed and price amish are so much better. There craftsmanship is excellent also. When I was pricing out the frame work for a house, they where almost half the price of all the contractor's here.


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## CAjerseychick (Sep 21, 2013)

Congratulations! And be sure and post pics as well as how you get water out to the new barn (we are in the same dilemma about the goat pen we are building in the back of our property, plus the water is going to freeze pretty soon, its already starting to snow...)....


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Thank you for all the positive comments!
I'm not very computer literate! I will try and post pictures. (someone told me how, once, but I lost the instructions!) 

Hopefully, we will never sell the place- It is at the back of our farm, so with no neighbors, etc. it is ideal for privacy! 
(and loud goats!).


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## LeahMeit (Sep 16, 2013)

Wow! Sounds awesome!

Posting pictures can be quite simple.

Click on the ADVANCED button and either click on attach from CAMERA or attach from PHOTOS

Easy peasy!

I, too, would love to see the step by step pictures!

Is can't wait to have a barn, so I can have other animals!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

The water will be the challenge! I have to go from the house back past the garage to the new barn. But, I have to cross over my 
existing underground utilities, around the septic tank, through the woods and to the barn, which will be kind of far from the house.
(300 yds. away, give or take a foot or two!). It will be an adventure!


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

You can drive 2" well with the components and a T-post driver. Then with a pitcher pump on it you'd at least have water close.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Updating this old post! Well, the barn didn't get built last year, weather hit and nothing got started until about 2 weeks ago! 
They cleared out a bunch of trees, ( I sold those) and built up a great base for the barn! Tomorrow the trusses come, all the 
sheet metal and Monday the lumber all comes. I am super excited!

I have saved for the last 30 yrs. to build a barn that I wanted! I sleep in the house, I live in the barn! DH knows I am crazy! Anyway, I will post photos, as soon as 
anything happens!


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