[Jacob-list] Barns

[Steve and Trish Barrows]

Chris, you are so right....we have received much information and help from
all the "jacoblisters" when we started raising Jacob shhep a couple of
years ago.  Our first winter here in central NYS, we had no barn, just an 8
ft x 8 ft covered plywood shed for a llama and 8 sheep.  They wintered just
fine.  Last summer we had a 28 by 56 board and batten barn built.  It has
12 ft side walls, a steel roof, and a frost free hydrant that carries water
from a spring up the hill.  One of its best features is a loafing shed that
is 12 by 16, with a wall to the western prevailing winds.  We had many a
-20 degree morning last winter, and until lambing season, everyone was fine
in the shelter--with plenty of dry hay, no one needed to stay in the barn.
	In addition to advice on the list here, we were given a copy of a very
helpful book, the "Sheep Housing and Equipment Handbook."  It has a
designation of MWPS-3.  Of course, I cannot find my copy at the moment, but
it was 90 pages for $10.  Published in 1994, it is geared more to
commercial sheep production, but we got great information on ventilation
and siting.  The ISBN for this book is:  0-89373-090-4.  It can be obtained
from the Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES)
Cooperative Extension nearest you.  They have a website, www.nraes.org, and
pubs can be ordered here.  That designation MWPS-3 stands for MidWest Plans
Service, Booklet 3, by Iowa State University.  You can search the NRAES
website under MidWest Plans Service and find all the information about it. 
Hope this helps!

--- Steve and Trish Barrows
--- Amazing Grace Farm
--- agf777 at earthlink.net


> [Original Message]
> From: Christopher Brantley <brantleychristopher at hotmail.com>
> To: <jacob-list at jacobsheep.com>
 > Date: 7/9/04 10:27:57 AM
> Subject: [Jacob-list] Barns
>
> You guys all have some great ideas and advice, I appreciate your
willingness 
> to share and educate!......
> 
> I am getting ready to put up my permenant barn and pasture fencing.