How to make a sheep pen
In sheep breeding, the main thing is to build a warm room for wintering. The building in which the sheep are kept during the winter is called the koshara. A pen for sheep, first of all, should be warm, not blown out, equipped with the necessary number of feeders and drinkers.
Diy sheep pen
The size of the barn will depend on the number of heads in the flock. Despite the fact that, thanks to the thick woolen cover, the sheep tolerate frost perfectly, the temperature in the room should not be lower than 12 ° C in winter.
Requirements for the premises
To build a sheep shed with your own hands, you must first create a project that meets all the requirements of sanitary standards. First of all, the building must be protected from drafts. Additional wall insulation is not necessary, but the elimination of all gaps and crevices is very important. When building a barn it is important to take into account the climatic conditions of the region. If the winters are mild, then a covered shed will be enough for the sheep, and if a lot of snow falls in winter and the frosts are fierce, the room should be well insulated.
If it is planned to keep newborn lambs in the building, then it is advisable to insulate the walls, and lay a thick layer of litter on the floor. In the place where the lambs will be, you need to make a wooden floor. Most often, the building is built in such a way that the wooden floor is raised above the ground level, then the young will not be afraid of frosts. The room is equipped with additional heating.
The room where the lambs will be must be insulated
The sheep pen should be spacious. In close quarters, the risk of infectious diseases increases. It is very important to take care of the ventilation system. So that the sheep do not get sick, the barn should always be clean, so you should not be smart with the layout and make uncomfortable nooks or lower the roof too low. The breeder should be able to stand anywhere in the building at full height.
For each individual there should be a separate place in the barn, the stocking density is 1.5-3 sq. m per head, depending on age. The building is usually constructed from adobe, bricks or cinder blocks. You can use a tree to build a sheep shed. The main thing is to equip the animals with a hard floor. Prolonged exposure to soft surfaces negatively affects the condition of the ligaments.
Most often, a wooden covering is laid on piles, but the material is not durable, quickly absorbs unpleasant odors and swells under the influence of moisture. A concrete screed is a more reliable option, but everyone knows how cold it will be on such a floor in winter. The golden mean is a combined floor: wooden boards are placed on a concrete screed. With this implementation of the floor, you can make the screed slightly at an angle and automate the cleaning process.
Building localization
The location of localization is chosen taking into account the location of other outbuildings. It is important to place the room so that the smell of manure does not reach residential buildings. To do this, you need to take into account the direction of the prevailing winds.
The cesspool should not be located in the immediate vicinity of sources of drinking water. They try to arrange the shed so that it is convenient to maintain it: to wash the premises, feed the animals and not carry bags of feed through the huge yard. You can build an attic in the paddock and store the feed there.
Construction works
The construction of a koshara begins with laying the foundation. To do this, markings are made in the allotted area and about 60 cm of soil are removed. Then a layer of crushed stone of 20 cm is poured, tamped and sprinkled with a layer of sand, spilling water, then they put waterproofing materials and insulation. Next, a screed is made under a slope and a cinder block is laid. A concrete screed is again made on top of the cinder block.
The flooring is laid on iron piles. The floor can be wood or plastic. Plastic flooring can be purchased ready-made in the store. This coating has become very popular among pastoralists because it greatly facilitates the harvesting process. Plastic is easy to clean and does not deteriorate from exposure to disinfectants.
A moat should be dug near the building, into which the drain pipe is laid. The ditch should start from the barn and end near the cesspool, into which the sewage will flow. When all these works are completed, you can start installing the frame and laying the flooring. The frame is sheathed with boards or brickwork is made. All cracks are blown out with polyurethane foam.
Internal arrangement
After the sheepfold is built, it should be equipped from the inside. Internally, the device includes:
- drinkers, feeders;
- ventilation;
- stove;
- partitions.
To ensure comfortable living for the sheep, a certain area is separated by a partition for each age category. The length of the partitions should be at least 0.7 m. The nursery is made in the form of long troughs, from which several sheep can eat at once. It is very important to provide animals with a sufficient amount of clean water, therefore drinkers are made voluminous. One sheep per day absorbs from 6 to 10 liters of water.
Internal arrangement of the sheepfold
A bed of hay or straw is laid on the floor. In winter, its thickness should be much greater than in the rest of the year. It is not recommended to lay sawdust bedding, they very quickly clog into wool and spoil its presentation.
The ventilation system is very important in any room where livestock is kept. You can also do it yourself. The supply and exhaust system has proven itself well. For its arrangement, you will need 2 plastic pipes of different diameters. One will draw in fresh air from the outside, and the second will release the exhaust.
Walking area
Sheep will spend most of their time outdoors even in winter. Their warm fur allows them to withstand frost. The koshara is needed for sleeping, keeping sheep and lambs allowed. From the barn, they make an exit onto a large fenced area.
Walking area
The walking area is equipped with mobile feeders and drinkers. Most of the sheep will eat outside. On frosty days, feeding and watering takes place in the kennel. You can install self-heating drinkers in the room, then the sheep can constantly drink clean warm water.
Door and window openings
The space of the doorway must allow several sheep to pass freely at once, otherwise the likelihood of animal injury increases. The ideal option is a hinged double-leaf gate. This design allows you to perfectly ventilate the room in the summer, while the sheep are outside.
Often, a vestibule is equipped in the sheep pen. This is necessary so that too cold air does not cool the room so quickly in winter, when the whole flock of sheep will go out for a walk. After all, in order to release them, you will have to open wide the two-meter door.
The sheepfold room should be spacious and light.In the daytime, windows should provide sufficient illumination. Their size does not really matter, and the number will depend on the area of the barn. Window openings are located at a height of 1.5 m from the floor.
Roof
It is customary to make the roof gable. On the one hand, it seems that making a roof with your own hands is a very difficult task. The height of the room together with the roof must be at least 2.5 m. Wooden beams are laid on the walls on both sides, forming an angle. Then the rafters are pulled, and a roof covering is applied to them.
The ideal option is to equip the pen with an attic. There it will be possible to store hay harvested for the winter. This design can solve 2 problems at once:
- equip a place for storing feed;
- insulate the roof with hay.
Final part
It is very easy for sheep to build a stable with their own hands. The area of the premises will depend on the number of sheep. A separate place should be allocated for each individual. Stocking density: 1 head per 3 sq. m. It is very important for sheep to have enough free space, otherwise there is a great risk of the spread of infectious diseases.
With all the endurance and frost resistance in the winter cold, sheep need a room closed from drafts. Most often, the corral is built in the shape of the letter P or G. You should not be too smart with the back streets to be able to clean the room normally. The main requirements for a sheep pen:
- ease of use of the premises and its internal arrangement;
- extensive area and sufficient illumination;
- proper sanitary and hygienic conditions.
The floor is best made from combined materials. The foundation is made waterproof, then a cinder block is laid and a concrete screed is made at a slope. Wooden boards or plastic blanks are laid on iron piles. This coating will be warm and will last for a long time. The height of the paddock should not be less than 2.5 m so that the breeder can stand to his full height in any part of the building. Sheep with lambs are equipped with a separate corner and additionally insulated. A stove with sleeves is installed along the wall.
The manger is made in the form of elongated troughs so that many lambs can eat from them at the same time. It is very important to equip large drinkers with a minimum volume of 80-90 liters. Sheep drink a lot of liquid per day, about 6-10 liters per 1 individual. When building a sheep pen, an important condition is the fulfillment of all sanitary and technological requirements.