How to make a sheepfold

In breeding sheep, the main thing is to build a warm room for wintering. The building, which contains lambs in the winter, is called a nightmare. The sheepfold should first of all be warm, not blown, equipped with the necessary number of feeders and drinkers.

Sheep pen do-it-yourself

The area of ​​the barn will depend on the number of goals in the flock. Despite the fact that, thanks to the thick coat, the sheep tolerate frosts perfectly, indoors The temperature should not be lower than 12 ° C in winter.

Room requirements

To build a do-it-yourself shed for sheep, you must first create a project that meets all sanitary requirements Normally, the building should be protected from drafts in the first place, additional wall insulation is not necessary, but elimination of all gaps and cracks is very important. When constructing a barn, it is important to consider the climatic conditions of the region. If the winters are mild, then a covered canopy will be enough for the sheep, and if there is a lot of snow in the winter and frosts break, the room should be well insulated.

If the building is planned to contain newborn lambs, it is advisable to insulate the walls and lay on the floor a thick layer of litter.In the place where the lambs will be, you need to make a wooden floor. Most often, the building is constructed in such a way that the wooden floor is raised above the ground level, then the frost will not be afraid of young animals. The room is equipped with additional heating.

The room where the lambs will be kept must be insulated

The sheepfold should be spacious. In a confined space, the risk of infectious diseases increases. It is very important to take care of the ventilation system. So that the sheep do not hurt, the shed should always be clean, so you should not be wise with the layout and make uncomfortable nooks or lower the roof too low. The breeder should be able to stand anywhere in the building to his full height.

For each individual there should be a separate place in the barn, planting density of 1.5-3 square meters. m per head, depending on age. The building is usually built from adobe, brick or cinder blocks. You can use a tree to build a sheep shed. The main thing is to equip a solid floor for animals. Staying on soft surfaces for a long time negatively affects the condition of the ligaments.

Most often, a wooden coating is laid on piles, but the material is not durable, it quickly absorbs unpleasant odors and swells when exposed to moisture. 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 shields are placed on a concrete screed. With this type of flooring, you can make the screed a bit at an angle and automate the cleaning process.

Localization of the building

The location should be selected taking into account the location of other outbuildings. It is important to put the room so that the smell of manure does not reach residential buildings. To do this, take into account the direction of the prevailing winds.

The cesspool should not be located in close proximity to sources of drinking water. They try to arrange the barn in such a way that it is convenient to maintain: to wash the room, feed the animals and not drag the bags of food through the huge yard. You can build an attic in the pen and store feed products there.

Construction work

The construction of a nightmare begins with laying the foundation. To do this, make markings in the designated area and remove about 60 cm of soil. Then they fill up a 20 cm layer of crushed stone, compact it and sprinkle it with a layer of sand, spilling it with water, then put waterproofing materials and insulation. Next, make a screed under the slope and put the cinder block. A concrete screed is again made on top of the cinder block.

The flooring is laid on iron piles. The floor can be wooden or plastic. Plastic floor structures can be bought ready-made at the store. This coating has become very popular among pastoralists, because it greatly facilitates the cleaning process.The plastic is easy to clean and does not deteriorate from the effects of disinfectants.

Near the building, dig a moat into which the sewer is laid. The moat should begin from the barn and end near the cesspool, into which sewage will come. When all these works have been completed, you can proceed to installing the frame and laying the floor covering. The frame is planked or bricked. All slots are blown with mounting foam.

Internal arrangement

After the shepherd is built, it should be equipped from the inside. The internal device includes:

• drinking bowls, feeders;
• ventilation;
• stove;
• partitions.

To ensure a comfortable stay for the sheep, a specific section 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 lambs can eat at once. It is very important to provide animals with enough clean water, so drinkers are made voluminous. One sheep per day absorbs from 6 to 10 liters of water.

Internal arrangement of the shepherd

Lay a bed of hay or straw on the floor. In winter, its thickness should be much larger than in other seasons.It is not recommended to lay the litter out of sawdust, they quickly get into the wool and spoil its presentation.

The ventilation system is very important in any room where livestock is kept. You can also do it yourself. Well-proven supply and exhaust system. For its arrangement, 2 plastic pipes of different diameters will be needed. One will draw in fresh air from the outside, and the second will release the exhaust air.

Walking area

Most of the time the sheep will spend outside even in winter. Their warm fur allows them to endure frosts. Koshara is needed for sleeping, keeping sheep with lambs allowed. From the barn, exit to the fenced vast area.

Territory for walking

The walking area is equipped with mobile feeders and drinkers. For the most part, sheep will eat outside. On frosty days, feeding and drinking takes place in a nightmare. You can install self-heating drinking bowls in the room, then the lambs can constantly drink clean warm water.

Door and window openings

The space of the doorway should allow several sheep to pass freely at once, otherwise, the probability of injury to animals increases. The ideal option is a double-leaf gate with hinges.This design allows you to perfectly ventilate the room in the summer, while the sheep are on the street.

Often in the sheepfold a ramp is equipped. This is necessary so that too cold air does not so quickly cool the room in the winter, when the sheep go out with the whole herd to their range. Indeed, in order to release them, you will have to open wide a two-meter door.

The premises of the shepherd should be spacious and bright. In the daytime, windows should provide sufficient illumination. Their size does not matter much, and the amount will depend on the area of ​​the barn. They have window openings 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 doing the roof with your own hands is a very difficult task. The height of the room with the roof should 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 corral with an attic. It will be possible to store hay prepared for the winter there. Such a design can solve 2 problems at once:

• equip a place for storing feed;
• insulate the hay roof.

The final part

Sheep shed is very easy to build with your own hands. The area of ​​the premises will depend on the number of sheep. For each individual, a separate place should be allocated. Landing density: 1 head per 3 square meters. mIt is very important for the sheep to have enough free space, otherwise there is a high risk of the spread of infectious diseases.

With all the stamina and frost resistance in the winter cold, the sheep need a room closed from drafts. Most often, the corral is built in the form 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 the sheep shelter are:

• ease of operation of the room and its internal arrangement;
• vast area and sufficient illumination;
• proper sanitary conditions.

The floor is best made from combined materials. The foundation is made waterproof, then the cinder block is laid and the concrete screed is made under a slope. Wooden boards or plastic blanks are laid on iron piles. Such a coating will be warm and will last a long time. The height of the pen should not be less than 2.5 m, so that the breeder can stand at full height in any part of the building. Sheep and lambs are equipped with a separate corner and additionally insulated. An oven with sleeves is installed along the wall.

The nursery is made in the form of elongated troughs so that many of them can eat from them at the same time. It is very important to equip large drinking bowls with a volume of at least 80-90 liters. Lambs drink a lot of fluids per day, about 6-10 liters per 1 individual. When constructing a sheepfold, an important condition is the fulfillment of all sanitary and technological requirements.