It was already broken.
Member
- Location
- South Norfolk
polytunnel for 500 ewes
- Thread starter irish dom
- Start date
irish dom
Member
Lovely simple tidy job. How many head will she hold?
Rod Dumbreck
Member
We have a 50 metre (by 9m) tunnel and its theoretically good for 300 ewes. We currently have 250 inside, pens of 30 to 40 which is slightly too many. We lamb them inside so keep some room for mothering up pens.
hang-on
Member
- Location
- Co Armagh.
I haven't got large numbers here but there is 40ewes in that picture with them feeding through the rails. Could easily handle 100 I'd say, but the lost space in the middle and at the end would reduce the numbers. It's a bit fuller now, 22 lambs now in it too.
Rod Dumbreck
Member
Does anyone have a bright idea on lights. We installed some cheap LED festoon, but many of the lamps have failed to live up to their 50,000 hour expected nonsense, so I am looking to replace them.
- Location
- Perthshire, Scotland
I've got 5 double tube strip lights for the 100 feet.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
How much do you need to have them on? On our two 50m tunnels, we cable tied cable to the horizontal bars on either side (so roughly 10' from each side) and wired in a cheap baton lamp holder every 5m or so. Put a cheap 40w bulb in each, giving plenty of light and no shadows
. I wasn't lambing in them though, so not leaving them on all night. I did put another cable along the ridge pole to a single low energy bulb halfway along, on a separate circuit, so that ewes could see young lambs better. Probably uneccessary I know, but cost pennies.Agree on the LED bulbs btw, the ones I've used in my buildings here haven't lasted at all
. Nice bright light for working under though.johnflimston
Member
- Location
- Glamorgan, Wales
We've had our tunnel for over 25 years. I think it's on its 4th sheet which should take it to 30 years so that's 7-8 years per sheet, we have changed the timber which the sheet is fixed onto once.
These bulbs are excellent.How much do you need to have them on? On our two 50m tunnels, we cable tied cable to the horizontal bars on either side (so roughly 10' from each side) and wired in a cheap baton lamp holder every 5m or so. Put a cheap 40w bulb in each, giving plenty of light and no shadows
Agree on the LED bulbs btw, the ones I've used in my buildings here haven't lasted at all
http://www.green-lamp.co.uk/cfl-bulbs.html
Its either the 65 or 85w ones we have but loads of light.
@Rod Dumbreck
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Rod Dumbreck
Member
Thanks for the reply. We dont use them for hours on end, just when we go in to check, but I chose LED because they are not hot like an incandescent bulb, and I was worried that the bulbs might shatter with the drips on a frosty morning. Perhaps Im being over cautious?!!How much do you need to have them on? On our two 50m tunnels, we cable tied cable to the horizontal bars on either side (so roughly 10' from each side) and wired in a cheap baton lamp holder every 5m or so. Put a cheap 40w bulb in each, giving plenty of light and no shadows
Agree on the LED bulbs btw, the ones I've used in my buildings here haven't lasted at all
The LED festoon was just right (except 25m is the total length so we needed 3 to light the 50m) just cable tied to the central bar, but one of them only has 2 out of ten still working.
Rod Dumbreck
Member
do the CF survive the environment in the tunnel?
We don't have a tunnel, we did years ago but it blew away the first winter. Sheeted it with nissen hut sheets and used it for another 20 years like that. Have these bulbs in portal frame sheds. I do really like them.
hang-on
Member
- Location
- Co Armagh.
Mini digger, that's how we had to do our previous sheds which nothing else would fit into so this is a big improvement lol
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
The low energy bulbs I mentioned above, where CF bulbs. I used them in the old buildings here too, and they certainly lasted longer than the LED bulbs that I replaced them with. In fact, the CF bulbs are still working fine where I moved them to (despite not supposedly being as suitable in livestock buildings).
It's a job to beat LEDs for the amount of bright light per unit of leccy though. I've bought a box of cheaper ones (17W) now, expecting them to last less time, but excellent lighting while they last, with 6 of them in a lambing shed using no more electricity than a single 100w 'normal' bulb.
In the tunnels back home, the heat from those 'normal' bulbs never caused an issue, but they were only on when I was working in there, and 4-6" from the polythene.
i use an old mushroom polytunnel as a lambing shed, one for a calf house and another as a workshop for making signs,
The workshop cover is now 33 yrs old !! and in still pretty good shape, It was kept on top of any holes that appeared etc, and is sheltered by a thorn hedge and another tunnel, the other two were replaced about 5 yrs ago.
built this in 2012 and very happy with it...120ft by 36ft.
http://www.farmersjournal.ie/polytunnel-is-a-low-cost-speedy-option-on-sheep-farm-163974
http://www.farmersjournal.ie/polytunnel-is-a-low-cost-speedy-option-on-sheep-farm-163974
Is that your place at the roundabout just off the M6?
- Location
- Perthshire, Scotland
Looks good @rancher
Can't help but wonder why all the concrete is needed.
That main attraction for me to put up a tunnel was no concrete slab and the additional cost. My whole tunnel was bought, erected, and serviced for the same £ as a portal delivered only.
Also without the concrete slab etc, in eyes of the planners it's a temp structure so not requiring full planning notification.
Can't help but wonder why all the concrete is needed.
That main attraction for me to put up a tunnel was no concrete slab and the additional cost. My whole tunnel was bought, erected, and serviced for the same £ as a portal delivered only.
Also without the concrete slab etc, in eyes of the planners it's a temp structure so not requiring full planning notification.
looks good. do you mind saying how much it cost?
New sheep accomadation has to have concrete floors to be cross compliant in ireland