Polytunnel for cattle?

[Loadabullocks]

Anyone had any experience with these? Are they worth investing in?

 

[onthehoof]

@Kiwi Pete

 

[spin cycle]

i've got one for sheep....it's ok but in hindsight i wish i'd gone steel portal.. so no IMO....go steel frame... go smaller if budget constaints

 

[dolf_lundgren]

Would cattle not need better ventilation? Have seen sheep in one but not cattle.

 

[Nithsdale]

i've got one for sheep....it's ok but in hindsight i wish i'd gone steel portal.. so no IMO....go steel frame... go smaller if budget constaints

Steel portal is always better, but what's wrong with the tunnel? It must be at least half price of same sized shed. If floor space is needed it's a good, cheap alternative IMO.

I have no experience of them, though - but keep thinking I should put one up for sheep work

 

[spin cycle]

Steel portal is always better, but what's wrong with the tunnel? It must be at least half price of same sized shed. If floor space is needed it's a good, cheap alternative IMO.

I have no experience of them, though - but keep thinking I should put one up for sheep work

i've a 42ft x 21ft and TBF the sheep love it......but you get tears in the plastic....last week i was worried about snow wt....mucking out could be awkward ...you could soon wreck one with a telehander

 

[Nithsdale]

i've a 42ft x 21ft and TBF the sheep love it......but you get tears in the plastic....last week i was worried about snow wt....mucking out could be awkward ...you could soon wreck one with a telehander

Fair points. Snow should be OK aslong as the plastic was tensioned properly ? (although big snow will bring the frame down long before a shed).

How long is the sheet supposed to last?

 

[spin cycle]

Fair points. Snow should be OK aslong as the plastic was tensioned properly ? (although big snow will bring the frame down long before a shed).

How long is the sheet supposed to last?

my cover went on in dec....and i was only 'responsible adult'......so TBH sheet quite sloppy

sheet life is a bit 'piece of string'......might tin mine when this sheet goes

 

[GTB]

I've often thought about a tunnel as a cheap way of housing more stock but after the gales, blizzards and snowdrifts of last week it doesn't seem like such a good idea?

 

[S J H]

@tr250

 

[tr250]

@tr250

We have 2 a small one 30ftx50ft and a big one 40ftx 100ft they both have ewes and lambs in at the moment but will have cows and calves in the big one soon and the small one just stores lambing hurdles prattly quad etc. The snow did go through the small one in Dec but that was because it had no stock inside to heat the snow so it melts a little and slides off. We have just put its third sheet on since 1994. The big one we put weaned calves in sometimes and it's good and not too bad for pneumonia but can be drippy in wet foggy weather. If I was doing them again I would put a shed up but saying that they serve us well really

 

[primmiemoo]

If of any help, would advise having snow wires under the sheet, and make sure that anti-rub/anti-hotspot tape stuck on properly.
Ours is a sheep one, sheltered from the prevailing wind, has snow wires, and anti-hotspot tape - it's taken a battering nevertheless, but been invaluable over its 15 years. On its 3rd sheet - the 2nd wasn't tensioned properly.

Can't justify cost of another clear span shed. Maintaining the sheet with specialist tape for any holes is easy if it isn't left. At one point, we had a problem with pheasants flying up inside and hitting it with sharp beaks, but, after several pheasant dinners, it proved a short term glitch.

Wouldn't mind a cattle sized one.

 

[Muck Spreader]

We have a 30m by 9m one for hay storage that's just 10 years old never really done anything to it maintenance wise other than throw the odd bucketful of soil down the sheet when its stretched a bit.

 

[Johnny Whiteheads]

We have a 30m by 9m one for hay storage that's just 10 years old never really done anything to it maintenance wise other than throw the odd bucketful of soil down the sheet when its stretched a bit.

View attachment 643360

Impressive looking Cover, I have similar size waiting to be put up but don't have Sheet purchased yet. Where did you get yours? Is it a tarpaulin cover?

 

[Muck Spreader]

Impressive looking Cover, I have similar size waiting to be put up but don't have Sheet purchased yet. Where did you get yours? Is it a tarpaulin cover?

The cover is made from the sheeting they use on curtain sided trucks and was guaranteed for ten years and has lasted that long and should go another year or two. However it's not cheap, from memory about £2.5k when we bought it, but it's indestructible.

 

[Johnny Whiteheads]

The cover is made from the sheeting they use on curtain sided trucks and was guaranteed for ten years and has lasted that long and should go another year or two. However it's not cheap, from memory about £2.5k when we bought it, but it's indestructible.

Brilliant job, hope it lasts another five years. Can you still space hoops every 7ft or do they need to be closer for this type of cover?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

We have a little one here and it's fantastic, UV light gets in to help keep the bugs at bay, airy, warm, and the plastic is lasting very well considering the winds we get.
Compared to alternatives it is a no-brainer, I would look at container shelters too, tunnel between two large containers which I have not seen on here.. may be easier to make it "temporary" for planning permissions?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

 

[unlacedgecko]

I have a poly tunnel in my rearing unit.

It's 3m x 6m. It was only £85 off eBay and I put it together in 2hrs. I'd love a shed of some sort, but with no security of tenure it would be madness to spend that sort of money. If I need to move location I can easily take it down and re erect elsewhere.

The tunnel is mainly so I have somewhere dry to feed the lambs.

 

[Muck Spreader]

Brilliant job, hope it lasts another five years. Can you still space hoops every 7ft or do they need to be closer for this type of cover?

Ours are 1.5m apart but it also has nylon line running it's length every 30 or 40 cms.