To split or not to split

[BRB John]

I've been considering how best to improve this shed.
At the moments it's just two feed rings at either end and I'm thinking about running a feed barrier down the left handside but I was wondering if it's worth having a feed pass or not.
The shed is only 22ft wide so how sensible is it to have a 10ft feed pass and a 12ft lie back area?
Part of the reason for putting a feed barrier up would be to allow for the straw bedder better.
Thoughts?
Maybe it's perfect as it is....
Wind might be a problem too...

 

[deleted user 837354]

Put feed fence down the outside (left handside of the photo) and feed troughs outside the shed so you can feed without having to go in with the animals.

If budget allows putting internal pens and gates in so that the animals can be held back from the feed fence is good as it lets you get in there with scraper/loader tractor to clean out the 'standing' area which will keep them cleaner and let the straw go further. Also, if you leave enough space over the top rail of the feed fence you can throw (or blow) straw in without getting in amongst the cattle.

Not sure if the thing is wide enough for a real deal feed passage. If you can do the above it will make life a lot easier. I consider ring feeders the work of the devil and have never liked them. Symms make simple wooden framed type deelies you can use, can even hinge them if you like. Makes clean out time a doddle.

 

[BRB John]

Put feed fence down the outside (left handside of the photo) and feed troughs outside the shed so you can feed without having to go in with the animals.

If budget allows putting internal pens and gates in so that the animals can be held back from the feed fence is good as it lets you get in there with scraper/loader tractor to clean out the 'standing' area which will keep them cleaner and let the straw go further. Also, if you leave enough space over the top rail of the feed fence you can throw (or blow) straw in without getting in amongst the cattle.

Not sure if the thing is wide enough for a real deal feed passage. If you can do the above it will make life a lot easier. I consider ring feeders the work of the devil and have never liked them. Symms make simple wooden framed type deelies you can use, can even hinge them if you like. Makes clean out time a doddle.

Our feed mixer isn't fit to dump into a feed through but I'm sure the straw bedder could handle chopped silage bales which would allow me not to have to lay down a bunch of concrete too. Hinge down ones are a pretty good idea too.
Yeah well that's the main appeal is having that ability to shut them back or forwards to allow mucking out without arsing about with trying to move them.
I think a feed pass would work but it's just more expense for gates and such.

We've upgraded most feed rings to feed bins which work well until you get a bad bale and you've got a heap of sh!t to fork out.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Our feed mixer isn't fit to dump into a feed through but I'm sure the straw bedder could handle chopped silage bales which would allow me not to have to lay down a bunch of concrete too. Hinge down ones are a pretty good idea too.
Yeah well that's the main appeal is having that ability to shut them back or forwards to allow mucking out without arsing about with trying to move them.
I think a feed pass would work but it's just more expense for gates and such.

We've upgraded most feed rings to feed bins which work well until you get a bad bale and you've got a heap of sh!t to fork out.

Put down some concrete and feed on to the floor in front of the barrier then? Just push up a time or two a day?

Anything you can do to avoid having to get in there with a machine or physically in with the animals is safer and faster, too. Shutting them back so you can scrape out the feeding area will save you a lot of grief and cost.

 

[Welderloon]

Knock out the outside wall, bolt on an 6ft roof overhang, hardcore & concrete a strip to feed on & install Feed barriers or 600mm panels & a couple of horizontal Tubes between all the columns then feed on the ground outside.
Have a set of dividing gates in the middle to split the shed & stop them making so much dung.
That will allow more stock to be kept in the same building with better ventilation & air flow.
Can be bedded by blowing straw over the feed barrier, if its open enough wind won't be a problem, you could even step the overhang down a bit from the original roof height if that side is too exposed.
Be a fine store/growing cattle shed & should be do-able without breaking the bank

 

[BRB John]

Knock out the outside wall, bolt on an 6ft roof overhang, hardcore & concrete a strip to feed on & install Feed barriers or 600mm panels & a couple of horizontal Tubes between all the columns then feed on the ground outside.
Have a set of dividing gates in the middle to split the shed & stop them making so much dung.
That will allow more stock to be kept in the same building with better ventilation & air flow.
Can be bedded by blowing straw over the feed barrier, if its open enough wind won't be a problem, you could even step the overhang down a bit from the original roof height if that side is too exposed.
Be a fine store/growing cattle shed & should be do-able without breaking the bank

That's pretty much what I'm thinking
Keeping the bank happy is rather important now interest rate is 8%....

At the moment it actually turns into a wind tunnel at times so I'm hoping with an additional side open that'll it'll break up the wind a bit so it's not so vicious.
Only problem that I can see is it might increase the risk of the wind getting trapped under the roof and risk blowing sheeting off.. in particular bad storms.

 

[bobajob]

Have you made any alterations to the shed yet?!

 

[BRB John]

Have you made any alterations to the shed yet?!

Not yet.
To be honest I can't believe it's almost October already

 

[bobajob]

Not yet.
To be honest I can't believe it's almost October already

I know, the weeks fly past

 

[upnortheast]

I think you shed is too narrow for a feed passage / bedded area split.
I reckon 10 ft feed / 20 ft bedded is minimum
Best option , is knock the wall out & replace with a feed fence with overhang as @Welderloon post

 

[neilo]

What’s on the other side of the wall currently?
Would it be possible to add another 10’ to the shed width, hanging a feed barrier on the new posts, and gates on the existing ones to shut cattle back into the bedded area for scraping through? Suddenly a much more useful building.

 

[BRB John]

What’s on the other side of the wall currently?
Would it be possible to add another 10’ to the shed width, hanging a feed barrier on the new posts, and gates on the existing ones to shut cattle back into the bedded area for scraping through? Suddenly a much more useful building.

That's what's on the outside yeah I've thought about that as well I'd like to run another slatted shed down the side as well at some point once the first one is paid off...

It's just a matter of money...