THE RUN-IN SHED

 

            Six years ago, as new alpaca owners with no previous livestock experience we  needed fencing and a barn. After visiting a number of farms we came up with ideas for both.  We used five foot “no-climb” fencing with a “hot wire” at both the top and bottom. As the farm has grown and the fencing expanded, it has served us well. Developing a plan for the barn was more problematic, but after much thought, we built a fairly typical 30 x 44 foot insulated horse barn with 12 foot overhangs on both sides. This provided four stalls downstairs, each with a covered outdoor area, a heated lab/office and a grain storage area. The roof has a 12/12 pitch so there is about 2000 feet of usable second floor space. This space worked very well for hay storage during our first 2 years of operation. This space has subsequently beenheated and finished on the inside with rustic pine shiplap. It is currently being used for office space and a weaving studio.

 

            As our herd grew from 5 to 40 animals we found we needed separate spaces for “big” and “little” boys, for weaning cria, for expectant and post-partum females with their cria, and for isolation space for new or returning animals. We did not need another barn and a simple lean-to did not seem substantial enough to protect our animals from the  harsh Maine winters. 

 

While visiting Stachowski alpacas 3 years ago we came upon a solution in the form of the “run-in” shed. While Stachowski’s sheds were simple 10x20 foot sheds on 4”x6” “runners” easily moved with a tractor, we envisioned something more substantial with electricity, water hydrants and heated waterers. We have subsequently built three of these “sheds”, each one better than the last.

 

            The original shed was a saltbox 24’x20’ “pole barn”. This shed, because of it’s location, was designed to present minimal elevation yet to provide adequate animal shelter and hay storage.  It was built with 4”x 6” pressure-treated “poles” set upon 4”x 6” runners. These runners were bolted to 12” x 5’ pressure treated posts obtained as leftovers from a commercial pile driving project.    It has a 7’ceiling on the first floor   Girts were attached to the upright poles. Joist hangers attached to the girts support 2”x8” KD hemlock floor joists. The second floor was covered with 5/8” CDX plywood. No knee-walls were used. The roof has a 5/12 pitch resulting in only 5 ½ feet of headroom. Architectural-grade 40-year asphalt shingles were used for the roof.  Light inside comes from 4 large, wood-framed plexi-glass “windows” that remain closed in the winter and are folded completely down in the summer to provide air circulation.  The exterior is 1”x10” shiplap pine.  All exterior wood surfaces were painted with semi-transparent latex stain. The second floor ceiling height of only 5½ feet was a mistake making movement in the area difficult. The ground floor is simply a ¾ inch gravel/sand mixture used most commonly in Maine for dirt road surfaces. This floor can be covered with rubber mats, if desired, but, as is, is very easy to maintain. 

 

         We installed four ceiling lights downstairs, a pair of floodlights at each corner and several electrical outlets for fans, heat tape, etc. A hydrant and a heated 50 gallon water tank was used the first year, but has since been replaced with a Nelson waterer—it is much easier to do this during initial construction. The second floor permits storage of 180 bales of hay. The area under the stairs to the second floor is enclosed and serves as a storage area for grain, minerals, shovels, rakes, etc. The shed faces south and opens up to a 2 acre field. The shed and field were later divided allowing the older males to be on one side and the younger males on the other. The animals are able to stay out of the wind and inclement weather while having a large area open in the front so they do not feel closed in. The cost of this shed, excluding my labor was about $6,000-$7,000.

 

            The herd grew to 80 animals so two more sheds were needed. The second shed was built much like the first except it was set upon concrete filled sono-tubes and a 4 foot knee-wall was added to the front side. This shed has 6 feet of head room under the ridge pole and allows us to store 230 bales of hay. This shed also has a heated Nelson waterer, fold-down windows, lights and electricity similar to the first one. 

 

            The third shed is the best of the three (see attached photos). It is 23.5ft.x23.5ft. It is built upon 12”x5’ concrete filled sono-tubes. Pressure treated 6”x6”x 7’ timbers are bolted to the concrete piers and form a perimeter footing. Nine seven foot 6”x6” timbers form the upright poles for the first floor. Three homemade laminated beams of 2”x10” x 23.5’ KD hemlock with 1/2” plywood sandwiched between are mounted on top of the uprights and 2”x8” floor joist are nailed on top of these. “Advantec” 5/8” thick is used as the flooring. A “stick built” second story is created with a 6 foot knee wall in the front and a 4 foot knee wall in the back. 2”x10” rafters are used, sheathed with “Advantec” and covered with asphalt shingles. Again 1”x10” shiplap pine is used on the exterior. It is finished with an exterior latex semi-transparent stain. Six hinged, wood-framed plexiglas “windows” provide light. The usual lights, outlets and a heated waterer are used. This shed holds 480 bales of hay, faces south to a 2 acre field and easily houses 15-18 animals. A 6’ covered hay feeder sits immediately outside the shed. I had this shed built by a local carpenter.  In the winter, half of the front of the shed can be covered with plywood or plexi-glass to block the wind and driving snow. The materials cost was about $7,500, construction labor $7,000 and electrical and plumbing about $1,500. 

 

            The beauty of this shed design is that it can be extended in both directions in 10 to 11.5 foot increments. A roof can be extended off the back side of the building and that space utilized for equipment storage, etc. We have just finished clearing a 4 acre parcel and plan to build a 48’x36’ version to be used as a “breeding” barn and for equipment storage. It will include a 12’x12’ closed-in area for power tool storage. Instead of sono-tubes, this shed will be built upon six foot, pre-cast concrete pyramids. The projected cost of this project will be about $30,000.

 

            Several of our customers with smaller farms have used this design to shelter their animals and store their hay and equipment. So far they have been quite pleased with the results. If I were to start over, I would probably still build the large barn since I believe you can never have too much storage space, but for someone with a small farm I firmly believe nothing beats a well-designed run-in shed.