Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Planning A New Barn
I'm planning to build a new barn. I am so excited! I've been trying to figure out for a while how I could expand. I've got a shed on one side of the current barn. The garden is on another. Trees surround the other two sides. But my friend Linda helped me brainstorm this past weekend and I've finally figured it out. I'm going to give up half of The Nature Trail Jungle for the new barn - and connect both barns with a short passage.
So, I've drawn out my new barn on paper and love the design. You may recall that I once wrote about my wish list for a barn. This barn will incorporate most of what I said I would do if I had it to do over again - except that I won't have funds to build a visitor room - that'll have to wait until I win the lottery!
The purpose of the new barn will be two-fold: it will be the home of my show rabbits and juniors that I'm growing out and it will be the home of my other breeds that I'm bringing in to learn more about.
I will have 45 hanging cages separated by hay racks for show Hollands and juniors. The beauty of this cage design is that rabbits cannot ruin each other by biting through wire. And if I have a particularly messy bunny, I can insert some cardboard into the hay area and keep everyone clean. I don't tend to keep sprayers, but I have the option just in case.
Additionally, I'll have four 48" cages, seven 36" cages, and six 24" cages for other breeds. I'll be getting some Flemish Giants this year, for example, and will need some big cages for them.
I'm definitely putting in a wider aisle so that I have more room for packing for shows. Most of the rabbits going to shows will be in this barn anyway, so this is the barn that will need the wider aisle anyway. I can quit complaining about my narrow aisles in my old barn now. (The other barn will be mostly my nursery).
I will have three sets of opposing "windows." These windows are just openings in the barn that I cover with hardware cloth and mosquito mesh. I plan to have higher windows and want to mount sealed fans across them above my head level. I hate stepping over fans on the floor.
I'll install the high output fluorescent lights again. I've never had any problems with them starting, even in the coldest weather. I was fortunate that the electrician was on duty at the home improvement center when I picked out my lights for the old barn. He's the one who gave me that tip.
We'll install the PVC water system with heat cables from the very beginning this time. We'll have to make taller risers, though, because the new design will require the water to go up and over a door. The risers will have to be taller than the door (there will have to be enough water pressure it get it over the door, but not to the top of the riser - the heat cable comes out the top of the risers). And we'll put in the mister system from the beginning, too.
I'm going to spend a lot more time and attention to the drainage under the floor. Experience is a great teacher. Now I know what I want to do.
I'll also put my dry wells under the four spigots I have planned. That should keep my floors a lot dryer, too.
This year will be a building year for me. If you've been reading a while, you know that I tried to live within the confines of my current cages. I hate having temporary cages set up everywhere to deal wtih overflow, but I also find that I don't like having so few producing does (which is how I gauge the size of a herd). It worked so well as long as production rates were good. But now that I've lived through a low production period, I realize that with a small group of does, I can fall below the level needed to maintain a constant flow of nice juniors for the show table. I didn't like that either.
I have no doubt that I'll be getting over my current slump soon (I already have the babies in the barn - just waiting for them to mature). But with my new barn plans and better production rates, I expect to come back better than ever. This year, I'll be regrouping. Next year, I hope to see the fruits of my labors. I can't wait!
My first hurdle was getting Andrew on board with the idea. He's starting to refer to the barn as the "old barn," so I think I can check that off of my list. Now I just have to figure out how to pay for it all. I guess I would sell Rio, Java, and May.
Nah, I don't think so!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design ¶ 9:13 AM
So, I've drawn out my new barn on paper and love the design. You may recall that I once wrote about my wish list for a barn. This barn will incorporate most of what I said I would do if I had it to do over again - except that I won't have funds to build a visitor room - that'll have to wait until I win the lottery!
The purpose of the new barn will be two-fold: it will be the home of my show rabbits and juniors that I'm growing out and it will be the home of my other breeds that I'm bringing in to learn more about.
I will have 45 hanging cages separated by hay racks for show Hollands and juniors. The beauty of this cage design is that rabbits cannot ruin each other by biting through wire. And if I have a particularly messy bunny, I can insert some cardboard into the hay area and keep everyone clean. I don't tend to keep sprayers, but I have the option just in case.
Additionally, I'll have four 48" cages, seven 36" cages, and six 24" cages for other breeds. I'll be getting some Flemish Giants this year, for example, and will need some big cages for them.
I'm definitely putting in a wider aisle so that I have more room for packing for shows. Most of the rabbits going to shows will be in this barn anyway, so this is the barn that will need the wider aisle anyway. I can quit complaining about my narrow aisles in my old barn now. (The other barn will be mostly my nursery).
I will have three sets of opposing "windows." These windows are just openings in the barn that I cover with hardware cloth and mosquito mesh. I plan to have higher windows and want to mount sealed fans across them above my head level. I hate stepping over fans on the floor.
I'll install the high output fluorescent lights again. I've never had any problems with them starting, even in the coldest weather. I was fortunate that the electrician was on duty at the home improvement center when I picked out my lights for the old barn. He's the one who gave me that tip.
We'll install the PVC water system with heat cables from the very beginning this time. We'll have to make taller risers, though, because the new design will require the water to go up and over a door. The risers will have to be taller than the door (there will have to be enough water pressure it get it over the door, but not to the top of the riser - the heat cable comes out the top of the risers). And we'll put in the mister system from the beginning, too.
I'm going to spend a lot more time and attention to the drainage under the floor. Experience is a great teacher. Now I know what I want to do.
I'll also put my dry wells under the four spigots I have planned. That should keep my floors a lot dryer, too.
This year will be a building year for me. If you've been reading a while, you know that I tried to live within the confines of my current cages. I hate having temporary cages set up everywhere to deal wtih overflow, but I also find that I don't like having so few producing does (which is how I gauge the size of a herd). It worked so well as long as production rates were good. But now that I've lived through a low production period, I realize that with a small group of does, I can fall below the level needed to maintain a constant flow of nice juniors for the show table. I didn't like that either.
I have no doubt that I'll be getting over my current slump soon (I already have the babies in the barn - just waiting for them to mature). But with my new barn plans and better production rates, I expect to come back better than ever. This year, I'll be regrouping. Next year, I hope to see the fruits of my labors. I can't wait!
My first hurdle was getting Andrew on board with the idea. He's starting to refer to the barn as the "old barn," so I think I can check that off of my list. Now I just have to figure out how to pay for it all. I guess I would sell Rio, Java, and May.
Nah, I don't think so!
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry “Home Of Grand Champions”
Precious Pet Rabbits
Affordable Web Site Design ¶ 9:13 AM
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Laurie thats great! Hopefully it turns out very nice and we'll have to come down and visit once its done!!
# posted by 
: 10:17 AM
: 10:17 AM
LOL!! I know you would find other ways to pay for it without giving up Rio, but just in case, you have my email. :P
Alison
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Alison
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