Well, everyone showed up to help yesterday. We decided to concentrate on getting the shed ready for the pigs so we can get them moved into here. The current situation in the barn is not very good. It doesn't drain naturally and you have to climb walls to get in to feed and check the babies. Furthermore, to clean, you have to pitch over two walls and then out a small hole in the wall to get the manure out. NOT FUN! So later today the piggies will get to move into their new home.
This is a pic of the inside roughed in. We are putting in a loft above the pens to store feed and bedding materials. I will create a similar setup in the back of the barn over the Boars pen after we get everyone moved out and get it cleaned up. Lots of work to do in there later this spring.
A pic across the future loft. It will not completely cover the pens. The pens are roughly 6' wide and 8' deep. The loft will go from the center posts on the left of the pic below to the 2x4 you see in the center and run the whole length of the barn. Leaving a gap on the walkway side allows easier access to the pens from the walkway. It also allows for access to pens from loft and if I build a small set of access step I can keep the kids and animals from getting in the loft.
A pic of the outside before the siding started going on.
This is the start of the siding. Steven is on the ladder and Gabe is cutting boards for us. Went up pretty quick.
Pic of the barn after we got the siding on. Still needs some little pieces along edges and such but will work for short term to get pigs moved in. 
While Gabe and Josh (Steven's brother) were cutting and installing the little pieces around the door Steven and I worked on the floor joists for the loft. Then after a quick trip to Lowe's for some OSB we finished out the sides of two of the pens. 
By this time everyone else had left and it was just me and my daughter. So we built and installed the doors for the two finished pens and installed the floor in the loft. This is her showing the operation of the door latches. My wife gave us the idea of using a hinge-less door. This allows us to use them as mobile gates to herd pigs into the proper pens as well as store them in loft when not in use or when cleaning barn.
The loft is 6'6" high from the pen floor. This allows a space of 5-6' on top for storage. My daughter is giving you a frame of reference for the height. This was when we were getting ready to install floor in loft. I still need to cut the boards down to size and then I will take pics of the finished product. 
I am going to concentrate on wiring up the barn and finishing some small details this week. Once everyone is moved into the pig shed I will begin working on the original barn. For this I will be replacing the existing slate roof with metal. Installing a fascia board all the way around. Reworking the pen that will become the boars permanent residence including a loft above it. I will be lifting the bottom board that holds the rafters up higher to allow for more storage space in the barn and rewiring those lights. I will also be opening up the wall between the barn and the pig shed. It is pieces right now anyway and will allow for walking between the pig area and barn without going outside. Next major priority is installing the posts for the pig lots. We are going to install a multi-strand fence around two lots directly off the back of the barn. There will be one for keeping the boar in all the time. The other will be for letting the sows and here babies out once they are big enough to leave the pen but still contain them till they are big enough for the fence in the large pasture. I will post a diagram/picture when I get closer to doing this.
Have a great weekend!
Kenny
No comments:
Post a Comment