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Right-Size Your Barn for Cattle, Horses, Goats and Pigs

by VersaTube on February 28, 2019

As a farmer, you care about the health and productivity of your animals. You know that without a proper barn, they’ll struggle to reach an ideal physical and nutritional level where they (and by extension, your farm) will thrive.

In this post, we will run through general sizing guidelines so that you can build the perfect VersaTube Barn. Your animals will thank you later!

These housing and livestock guidelines were recommended by the UNH Extension.

The Ultimate Barn

No matter what kind of animals you plan to house in them, all barns require several elements. As a farmer, you can’t afford to neglect these important features because without them, your animals are at risk for illness, disease and death.

Wind: Cold, drafty winds are dangerous to your animals. Although most animals can handle cool temperatures, they require protection from drafts. If your barn is open, place panels in front to combat drafts.
Air quality: If your barn is open, it should provide natural ventilation to your animals. If it’s enclosed, make sure you install fans and appropriate air inlets on the ceiling for air circulation. Remember, if your building allows for a buildup of animal odor and respiration gases, it might aggravate your animal's lungs and lead to pneumonia. High ammonia levels can suffocate animals and humans.
Bedding: Dry, clean bedding is a MUST for your animals. Bedding should be dry and thick to insulate them from the cold ground. If you fail to do this, you run the risk of your animals using up most of their energy to keep warm. Small or young animals could die if it’s cold enough.

Cattle

When it comes to sizing a barn for cattle, you’ve got to separate them into two categories: dairy cows and beef cows. Their requirements are slightly different. The following is a table showing the minimum space required.

	Dairy Cows	Beef Cows
Unit	1	1
Enclosed Shelter Area	75-100 sq. ft.	75-100 sq. ft.
Exercise Yard Area	100-125 sq. ft.	100-125 sq. ft.
Pasture Area	1-2 acres	1-2 acres
Ideal Housing	Barn, open front and 3-sided, free-stall or enclosed stanchion barn. Boundary setback 50ft.	Barn, open front and 3-sided. Boundary setback 50 ft.

Horses

Here are the minimum space requirements for horses.

	Horses
Unit	1
Enclosed Shelter Area	Box stall 12’ x 8’ or 10’ by 10’ Tie stalls 45 sq. ft.; 5’ x 9’
Exercise Yard Area	200 sq. ft.
Pasture Area	1-2 acres
Ideal Housing	Well-ventilated, enclosed barn or open 3-sided barn. Boundary setback 50 ft.

Goats

Here are the minimum space requirements for goats.

	Goats
Unit	1
Enclosed Shelter Area	20-25 sq. ft.
Exercise Yard Area	50 sq. ft.
Pasture Area	0.2-0.3 acres
Ideal Housing	Enclosed barn w/ removable side panels/windows. Setback 50 ft.

Pigs

Here are the minimum space requirements for pigs.

	Pigs
Unit	1
Enclosed Shelter Area	48 sq. ft. for exercise yard 100 sq. ft. without exercise yard
Exercise Yard Area	200 sq. ft.
Pasture Area	12-14 sows per acre
Ideal Housing	Enclosed barn, sheds, hutches or lean-to. Setback 50 ft.

Order Today!

Now that you know how to right-size your barn for your animals, you’re ready for the next step. You can order your very own VersaTube Barn Building Kit, or, if you have any questions that this article didn’t answer, you can visit our Learning Center for information.