When I bought the farm (not literally, to some peoples dismay ;D) it had a 95 foot by 40 foot barn (set up for horses) - the left half was concrete (still is) with garage doors - the right was dug down some, with a loft on both sides and a center isle - well believe me a possessed woman and a skid steer can sure remove pens...that is now where the office and chute are as well as isle in and out and the horse has his own place - clearly I needed something more
I built a 90 by 60 building that comes into the old barn at a right angle - it goes east west and has NO walls (yes, true I live in Michigan and some people thought I was nuts). There is a wall on the west with a huge slider (our prevailing wind is south west and it is wicked) - there is also a 16 foot overhand on the south (hope that gives you a visual - it does me but of course I live it)
I put in no center posts - basically the barn without the overhang had 6x6 posts every 12 feet - so the inside was basically empty. Adding the overhang added additional 6x6 posts 12 feet apart - I had gates made for just about every 12 x 12 space. Then I had to add 2 6x6 internally to use to anchor these metal frames that basically hook together to form pens and do not require any additional posts - all the gates and panels and gizmos can be removed by removing a pin (easier said than done if you are a 90 lb weakling) and can therefore be reconfigured or turned around. I started with 4 pens on the left and added as the need and the money permitted - I have one more permanent pen (40 x40) that is right at the entrance of the old barn, but basically everything else can be wiggled and opened or closed for a huge number of different configurations depending on the need - if I figure this right I can have 14 12 x 12 pens at one time or any number of 12 x24, 12 x 36, etc. I can get cattle in from just about anywhere and I have 2 pens with "nursing panels" which are basically a combo little head gate and gate which half lifts up (I need to take pictures - I can see all this, you all probably can't ;D)
Try to figure out how you will use the barn, how the traffic will flow, where will cows be that might need water, how much light do you need in your calving pens etc draw it out. I have reversed a lot of gates, added 2 waterers and one more hydrant (that gives me 4) - I hate hauling water - I hate frozen hoses!
Here are my thoughts
1) Walls are greatly overrated - and lack of walls gives great ventilation esp in weather like we are having now - 98 with high humidity; In the winter I put up panels (with little gizmos that fit over the gates) of plywood or tarps (4 or 5 foot high) - that keeps the calves out of the wind - there is about one day a year or 2 I wish I had walls - when there is a blizzard and the wind is whipping in circles - barn gets full of snow (more straw fixes the issue)
2) For maximum flexability stay away from anything permanent - I have 3 orange Souix gates on the 40 x 40 pen - that was a mistake (I don't like them either!)
3) When you put in your lines (electric and water) put in more light sockets and plugs than you ever thought you wanted - no matter how many you put in or where - you always want more and in a different place. If you intend to put in mercury lights but don't want to buy them now - run the lines.
4) Water - figure out where you might want automatic waterers and put the lines in for them - it is easier to just add the waterer when you get it that to re dig
5) Hydrants - you can never have too many -
6) Gates - I would pick gates instead of non swing panels in most cases. Depending on where you are there may be someone who makes gates - in the past my custom gates were no more expensive than the Souix gates - however the price of steel and diesel etc has increased and likely they will too.
7) Big vent in the roof top
8) IMHO concrete is greatly overrated and not good for cattle feet - yes there are probably some areas that need it but I don't keep my cows on concrete - every year after I clean out the barn I add more bedding sand - it is cool in the summer and drains well with straw on top in the winter
9) separate electrical panel for the barn
10) gutters - big gutters with underground drainage - hide the gutters from the cows they like to squish them
What do I wish I had done differently
1) water shut off in the barn - when the Ritchie waterer went bezerk running back and forth in the house into the basement to turn off and on the water was a real pain (and made a huge mess)
2) my 2 barns are not physically connected - there is a half foot space - this is a wet pain sometimes
3) more waterers
4) investigate geofabric (not sure that is the name) for the low side of the barn (south)
I am sure there is more, I'll try to get picutres
2)
