Portable Buildings are Perfect for Storing Large Animals

A pole barn is an optimal building choice to save money on large animal storage without sacrificing function, even for heavy-duty tasks such as housing livestock. They are ideal for giving your animals a vast open space, comfortable insulation, consistent warmth and plenty of natural light.

Bestway Portable Buildings Inc. provides affordable and highly customizable buildings tailored to fit your needs. No matter the size of your animals – whether you’re raising horses, cows, sheep, pigs, goats or chickens – a pole barn will keep your animals warm and protected against the worst of Florida weather.

How to Plan for Different Animals When Designing a Pole Barn

Horses

If your horses are particularly large, plan for your stalls to be about 12’x12’. You can size down to 10’x12’ or 12’x10’ if your horses are smaller, but you should allot more space if your horses are going to spend a good amount of time in their stalls.

Cows

According to Mississippi State University, you should plan to give your cattle about 14 to 20 square feet of space per animal. Similar to horses, if you plan to keep them in their stalls overnight, you should triple the square feet size so they can move around.

Another factor is the behavior of your cattle. If one cow is more aggressive than the others, it will need more space, which might mean that not all areas will be the same size. Designing your pole barn with a professional can help you equip your building against the quirks of your livestock.

Sheep

Since sheep are docile animals, you can worry less about any aggressors in the herd, meaning you don’t have to budget additional space for separating them.

Unlike the previously mentioned animals, sheep don’t require as much space; however, you should add more square feet if you plan on lambing. If your sheep are lambing, map out between 16 to 25 square feet for a ewe and her lambs. If they’re not, you should only need about 8 to 10 square feet for each.

Pigs

Your pig pens should be double their length compared to their width so that the animals can stretch their legs. Prepare for about 50 square feet per pig or a 16'x8’ pen size with at least a three-foot height to accommodate your pig’s growth.

Goats

Goats will need about 20 square feet or a 4’x5’ pen size for each. If they’re going to be in their pens for long periods, you should plan for more space. In the case of goats, about 30 square feet.

How to Make Your Livestock Feel More Comfortable and Productive

Dirt floors are a natural solution for livestock pole barn flooring, and maybe you should start with that if this is your first pole barn. However, installing rubber mat flooring for your pole barn will increase your animals’ comfort overall.

While livestock mats provide insulation and heat in general, the rubber material blocks moisture, mitigating the coldness of the ground during the winter months. It’s a more comfortable place for your livestock to walk and lie on without the risk of slipping and falling. Rubber livestock mats also make sweeping, cleaning and disinfecting your pole barn floor easier.

Rubber mat flooring will make your animals feel cozier while improving their daily lives. Cows must spend long periods lying down to protect their circulation. By providing your pole barn with rubber mat flooring, you can keep them healthy and productive for a long time.

Rubber mat flooring can even save your livestock. Sheep are particularly vulnerable to the cold and can die if they become too chilled. While this is rarely a concern in Panama City, it’s still worth preparing for the most extreme temperatures rather than the norm. Designing your pole barn with rubber livestock mat flooring will help to protect your animals from the elements and make their home all the more comfortable.

Build a Pole Barn in the Panama City Area with Bestway Portable Buildings Inc.

Bestway Portable Buildings will help you build a pole barn within your budget that fulfills the needs of all your livestock in as soon as one to three weeks. Request a free quote on your building plan online or call (850) 747-8974 to begin designing a new pole barn that will keep you and your animals happy.