Asked by Tiea from Cypress Inn, TN, USA
Was just browsing sites looking for a barn plan to use in the future and have noticed none seem to fit my needs and no one has a plan like my grandpa’s barn. Personally I will need a barn with stables, hay storage, feed and tack room, and hopefully a side shed for storing trailers and tractor.
With exception to tractor storage my grandpa’s barn fits this bill but I was wondering if there are some different takes on this style of barn.
It is a 2 story barn with stables and tack room in bottom but the second story is where his differs from others. The back of the loft has a large metal slide with a pulley system running to the small front door with the idea you take the large round bales and pull them up the slide to the loft for storage.
The loft comes complete with trap doors to each stables hay rack. The side wall of the of the barn is a hay rack that runs the length of the barn and the round bales can be prepped and rolled into the rack without ever leaving the barn or touching the ground. The hay never gets wet and except for what the cows pull out doesn’t rot on the ground.
Is this just a unique barn or are there other plans similar to this?
I like the barn so much because of the preservation of hay unlike where the hay sits on the ground and spoils.
Hello Tia,
Your grandpa’s barn sounds like a very innovative barn. I have seen all sorts of contraptions in old barns usually designed to meet one special purpose or another. Farmers are some of the best inventors. It is possible that he has the only one with that particular set up. On the other hand it is possible that it is a modification of an old hay trolley system. I would need to see pictures of the set up to know for sure.
There are several old barn design books available for download for free when you sign up for our e-zine.
Some of these books have drawings and details of some really cool contraptions found in old barns.
Thanks
Aaron Esch
The Barn Geek