Choosing the right farm shed: a comprehensive guide
Every farm needs a shed just as much as the equipment they need to run it. A farm shed isn’t just a structure used for storage but an integral part of your farm and its farming operations. The equipment that you use around your farm is a big investment and the key element in the livelihood of your farm, so you want to keep it protected and ensure it’s always in working condition right? A farm shed is the perfect solution. A farm shed will ensure that all your high-value assets, whether it’s machinery, grain, fodder, or livestock are constantly protected to help your farming operations continue to run smoothly. No two farms are the same, so farm sheds shouldn’t be either, but which style of farm shed is right for your farm?
Jump to section:
- Considering your farming needs
- Planning for increase
- Don’t forget height
- Provisions for vermin protection
Farm shed styles
Farm sheds come in all different shapes and sizes to suit a diverse range of farming needs. While there is no standard farm shed in terms of shape and size, as they can be custom designed to suit your exact needs, there is a range of standard styles to suit certain aspects of your farming operations. These styles include machinery sheds, hay and fodder sheds, animal and livestock sheds, grain storage sheds, shearing sheds, and dairy sheds. While visually from the outside of these sheds may look similar, each caters to a distinct part of your farming operations. For example, hay sheds have not only been designed to keep your hay stored out of the weather but also to ensure it doesn’t get damp, which decreases its susceptibility to combustion caused by moisture, therefore minimising the risk of haystack fires. In some people’s eyes, a machinery shed might just be somewhere to store your machinery, but it can be more than that. It can also provide you somewhere to work on your machinery should it ever have any issues while also protecting it to ensure it’s always in proper working condition, helping to extend its lifecycle.
There are also various styles of each farm shed type, including completely enclosed sheds that provide secure storage, semi-open sheds that provide both secure storage and open storage with airflow that can be used as an animal shelter or hay storage, open sheds that provide plenty of airflow and ventilation making them perfect for hay storage and drive through where you can just drive your machinery in and out without the need for reversing or attempting tight turns.
Other important things to consider
The style of your farm shed is not the only important decision you need to make many other important factors need to be considered that often get overlooked. The first, and in most cases, the most important thing you need to consider is the size of your farm shed. While each farm shed is customisable to suit your exact needs, the size is something you need to get right. You don’t want to invest in a farm only to discover either it’s not big enough for what you want to store or that it’s only just big enough and doesn’t provide any room to move around. When choosing the size of your farm shed you should always measure what you want to store and then add around 25% to it to ensure you have plenty of space and it’s not a tight squeeze.
Just like any brick and mortar store, you also need to plan for your future. Over the years, you may accumulate lots of equipment or your herd size may grow which means the size shed you needed 5 years ago will most likely be too small. Planning for the future, even if it’s a rough estimation, might save you from having to build another farm shed in the near future. While this is not always guaranteed that you will need a bigger shed, building bigger is always best to ensure you cover your present and future needs.
With sizing, you also need to consider your roof clearance. Machinery comes in all different shapes and sizes, and your farm shed should be high enough so you can easily fit it in without it hitting the roof of your shed. Measuring your tallest piece of machinery and adding a little bit extra is always a safe bet to ensure you don’t damage your machinery or shed.
Vermin are always a pain, whether it’s mice or other creepy crawlies. They somehow always seem to find a way in, especially into feed storage. When mice and other vermin find their way in, they often nest, contaminate and eat their way through whatever you have stored, damaging your machinery and feed stocks. Making provisions for vermin protection when initially purchasing your shed can save you from a lot of headaches in the future and increase the protection of your machinery and feed. Installing vermaseal around your shed can help prevent vermin from entering your farm shed, ensuring everything you store remains safe from any damage they may cause.
Considering all these important factors when deciding on your farm shed can help ensure that your farm shed suits your farm perfectly and helps enhance your farming operations. Our friendly expert team at All Sheds can help you build the ideal shed for your farm. For more information, contact them today.