I'm not talking a huge heard, it'd currently 11...that's counting the bull that's here for breeding + calves to be sold. So 6 cows on a regular basis. Yes i would like to store some extra hay there throughout the summer, I also have an old chicken house where my main storage would be.
I would think a carport would be a solid option right now then. If/when you expand someday, it would make a great storage shed for other things or a pretty good calving shed.
So now is the time to plan for just how big you might get/need. If you go with something that is 20' wide by 20' long, while that is fine for now a 20' X 100' really doesn't work in most instances. If I were building something and planning for future expansions, I would start with a building that was at least 28' wide. (My shop started out at 28' X 32') The extra width really makes your options exponentially broader. I would also consider what part you will need to have with a concrete floor also. It's so much easier to do that from the beginning rather than after the fact.
Just keep in mind a pole building is the cheapest way to go of an actual building and can always be added on later. You will be surprised for how big of a building you can get for 5-10k Matt. Enough for everything I bet.
20' wide limits your future expansions unless you have lots of property to keep adding on to for length and then you have to drive around it. 20' definitely does work in some situations but I've found that with tractors you always seem to have a loader or a blade or something else on them and suddenly you end up with a door open in order to fit it in the shed. Just this last week, I ended up parking my tractor with the wood splitter sticking outside because with the loader on, it was too long to close the door. So this is a case where bigger is better and if I am building and looking towards the future I want to have more options. An older gentleman that lived down the road from me built a shed that was to the eye, too tall. I asked him why he built his shed that tall he replied, "the taller you build, the farther out you can go with your lean to shed wings." And you should see his additions!
Could be meaning as far as depth for parking equipment and it being hooked to implements or not or what I would more learn toward is if you go with a pole barn style or most sheds are on 8' centers for post. So it's be like 16, 24, 32, 40 wide. And I would come up with a width or depth that your goin to be happy with for awhile because depending on how you put your trusses it would make it hard to expand that way later. Found with most people that we've done work for they tend to go with kind of a minimum on the dimension side so in no time they already wish they went bigger. So if you can swing it initially I would go a little bigger than you initial think you need. Sometimes space gets taken up pretty quick. I'll try and snap some pics of what we got once get done with work of what we have. It's pretty standard for around here that fills the needs your wanting.
They are also extremely important when it is raining or snowing or any other weather is happening to give you a place to shoot!
I also notice there are options of the metal being put on length wise vs. Vertical. To me it makes sense to pay a little extra for vertical metal for the roof.
Water is lazy and it wants to follow gravity downhill. Any time something blocks its path down it only cause trouble on its way down.
Out here hay sheds are little more than a slanted roof on supports. Rarely are there sides.... but we don't get much driving rain (or rain for that matter). Back in illinois we had a 40×30 pole barn andmy husband and I added another 24' to the end. Somehow just the two of us managed to get it done without killing ourselves. Lifting a truss that size between two people (one being wimpy) is hard work. I also found that trying to shoot screws in a metal roof while it's raining is quite thrilling. Lol Anyhow, out here our outbuilding is in horrible shape. It's too scabbed together to try and save so we're looking at our options. Pole buildings are kind of rare out here but I see a lot of the carports and versatube buildings advertised. They seem kind of expensive and yet flimsy. ??? So basically, I am typing all this to subscribe to this thread. :D
Keep in mind if you've got any chance of wet heavy snow you also want it to shed off...I can't imagine anything other than a vertical orientation.
https://cdn3.volusion.com/zcpzl.nutxy/v/vspfiles/photos/30x21-Vertical-Carport-2.jpg Here's what I'm thinking about.
If any wants to look...here's one of the companies I've found. They seem to be a bit cheaper than others. Metal Building Kits - Gazebos & Garages - Alan's Factory Outlet The problem is there are too damn many different sizes and options.
