How Do I Build a Barn for Sheep?

In the wild, sheep live outside year-round. But even wild sheep will seek a sheltered area to give birth to lambs. Most sheep handlers also find it easier to shear sheep in an enclosed location. There are many reasons to build a barn for sheep. A barn can house the animals during inclement weather. It can be used to store hay, supplies and equipment. A simpler barn can be built to offer shelter in bad weather. Whatever type of barn you choose, it is important that the structure has plenty of ventilation.

Things You'll Need

  • Shovel
  • Carpenter's level
  • Six 4-inch by 4-inch weather-treated posts
  • Miter saw
  • Six bags quick-setting concrete mix
  • Water
  • Ladder
  • Four sheets of 4-foot by 8-foot weather-treated plywood
  • Hammer
  • Nails
  • Straw or hay
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clear an 8-foot by 8-foot area of dirt. Use the level to ensure that the area is as flat as possible. Figure out where the door should be. Mark the center of that side of the square.

    • 2

      Cut a 30-degree piece of wood off one end of three of the 4-inch by 4-inch posts as close to the end as possible. Measure six inches from the top of the remaining three posts. Make a 30-degree cut that slopes away from the 6-inch mark. The finished posts will be 8 feet and 7.5 feet at their highest point, respectively.

    • 3

      Dig six post holes at least one foot deep: one on each of the four corners, one on the mark for the door, and one on the side directly opposite the door.

    • 4

      Place the posts in the holes so that all of the 8-foot posts are on one side with their slanted tops sloping toward the opposite wall. The second, shorter set of three posts must be placed so that their tops slant away from the structure.

    • 5

      Set one pole at a time. Pour one bag of concrete mix into the hole around each post. Use the carpenter's level to ensure that each post is straight. Fill the hole with water on top of the concrete mix. Stabilize the post by hand or prop it with scrap lumber. Repeat for the remaining posts. Allow the concrete to dry completely.

    • 6

      Place two sheets of plywood on top of the structure. Nail the corners of each sheet to the sloped posts and the middle support posts. The resulting roof will have a 30-percent slope, allowing water to run off the top.

    • 7

      Nail one sheet of plywood to each side. It should be centered between the top and the bottom of each post. There should be between 1 foot and 1.5 feet open space above and below each wall. This provides plenty of ventilation for the sheep.

    • 8

      Cut one sheet of plywood in half. Nail the 4-foot by 4-foot section to the center doorpost and one of the corners. It should also be centered on the posts, allowing room above and below for ventilation.

    • 9

      Fill the structure with straw or hay. The open space at the bottom helps waste products dry quickly and makes it easier to remove old bedding.