Beef Shed

I need to build a beef shed to get some of my yearling beefers(4 of them) out of the weather for the winter. Would a 10x16 with a ceiling height from 8' to 10' suffice? I plan on covering half of the front as well.

Sounds good to me.

Me too. Just don't count on 'em using it much. They'll lay right outside plastered with snow most of the time.

Are you planning to build it on skids? Otherwise, how will you clean it out?

Sure as sh%$tting, they will "go" inside the shed, not outside.

Most recommmendations for holding beef cattle weighing from 600 to 1200 pounds over night are 50 sq ft per animal. I'd shoot for a 15' x 15' shed.

But if shelter is not available city slickers call it cruelty.

No doubt about the cruelty thing. It cost me $1500 to find out that in my county, horses are considered a companion animal and not livestock. I thought that if I went out and brought them in the barn when the weather was bad then I was ok. WRONG!! They told me to have 24 hour access to the shelter for the animals within 48 hours and everything would be fine, but trees didn't qualify as shelter. I complied with the humane society and had the animals 24 hour access to shelter within 48 hours. Too bad the end of that 48 hour period fell on a weekend. They never came back to check and see what had been done. Instead, they went back on their word and charged me anyway. Funny how many other farmers there are that don't have 24 hour access to shelter for their animals and don't get in trouble for it. Even the humane society officer told me that the reason that they charged me is that they knew I was a small outfit and that I couldn't afford a high powered lawyer to fight them!!! Figure that crap out!! Now I'm done ranting and I will tell you that I would go with a ten by twenty and that will give the cows plenty of room to move around and not bust out the walls. Again, sorry for the rant!

It will definitely be built on skids so I don't need a building permit. That way I can move it and clean up w/ the front loader.