The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: kate7590 on December 03, 2015, 11:40:38 am

Title: Poly tunnel shelter
Post by: kate7590 on December 03, 2015, 11:40:38 am
Are they any good?
We lost our shelter in the high winds during storm barney! so are looking for a replacement.
Money is a bit tight at the moment but we've seen good reviews about poly tunnel shelters. Just wanted to hear from someone who's used one if possible before we commit.
Title: Re: Poly tunnel shelter
Post by: Marches Farmer on December 03, 2015, 12:01:54 pm
The really good quality purpose-made sheep tunnels seem to do a good job, although brushing off snow might be desirable, as a sheltered site may be, depending on your location.  Depends exactly what you need it for.  Practical lambing shelters can be rigged up from tin, haybales, old gates, pallets .....
Title: Re: Poly tunnel shelter
Post by: cas on December 03, 2015, 07:38:54 pm
We use a 'portable garage' made by Dancover as our lambing shed (but we only have 7 ewes).  Its cover is green so it blends in well and four years in it is still standing (althougn a bit tatty round the edges).
Title: Re: Poly tunnel shelter
Post by: Talana on December 03, 2015, 09:03:59 pm
We have a polytunnel and it's fantastic for sheep-they don't get too hot in it, we have boards along the bottom to shelter lambs then plastic net above. We use it for the sheep at lambing time.  In the summer we use it to store hay and grow hanging baskets of tomatoes,although we sometimes have sheep pens set up in it for sheep shearing and various other sheep jobs. When it's quite windy / stormy my husband puts double height big round straw bales at the door the wind blowing in. Several years ago when we had a lot of snow my husband got some wood and made supports inside supporting the hoops and we gently nudged the plastic above our heads with a long handled broom every day to knock the snow off. We have even moved it to our new holding and it's still standing and so useful.
Title: Re: Poly tunnel shelter
Post by: Fud on February 06, 2016, 09:08:41 pm
Im in the process of putting up a 75ft (was a 150Ft) x30ft polytunnel, Ive gone through the council to make sure there's no comeback from the neighbours Seems you can spend a fortune on purchasing and erecting a polytunnel, From drainage to sitting, securing to security, and dual purpose useage. If it goes well I'll learn by my mistakes and maybe get the other half up!
Title: Re: Poly tunnel shelter
Post by: DavidandCollette on February 07, 2016, 09:55:03 am
We bought one last year and it had survived the high winds. We are very exposed because the land is so flat. I lined the meeting inside with pallets then built three goat pens inside using ply and pallets. I also use it for milking the goats,  storing feed and Hay.  There is enough space left penned off with hurdles for the four ewes for Lambing, worming etc. The only downside has been that the crows think it's a big bag of silage and have pecked a couple of holes in the top. I have stopped that by rigging a frame work up at either end and running rope across. A very good investment so far as we are concerned