Old Barns

[DocHeb]

Dave, I'll cover this one for you. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Attached is a photo of a typical dairy farm setup near Saline Michigan. The largest barn has a gambrel roof, and is the cow barn (but in this case, converted to a sheep barn). The cows (sheep) stay in the basement, allowing hay to come down from the top floor. It is built on a slight incline allowing machine access to the middle floor on the back side. Actually with the more typically flat Michigan topography, a dirt ramp is built to allow access.

Another large barn to the left follows the more typical New England pattern, with a simple gable roof. Since this is usually for hay storage multiple floors are not needed, and the simpler roofline is used.

A lean-to addition in the foreground might house the workshop/machine shop/other livestock.

Chicken Coop - smaller structure in the foreground

Finish off with the Silo for silage storage, and a corn crib next to that.

Bring on the milkers!

 

[DocHeb]

Unfortunately, many of the barns in the area look like this one.

 

[Docsknotinn]

Most of the barns I see here are like the first one. Thats what my grandfathers barn was like, Huge like that as well. Even though it was on the side of a hill he had the dirt built up on the other side so you could drive through with the tractor. Most barns like that have lofts on both sides of the upper level for hay storage or sneaking away with sally sue when your 16 /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Then theres a shaft where you drop the hay to the bottom where those cows are like a mad bomber. My jobs always centered on two things, Pulling the hay off that elevator and stacking it or cleaning out those nifty trouphs that were set in the concrete in the basement /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif I dont see very many of the other type here. There are some that are more rounded with large tin vents and side Gables on the roof. I went out to photo one today just a few miles from my house. It was probably one of the neatest barns I ever saw. It had been a few years since I went that direction. No more barns but a couple of 2 million +++ $$$ homes. Can you just imagine what old farmer joe would have thunk if he knew some day there would be mini mansions where his barn was. Just down the street from there is another old barn like your second photo Doc. I cant guess the age but I think its a field stone basement and all the beams are hand hewn. You can see the axe marks in the beams. I'd give my two front teeth to hunt that property one season. Its right across from the Metro park. There were deer every where this afternoon, way too many of them, literally. I even had four in my backyard when I got home. The day or two after the Hunters Moon /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Dave