What to do with block livestock building?

npaden · Feb 19, 2007

First some background.

I'm in the process of buying 160 acres of ranch and recreational land southeast of Snyder, Texas. It has 110 acres of range land and 50 cultivated acres. Currently it has a tenant that is paying a modest amount to run cattle on the place. He plants winter wheat and lets the cattle graze it plus they graze the rangeland.

I primarily bought the place to hunt on. I'm not sure if I am going to continue to let the guy run cattle on it or not. The amount he is paying really doesn't make enough of a difference that it would hurt my pocketbook if I discontinued the lease, but I'm not sure I would have the time to be able to actively farm the cultivated areas and I'm sure running cattle from 100 miles away could get tricky.

My for sure plans are to go down to the property and hunt on it and run around on ATV's and maybe even get some fishing in if the pond will fill back up after the drought.

With that said, I'm not sure where this building fits into any of my plans or if the cost to fix it up to be useable would be better spent on a metal barn or something like that.

The building is about 75 feet long by 20 feet wide. It doesn't have a cement floor, but it appears that it must have a decent footing or the walls would have for sure fallen down by now. The roof is pretty much gone and most of the rafters are rotted and would need to be replaced.

Here's some pictures:

There are some decent pens out behind it that look like they are still pretty much useable. I think the building was used for livestock in the past but not sure exactly.

Here's a picture of the pens:

Right now I'm thinking I will just leave the building as is until I decide what I might be able to do with it. The other option is to just knock it down and possibly use the blocks for something else. They are just stacked and mortared, they are not filled with cement.

I also thought that for a couple thousand bucks I could possibly get a roof on it and some doors and I could park my tractor or ATV's in it if I was working on something and planning on coming back in a week or less, but I don't really want to spend any money on it if the best option down the road is to knock it down and start over.

Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks, Nathan

Sberry · Feb 19, 2007

This has to be up to you, it isn't something I would want to piece back together. Lot of problems besides it likely isn't something very ideal anyway, just a make do thing that will never be right. Like you said, no floor, no lintels over the openings, lots of structural problems one can see from a picture, they will be worse in person. I might toss the good blocks in a pile, there is always use for them around a farm. Its actually a bigger liability than asset.

Cliff_Johns · Feb 19, 2007

It looks more dangerous than useful to me. I think you'd be best off knocking the walls down before they fall on someone who decides to go inside to take a leak.

Cliff

EddieWalker · Feb 19, 2007

I'm in the knock it down crowd.

Since you live so far away, you might consider using the block to build yourself a secure storage building. Pour a cement pad with rebar coming up through the rebar. Then stack the block through the rebar and pour concrete in the holes with the rebar. You will have a bullet proof storage building that you can leave your ATV's or Tractor there and feel safe.

Another options might be to use them for colums on a dock on the pond.

Do you need any riprap? Knoock it down and crunch it up. Then put it on the spillway or entrance to the pond.

They also make good structure for the pond and your fish.

Have fun,
Eddie

Onthesauk · Feb 19, 2007

I guess I wouldn't be to quick to kick the tenant off either. Living 100 miles away, kind of nice to have someone on your side living close by.

mocassincreekranch · Feb 19, 2007

Congrats on your new property. I agree with Eddie on tearing the building down and using the blocks to build a new storage area. Metal buildings look great but when it comes to security a cordless drill or axe is all it takes to break-in to them and being an absentee owner you need all the security you can have. Being in the locksmith business I have seen it all. Your rancher may be your best ally if you can put up with the cows during deer and turkey season!

Tim_in_IA · Feb 20, 2007

npaden,

do you have to do anything at all with the building? I'd leave it alone. You might come up with a use for it someday. You'd need new lumber and some masonry patching. I wouldn't be in a rush to knock it down. If anything it provides cover to keep you out of site from prey

.

stones · Feb 20, 2007

I'm with the knock it down crowd... you can use the spot to put up a nice barn that will suit what you want to use it for. As far as kicking the grazer off, I would not be for that decision... he is planting winter wheat and that area if I remember is all low fenced so you would do to have him plant and attract what deer is available in your area. Work with him on a rotational scheldule that works with your hunting, if you are cross fenced. Not only that, but living so far away, he is an unpaid security guard for you, with him checking cows at least every few days, and more often than that during calving. He also will ensure that your fencing is properly maintained. Having said all of that it is still a personal decision that at the end of the day "what makes you happy is what works"

npaden · Feb 20, 2007

Thanks for the input everyone. I guess no one has come up with a brilliant idea for what I can use the building for anyway. Right now I may just let it sit, as that is for sure the easiest thing. Knocking it down would be easy but hauling or stacking the block would be a bit of work even with a tractor and a pile of block would be a snake magnet if I just knocked it down and left it lay.

As far as the tenant, we are going to get together sometime this spring to decide what to do on a go forward basis. I think it has been quite a while since the terms of the lease have been negotiated and he is getting a real good deal right now. The lease is for $1,750 per year but he gets any government payments on the property under that lease. Last year there were $2,233 of government payments on the property so he actually got paid $483 to run cattle on the place. Pretty sweet deal. I haven't met with the county ag ofice to see exactly how the payments would work, but I think that I would get a decent amount of government payments even if I didn't plant anything or raise cattle on the place.

He owns 320 acres that adjoins to the east and I'm going to try to talk him into some kind of rotational grazing on it. Right now he just lets the cattle roam between the properties freely all year long. I don't think the land is over grazed but it is for sure grazed. I'm going to have a wildlife biologist from Texas Parks and Wildlife do a site inspection with me as soon as we close on the property (which should be less than 2 weeks) and I think that will give me a much better idea on what I need to do with the place to improve the wildlife habitat. It is hard to plant small trees and put in food plots when cattle are on the property and that is where rotational grazing might work.

Oh well, I'm sure I'll be posting more questions on what to do with the property as we get closer to spring. For now I was just thinking about that building and wondering if anyone could see some value to it because I couldn't really see much use for it.

Thanks, Nathan