Building a hay loft inside the pole barn

[feedjake]

Should I use 4x4's or 6x6 posts when I go to build my hay loft?

I'm planning on building a little hay loft in my 30x40 pole barn. It will be just on one side of the structure, due to the fact that both of the big doors are on the same side (for easy pull through of course). I'll be attaching the loft to the existing interior structure. I was just curious. The loft will probably start at about 7' up, and will only allow for a few bales high for stacking. the wall is about 12' tall.

So basically It will look like a deck, 7' in the air. I'm also planning on using the underneath section for the goat pen, for the night-time pen.

 

[bucktaker]

Reccommend 4x6 posts set on concrete piers, watch your spans up size the lumber or get a metal beam for load bearing
My horse barn is 30x50 10 foot eaves in my pole building I stack 60 bales in a 10x10 loft area

 

[Robert_in_NY]

We built a loft in our barn, its a two tier barn because of the amount of slope in the ground. The top section is 24wide by 64 long, the bottom section is around 30" lower and is 16' wide by 64' long. The low side dropping down allowed us to build a loft that is easily accessed by the upper side. Its 8' off the floor on the upper section and just attaches to the 4x6 posts that run the length of the interior wall seperating the two sections. The 4x6 is plenty strong enough and we used 2x8's for the loft joists with 3/4" plywood for the deck. We store all the ladders and all our long stock up there as well as anything else we don't need very often. The 4x6's are set every 8' and not only support the loft but also support the 24' and 16' sections roof as from the outside the roof line ties together seamlessly. Just put concrete in the hole first to give a pad for the post to sit on so it can't sink.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Here are some pics of the loft we built. One is from the upper side, another from the low side under the loft and the other is from the outside showing the change in elevation.

 

[300UGUY]

I have a 40x40x12 barn. I tried the same thing, it didn't work out too well. I didn't have enough head room up there to work comfortably, and putting up hay was a pia. I ended up using pallets to put hay on, cut my labor way down.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I have a 40x40x12 barn. I tried the same thing, it didn't work out too well. I didn't have enough head room up there to work comfortably, and putting up hay was a pia. I ended up using pallets to put hay on, cut my labor way down.

Yeah, its no ideal for hay or anything you need to get often but for storage of items that are long or not needed often it works well. If I interpreted the OP correctly, he would have more head room and was wanting to know how to set up the loft. The loft would be built the same but he would just have more head room.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

I have a 40x40x12 barn. I tried the same thing, it didn't work out too well. I didn't have enough head room up there to work comfortably, and putting up hay was a pia. I ended up using pallets to put hay on, cut my labor way down.

Yeah, the big advantage of a modern barn is that you can drive in, and use equipment to move things around if you need to. Haymows were way too labor intensive to be practical nowadays. I know one farmer who converted the mow to a basketball court for his kid. He sure wasn't going to use it for hay. He has a pole barn for that.

 

[showcattle]

our pole barn is like 26x56, drive thru on one side. We have a loft over the pens made with 4x6 posts, 2x6 joists, and rough sawn oak for decking. We have never totally filled it with hay, but it has had probably close to 400 bales in it before. Can't fill it totally because junk is stored in part of it! Lol. It's been in use since 1976. I think we have 14 ft. of clearance from ground to trusses. If you are over 6 ft tall, you'll hit your head on the trusses.

 

[feedjake]

Good point. I'm a little man at 5'6" tall. So I'll still need to keep my head down, but not too much, I hope. I'm still trying to get buy-in from the wife on actually getting ready for goats. I tell her, "we have to buy some stuff" to which she replies. "But we don't even have the goats yet." And of course I say, "but we never will unless we ACTUALLY get ready.". But thats a subject for another post all together. :thumbsup: Thanks guys!