Corn Crib as a Barn

[CLeman]

I'm looking for suggestions or things to watch out for in using our corn crib as a multi-use barn. Our property (we're moving to central Illinois in June) has an old-fashioned corn crib and a drive-in shed. The barn was torn down years ago, so I'd like to think I could make use of the corn crib for what we are trying to accomplish as "hobby farmers". Here's my ideas.

1. Fence off the pasture right up to one of the big sliding doors, and allow two or three steers voluntary access to the center for feeding and bedding. The other sliding door could be opened so I could get in and clean things out by driving straight through with the FEL.
2. Build a chicken-safe pen in one of the raised sides (where corn used to be stored). Cut in a hinged door to let them outside during the day. We are next to a timber and a creek so I'm concerned about foxes, coons, and muskrats eating the chickens.
3. Use the other raised side to store hay. We have three acres planted in pasture / alfalfa mix (two acres of this will be fenced off for the pasture). Since the side of the crib is slatted, will the hay stay dry and clean? I'd like to add some prongs to my BX2360 bucket to rake the cut hay and dump it in the one side of the crib, instead of baling it. Of course this will also require some type of large hinged access door. There is also the top of the crib where hay could be stored, but I wonder how I would get it up there?

What am I going to run into? Anybody tried something like this before?

 

[jimmyj]

You are right to be worried about varmints eating the chickens but I'm a bit confused about what a "corn crib" is exactly. We don't use that term for the same type of structure here. Is it that the building has solid walled granaries inside or??

If you let the chickens out through your door, just build a welded wire pen outside for them. They'll love it.

Regarding hay, it's so much easier to handle if it is in bales plus they are packed nice and tight so you get more volume per cubic foot than if it was loose.

I can't comment on the steers, I don't quite understand the building. However, we kept a few steers and let them have open access to an area of the barn. We had a cement floor in there as they make a heck of a mess of everything. I wouldn't want them having living access to where I do work or park my tractor.

 

[dave1949]

Is the barn a dirt floor in the center and concrete pads on each side, that were the corn crib(s)? If so, I can picture it. Although I'm not sure about the "top of the crib."

It looks like there are closely spaced boards in the crib areas, does that continue across/down both sides of the barn?

The crib areas may be a bit drafty for chickens in winter. Maybe you could line the inside of the coop section with some sheeting. I would keep the sheeting spaced off the original crib slats to avoid trapping moisture between the sheeting and the original boards. If you paint it to match, it might blend in if that is a concern visually. Then as jimmyj said, add a pen to the outside for a chicken run. If you have a choice, I would put the chicken coop area on an east or south side.

I don't know about the steers. It might be better to build an open face shed for them and use the barn for feed, tractor/implement and tool storage.

 

[kevin37b]

A corn crib is astructure for eared corn . You loaded it from the top and it had 2 bins with a driveway down the middle , and doors with 2x on an angle . Actually a fine system . As the corn dried in open air , it also fed a few critters . When you shelled there was agang of drags which the safety police would be proud of . When you shelled the crib , taping them pantlegs shut helped . Cleman , sounds like you have a descent plan . Keep the hay dry and the coons out .

 

[CLeman]

Thanks for the input everyone. Kevin37b has a great explanation of a "corn crib." I guess being from Illinois he is familiar with that old structure! I remember the drags and learned to respect them. Several fellas would climb inside the crib and shovel/push the corn out flaps about two feet high above the drags. The trick was to stay out of the way of the cat-sized rats as the corn emptied out and be ready to clobber them with your shovel! They don't build these type of "cribs" anymore that I know of...

I'll send some more pictures of the inside of the crib in a separate post.
The center section is indeed a dirt floor. The raised "cribs" on either side are not cement but rather wooden planks with a hollow space underneath. Dave, the spaced boards continue all around the outside, that's how the air dried the corn out. Like Kevin said, the top is a triangle shape with a solid floor. The corn was poured in the top and it fell down the sides until both sides were filled up.

I'm guessing that the dirt floor may be a problem with the steers? Would it be worthwhile to pour a cement floor and cement up the sides about a foot high? Then I could just drive through the center section with the FEL down on the floor to clean out the manure.

We would park the tractor in another shed which has a gravel floor.

Good to know about the chickens. We can put them in the southeast corner. I was thinking of surrounding them with chicken wire on all sides and the top. Or maybe plywood walls to keep the wind out when it gets cold.

I was trying to avoid the cost of hiring someone to bale the hay (plus I want to figure out a way I can do it myself with my BX2360 ). I was hoping I could just pile it in one crib side and fork it out to the cows as needed. Not sure if the slats would keep it dry enough? A driving rain would wet the outsides but then again the wind / air is able to keep things aired out well. I've heard about hay fires so I wouldn't want to take any chances with wet hay.

 

[CLeman]

The center dirt area has sliding doors and is meant to drive a wagon through. The two side "cribs" are raised about 2 feet with plank floors. The wall siding was spaced with air gaps to allow constant air flow. As you can see it will be bit of a challenge to cut an opening large enough for a four-foot loader bucket without disrupting the structural stability. Some steel beams framing the opening would probably do the trick.

 

[dave1949]

I don't think the dirt floor would be a problem for the steers although I don't know much about that. It seems some people raise livestock on dirt because they think that is healthier. If you do store hay in the cribs, and steers are using the center, there's a good chance there will chowchit on one side of the wall and hay on the other. :laughing:

My thought overall is that obsolete farm buildings are always difficult to use well. Somebody over the years has gone to some trouble to keep it in reasonable shape, the framing looks sound, needs a new window. My inclination would be to try to preserve it close to what it is, but try to make some use of the space.

For the chickens, I would eliminate the wood crib floor. Take it up and use dirt, or pour concrete between the ribbon foundations that are supporting the inner and outer crib walls. The raised wood floor is an invitation to chicken-eating, feed-fouling, egg-sucking vermin.

You could switch the slats on one side of the barn over to regular siding that matches the gable ends, put in a concrete floor, add an outside door about mid-way, and have a good weather tight storage shed.