3D Farm Planner — space per head and pen layout
Enter your herd size or your land area: we work out the shaded area, open yard, feeder length, water points, pens and stores — and draw the farm in 3D.
Result
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Indicative guideline values — check with an engineer or specialist before building.
Illustrative plan on a rectangular plot; dimensions in metres are approximate. Put quarantine downwind of your prevailing wind, away from the pens. Indicative guideline values — check with an engineer or specialist before building.
Guideline values used (per head)
| Class | Shade m² | Yard m² | Feeder cm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding females | 1.2–1.8 | 2–4 | 45 |
| Birthing pens (individual) | 1.5–2.2 | — | — |
| Weaned & young stock | 0.6–0.9 | 1–2 | 30 |
| Fattening | 0.8–1 | 1.5–2.5 | 30 |
| Rams / bucks / bulls | 2–3 | 4–6 | 50 |
Indicative guideline values — check with an engineer or specialist before building.
How it works
- Shade and yard = head in each class × the indicative area per head. In a hot, dry climate we use the top of the shade range.
- Individual birthing pens for about 10–15% of the females; about one ram or buck per 30 females.
- Stores come from daily feed use × days of stock; tanks hold two days of drinking water.
- Site area = pens and buildings + roads and alleys + the quarantine buffer.
Sheep barn design — common questions
How much space does a sheep need in a barn?
As a guideline, a ewe needs about 1.2–1.8 m² of shaded floor plus 2–4 m² of open yard. Weaned lambs need less and rams more (2–3 m² of shade). In hot summers plan the upper end of the shade range.
How do I design a sheep barn for a hot climate?
Put the shade on the north side of the yard, keep the roof about 3 m high for airflow, give one drinking point per 30–50 head, and keep birthing, sick and quarantine pens apart from the flock.
How many sheep fit on one hectare or one dunum?
It depends on the species and system. Choose “I have a plot of land”, enter the area, and the tool returns the herd the fenced site can hold, including roads, stores and quarantine.
Are these official standards?
No. They are indicative values for early planning. Check with an engineer or specialist and your local regulations before building.
Register your herd in Throf and follow every pen
Once the farm is built, run it in Throf: a record per head, groups and pens, health and vaccines, feed, cost per head and reports. Free up to 25 head.
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