How To Set Up Your Show Barn
You are looking forward to the return of actual shows and maybe you’ve been thinking of the best way to set up your show barn. You may be building new or more likely, you are going to convert an existing structure on your place.
Show Barn Remodel
I’m still not sure that after three show barn remodels we have it right. There are always things I want to do to improve the setup and flow, worse than that, every time we visit someone else’s barn I want to incorporate what they have as well.
Perhaps that’s why we’ve remodeled it three times. Like clipping, you are never really done, there’s always some tweak that can be made. Let’s just keep that part between us…if Frank even heard I was thinking there is some other improvement that could be made to the show barn, he may move out!
I can tell you with a high degree of confidence that the boys are more than done with construction and “ranch beautification” projects, as Frank terms it.
You don’t need a big barn to accomplish a great deal if you plan it correctly. We sell roughly 50 calves a year, which means that on top of the boys’ show cattle and a couple of pigs, we are running quite a few head through to break and clip every year. Our barn is only about 70’x60’…which may seem large to some but small to others…but it’s a workhorse.
I’m a giant fan of finding ideas on Pinterest. In fact, Frank often asks me when he finishes a project…” Are you going to Pin that?” I don’t, though I should.
Some things to consider as you set up your show barn:
What is your objective? Think both short and long term. This can be quite challenging to determine for any of us.
I’ve seen many families start out with one young child who wants to show his or her first steer. Fast forward several years later and the one covered pen with rubber mats on the outside of the pen to rinse has been replaced by a large building with multiple pens, a wash rack, cooler, clipping room, and tie rail.
One day the parents look around in awe that they actually thought they could get by with just a little pen as their third child prepares to go the Junior National Show.
Since none of us have a crystal ball, ask yourself a few questions:
- What is my budget?
- What is my goal?
- How can I best utilize my resources?
Once you have answered at least the first two questions, keep reading. Hopefully, the answer to the third question will become evident.
Pens
How many cattle do you think you’ll need to get ready in your barn? From a construction standpoint, make them out of something stout and secure. We have pipe and sucker rod pens that Frank welded. You can use panels or even continuous fence panels if necessary. Wire pens are really not a good option for show cattle. We discuss our design requirements more thoroughly in our Show Smart video series.
Keep in mind there is a difference between a run/turnout and a pen. We use high tensile wire with fiberglass stays in our runs.
Field fence and barbed wire are not great options for show cattle as they can rub on the field fence and destroy it or cut themselves on barbed wire.
Our barn was here when we bought the place and has concrete floors. Probably you can have a “Ford vs Chevy” type conversation here, but if we were building a barn, we’d avoid concrete…except in the wash rack.
It doesn’t allow the urine to drain away from the pens and it stains when they poop on it as they head out the door (which they almost always do).
Bed it Deep
We have cider fiber bedding in the pens in the barn. We NEVER feed on it. One of my weird quirks is that I almost lose my mind if someone gets a single piece of hay on the cedar fiber. The bedding is 6-10 inches deep to keep cattle comfortable and sound. They get fed in the runs. Grain twice a day and hay all night.
Tie Rail
You don’t have to have a tie rail, but it sure does help if you do. Again, something stout and secure. I know lots of people love using turf, wrestling mats, other sorts of cushion in their barns. Whatever you like is great, as long as it offers a non-slip, shock-absorbing surface. We prefer to use cedar fiber here as well.
Note on Cedar Fiber:
Funny thing, I sound like a cedar fiber commercial. I actually hated it until we got a different kind. It’s harder to get in California, by comparison to TX or OK. We had a brand that was much more like cedar splinters and was quite dusty for years. It would get in your socks and stab you all day. Then as soon as you got it wet, it would track all over the barn. Look for something that is a bit coarser than the splintery kind and opt for as low dust as you can get.
Wash Rack
If you show cattle you’ll need a wash rack. If you live where it gets really cold, you’ll need to make adaptations there too. The most important consideration for your washrack is the surface. As someone who has had everything from a mudhole in the gravel to a concrete floor…I vote concrete here if possible.
Things to consider:
- Where will it drain to and what sort of drain will you use?
- Consider poles to keep cattle from swinging.
Good water pressure is one of those things that you can’t truly appreciate unless you’ve had the lack of it. When we were first married, we lived on a beautiful ranch with a really cool old horse barn. The water pressure was TERRIBLE. We’d look forward to going to a show just to have good water pressure.
Clipping Area
This may be in your calf’s pen or you may dedicate an entire room to it. The key is to have something that is relatively level or running slightly uphill where you tie them and good lighting. Things to consider:
You are going to clip the whole calf. You need to be able to see up high, down low, in front of, and behind him.
White painted walls will help to reflect light, but that’s not always possible. The drawback there of course is that all manure etc shows up on white.
Feed Area
You’ll need to be able to keep your feed clean, dry, and keep varments out of it. Frank makes these wooden boxes that allow supplements and feed to breathe. We have a bulk tank, so we don’t store grain in these, but you certainly could. Avoid things that are air-tight as your feed can sweat and then mold.
Fancy or Not
There are great cattle that come out of show barns of all sorts in this country. A fancy show barn does not indicate your future success. Your dedication to the project and the cattle you put “on feed” will determine your success. A well-designed cattle show barn simply makes the whole process easier to accomplish those daily tasks that lead to your success.
Show Smart
If you like Stock Show Stories, you’ll love Show Smart! A full year of access to our in-depth, fast-paced, professional training videos. Selection, showmanship, daily care, feeding, clipping, fitting, and more! We built a cutting-edge program to teach you or your kids how the techniques we use every single day.
