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6 Types of Farm Structures and Buildings to Know About

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Farm structures are the branches of agricultural engineering dealing in planning, design, and construction. They provide a favorable environment to build a prosperous commercial farm. Farm constructions are agricultural buildings related to harvesting crops and raising livestock.

In other words, these are facilities built on the farm site that makes operations more straightforward. Are you looking for agricultural buildings? Different farm types require particular buildings and outbuildings to run agricultural operations successfully. The farm’s type defines the farm building. 

There are multiple types of agricultural structures that are used for varied purposes. Farm structures improve storage facilities, animal houses, transportation and reduce post-harvest losses.  The different types of farm structures and buildings that you need to know about are discussed below.

1. Barn 

Barn

A barn is a famous agricultural building that serves multiple purposes. It provides shelter for livestock or livestock feeds like grain and hay. A barn is used to store farm machines and supplies. There are different types of barns based on size and purpose. 

The farms that raise animals and livestock, the main barn is the animals’ house. For horses, there are rows, a grooming area, tack room, and stall shower. For cattle, there is a refugee place for sheep and llamas. Livestock pens or confinement buildings are mainly used for poultry and pigs. 

2. Farmhouse 

Farmhouse

A farmhouse is a construction that is home for farmers, workers, and their families. It mainly includes an office and ample space for food storage. It also has a large refrigeration with a cellar or freezer. It is because most of the families are large. A farmhouse represents simple rural life that serves as a home base for agricultural activities. 

Large farmhouses contain three or four bedrooms. In other words, a farmhouse serves as the primary quarter in an agricultural setting. It is mainly connected to one or more barns to form a courtyard. 

3. Silo 

Silo

A silo is a storage facility for storing grains like rice, corn, and silage. It also stores carbon black, coal, cement, woodchips, and sawdust. The silo keeps the grains dry and protects from bugs and rodents. It is usually a trench, pit, or a tall cylinder made up of wood or concrete and sealed to exclude air.  

Bunker silos are trenches with concrete walls. These are filled and packed with loaders and tractors. Bag silos are heavy plastic tubes of variable length. They are packed with a machine and sealed on both sides. Tower silos are long cylindrical structures made up of steel panels, cast concrete or wood staves. 

4. Greenhouse 

Greenhouse

A greenhouse is a unique facility helpful in growing plants and crops that require regulated weather conditions. The walls and roof are mostly built up of glass and transparent materials. The majority of the greenhouses have built-in windows for ventilation. 

Glasshouse is the optimal greenhouse structure for producing vegetables, fruits, or flowers in mild/cold climates. Polythene greenhouses and polytunnels are ideal for nursery cultivation and producing vegetables and flowers across diverse climates.  Net houses are cost-effective structures. They are ideal for cultivating crops, including orchards, vegetables, and tree-crop nurseries. 

5. Brooder house 

Brooder house
Image: craigardcroft.com

A brooder house is a heated enclosure that provides shelter to young livestock and poultry. It is mainly used for raising baby birds like baby chicks, goslings, and turkey poults. These animals rely on their mother for warmth. However, in the mother’s absence, a heat lamp keeps them warm enough to reduce the stress on the body’s internal systems. 

A brooder house must have warmth, ventilation, hydration, and sanitation. The commercial brooder have several units like automatic feeders, heat lamps, fan ventilation, and large doors.

6. Chicken house 

Chicken house

A chicken house or chicken coop is a small structure used for keeping chickens, especially females. It is mainly constructed to render a place to the chicken for laying their eggs for accessible collections and protect them from bad weather. It is a safe home for the chicken where they can flourish.

Let me tell you that chickens are not kept in the henhouse for the whole day. The chicken house has a door that allows it to come outside during the daytime and absorb sunlight. During the night, they go back to the chicken house to sleep. 

Conclusion

That is all! These are the primary farm structures that one should be aware of.  They play a huge role in developing the agricultural sector. The farm structures provide good working conditions for the farmers and ideal living surroundings for animals and poultry. 

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