Inexpensive run-in built with pallets

[saultgirl]

[QUOTE=mkevent;7937581]
I think it looks like a cool idea.

vxf-we tend to get the flimsy pallets in our neck of the woods. I had originally used them for compost bins, and they did not last at all. The heavy duty oak pallets are hard to find but are awesome.

Did they anchor the support posts into concrete? I can’t tell from the photos if they are set in concrete or resting on small concrete slabs.[/QUOTE]

It looks like they dug a hole, put in rebar, and attached a heavy bracket to the post and then poured concrete. I’m not sure if the rebar was attached to the bracket but the bracket seems to be sunk into the concrete.

I would totally put up a kick board and use it as a turnout shelter.

[cowboymom]

The mantra here where it gets so cold is “Plastic Breaks”…

Pallet grade is usually by what arrives on the pallet. Baling twine shows up on a lightweight pallet, pallets of 200 lb protein tubs arrive on good heavy duty pallets. Our vendors buy them back for $8 a good pallet and $3 for a light weight pallet. I know people are kiping ours off the pallet stack when nobody is here at night!

We didn’t put any foundation under our chicken coop. Pallets are like legos, they’re square and then you bolt them together in a square it’s quite strong.

[atr]

If you are skinning them on both sides, they don’t have to be that great. You are only using them as the equivalent of 2x4s after all.

[merrygoround]

Very clever!

[Sing_Mia_Song]

I am totally down with this. I have been itching to build a mini run-in for the donks, so they can have their own personal space. I have a little corner of the pasture fenced off as a donkey sanctuary for when Finn decides to do some “team penning,” but I know they’d also appreciate having a shelter there. I wonder if I could build it on skids instead of footers. Not that I’d intend to move it, because it’s clearly not engineered for that, but it might make it a little easier.

Hmmm…[strokes chin thoughtfully]

[GypsyQ]

We are currently doing something similar to use as a greenhouse. Walls are up and half the roof. Then, we will cut out a few of the extra cross pieces and wrap the whole shebang in greenhouse plastic. Other than the plastic and a box of deck screws, it is costing us nothing but labor.

[mht]

And here’s a another one for you. I would somehow finish the inside ‘walls’ to make it a bit safer. http://thefreerangelife.com/how-to-make-a-shelter-out-of-pallets/

[spotted_draft_x_fill]

Pallets are awesome for all sorts of projects. Where I board now, they used pallets to build stalls and hay feeders. I also grabbed a few and made an extra large saddle and saddle pad stand. If you use the ones that don’t weigh much, they won’t hold up. You have to use the ones that have a bit of weight to them.

[sascha]

Years ago, I remember stabling where they had temporary stalls that we all called pallet stalls. They weren’t actually made of pallets but looked like them. We bandaged the horses’ legs so they were good and fat to be on the safe side, but kicking wasn’t generally a problem. However, the dink I was showing would climb the rungs so he could get up high enough to survey the whole facility. That horse gave me more than one heart attack :lol:

[King_s_Ransom]

mht, that is a great idea of a quick, cheap temporary shelter – which is something we often need in emergency. I would, however, agree that lining the inside walls with some type of sturdy siding would GREATLY improve safety. What I like most is that this is something almost anyone could do in a pinch! Thank for sharing.

[poltroon]

2x4s are cheap enough that I would question how much you actually save in materials if you have to skin it inside and out anyway, and especially if you don’t just HAVE a pile of annoying pallets that you need to get rid of. I think it would work great for chickens or stuff. Note that it is raised off the ground and anchored in concrete. Pallets are not going to handle ground contact well; if you’re building with bought materials, you can use pressure treated for your bottom lumber which will help the structure last longer.

From my own building experiences, I might suggest that there’s some amount of “then a miracle occurs” here and that maybe it’s not as easy as it looks from the pictures, ie, there are a lot of little details to work out, especially if your pallets aren’t all exactly the same size or have irritating defects.

There are lots of plans around for building a shed with very detailed instructions. I would suggest comparing them before getting started.

[shakeytails]

[QUOTE=Calvincrowe;7937066]
I wonder how those heavy plastic pallets hold up? I saw an ad for them on CL locally and thought they’d stand up to dropping hay on them much better than the cheapy pine ones I have now.[/QUOTE]

I used to get pallets from where I used to work. I have half a dozen of the plastic pallets- I wish I had about 40 more. Those things are awesome- lightweight and they won’t rot. If you can get them cheap, snatch 'em up.

The heavy oak pallets (~100#) would last for 4-5 years sitting on the ground (but under cover in a barn), the cheaper thinner pine I’d be lucky to get 2 years out of.

Other people I work with also did a lot with used free pallets- one guy planed it down for flooring, another made paneling. Lots of us took them home for storage of hay and such.

I have a couple of old horses that would do just fine in a pallet shed. I think it’s just easier and not that expensive to put up a “real” shed, but DH is a carpenter and we live where we can get get rough cut oak fairly cheap.

[Shammy_Davis]

I disagree with some of the longevity estimates. I store round and square bales on pallets, many made of hard wood. Even with oak wood, the construction of pallets is not sustantible over long periods of time. The small nails used in construction in and of themselves will more sooner than later cause the pallets to weaken and ultimately collapse. Untreated lumber rots quite fast in moist areas and climates. I’m lucky to get a season out of pallets. I once used pallets to make a hog pen. Cheap me learned my lesson. Never do that again.

Like said above, it is easier and probably more inexpensive over the long term to build a poll shed.

[DHCarrotfeeder]

[QUOTE=atr;7937665]
If you are skinning them on both sides, they don’t have to be that great. You are only using them as the equivalent of 2x4s after all.[/QUOTE]

It saves you on the least expensive material component of a shelter. I’m unimpressed, honestly.

David

[Calvincrowe]

Lumber prices have skyrocketed locally, so free pallets are gold! I’ve used the same pallets under my hay (on concrete, in a barn) for 12 years so yes, they can last a long time.

[cowboymom]

Lumber is expensive everywhere. Some people have bigger budgets than others and that can afford them the luxury of looking down their noses at pallet buildings. :yes:

My 20 year old pallet and T1-11 chicken coop is still standing after all these Montana winters.

[chaos_theory]

We built our goat sheds out of recycled pallets. We love them!

This one is a 3 sided run-in style. (Behind Mr. Sandman…)
https://www.facebook.com/InTheoryFarm/photos/a.540792705949579.136204.370090466353138/979761558719356/?l=6c9b4934f4

And another lean-to style off the back of the goat barn.
https://www.facebook.com/InTheoryFarm/photos/a.724227700939411.1073741833.370090466353138/724228254272689/?l=af97a2d9a2

[cowboymom]

Holy cow, chaos theory, look at all that pork! :lol: (peeked at your facebook page)

Beautiful critters you have there!

[Calvincrowe]

Chaos theory-- your farm is lovely! (Yes I explored your FB page). Love your pallet goat barn, very clever. Your stock are gorgeous-- those pastures full of goats. Swoon! Green grass!

[trubandloki]

[QUOTE=DHCarrotfeeder;7939368]
It saves you on the least expensive material component of a shelter. I’m unimpressed, honestly.

David[/QUOTE]

The least expensive material is still money spent which does not have to be spent if you have a free source of other material.

2x4s are not free or even close to it when you have to buy them in quantity.

We can sometimes get heavy duty pallets here, the biggest issue we have is that the lumber is not usually the most consistent when it comes to being straight.