Calling all Shepherds

5/25/2013

Hello, it is me again ... Mom. I have hi-jacked RJ's blog to ask all the other sheep and Goat keepers that read this blog a question. First let me say that I am in love with my outside spinning room. Even though it isn't finished I couldn't help myself and had to spend some time spinning there. A Little Man I know ran down all the AA batteries in the house so the pictures you are about to see are from my phone ... Sorry in advance.

Every Minute of today that I wasn't at work I have been working on my yard pen. My back door area now looks like this, as we have extended the fence to the other side of the back of the house. In time my whole yard will be fenced for my small flock but for now RJ is using it too (and I am getting my yard mowed for free).

This evening while the guys are gone to a rodeo I worked to turn a few old pieces of OSB and a couple of 4X4 from other projects (OSB is from the old man pen a storm took out) into this hut. I have the stuff for the roof but first the guys will spend a few minutes tomorrow cutting the two front braces for it. After that I moved a flower tub over to my new outdoor spinning room.

This is what I am calling my outside spinning room. I love it and I even took time to spin some Merino fiber I had. From that bench (which I am going to make a cushion and back for) not only can I see the sheep and pasture but I can see the side of the house.

Now if you look real close (the picture really is terrible for this) you can see a small white dryer vent just to the left of the floor vent on the right. By the way RJ's window is the one open a bit to let sound and a cool breeze in. Anyway, as I sat spinning I began to question a thing or two about my hut I was building. First, If I put it right there between the windows there would be extra shelter from the north wind. And that led me to ask what if I not only put it by the side of the house but what if I cut a cute little hole in the side of the hut to let the heat from my dryer flow into the hut? I know it wouldn't be great in the summer but since I don't have central heat or Air we don't use the dryer to dry anything but our under garments in the summer anyway. I use the clothes line most of the time. And in the winter when the sheep are lambing why couldn't they use the extra heat for the babies? The one thing I am worried about is that it will be a moist heat. So my question to you is if I pipe that heat into that hut and use it for lambing would the moist heat cause any problems that anyone can think of???

Diane

5/25/2013 01:52:26 pm

Love the view from your spinning room!

Christy

5/25/2013 02:34:14 pm

Thank you ... It isn't done as the electric will be moved to the fence line and we will put an awning over it in a few years I hope ... For now it is very nice and I love it ... :)

Sarah

5/25/2013 03:07:38 pm

Your spinning room is coming along nicely! I'm sure it was wonderful today as we had such great weather! I spent a few hours spraying the pasture for weeds & brush. It was great other than the wind blowing the spray in us! But still, such a beautiful day!

Kate Lowder

5/25/2013 03:41:02 pm

Michael, says you would raise the chances having pneumonia in your lambs due to the moisture in the heated air. If its a gas dryer you would be sending carbon monoxide in to the shed. Bad idea!

5/25/2013 03:53:52 pm

No the dryer isn't gas ... and in Oklahoma it is humid anyway so why would it raise the chances of pneumonia?? Wouldn't the lambs get used to it just as they would the humid air in summer??

Laura link

5/25/2013 04:45:17 pm

You'd also need to consider any fumes from washing detergent. I know that the air that comes out of our dryer vent is fairly strongly scented even though I use a lightly scented, organic detergent. So I would suggest spending some time sitting beside the vent while your dryer is running and making sure the smell wouldn't be unpleasant!

Other than that, I like the idea of re-using the warmed air. Its always seemed wasteful to me to have all that hot air blowing outside during the winter!

5/25/2013 04:49:59 pm

Just thought of one other thing-- even if you don't use the dryer vent its still a good idea to put the hut up by the house because of the extra insulation you'll get - and possibly even a bit of heating or cooling-- from sharing a wall with the house. I have had two dye studios at our current house; one was in a stand alone shed in the backyard and the other is in a shed attached to the house but not heated or sharing any of the same air (you actually have to walk through the garage to get to it). The second one is the one I use most because it stays cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. I still heat and cool it using an electric space heater and window a/c unit but its much easier to regulate the temperature, even though its a larger space in part because it has an entire house as insulation on one side.

5/26/2013 04:39:40 am

We don't have to worry about the smell as we have to use unscented everything because of RJ's Allergies. Also the East side of the entire shed is open so the moisture and heat would dissipate wouldn't it???

KateJonze

5/26/2013 03:45:13 am

I don't know anything about sheep or goats, but I think even if you have a lint filter in the dryer, smaller particles will go through and out the vent. It seems to me that breathing that almost-invisible lint would damage their lungs. Same would go for you if you put your spinning area there. Not to mention fumes from detergents and softeners.

5/26/2013 04:41:37 am

But with the entire east side of the shed open how much of that would really stay in the shed?? I never see anything in the area of the vent to indicate that there would be an issue ... ???

5/26/2013 04:49:33 am

I did a bit of research and did anyone know that they used to make a "gizzmo" that did in fact filter the warm air back into your house ... but with houses that are newer and sealed up air tight it causes more issues then does good. My house is old and seals up as well as swiss cheese so I should be okay right ??? LOL

5/26/2013 04:51:55 am

You guys have to check this out ... http://www.northlineexpress.com/chimney/chimney-pipe-stove-pipe/dryer-vent/dryer-vent-pipe/4-white-dryer-vent-heat-saver-vt0107.html

Amy Stefanisko

5/26/2013 02:04:54 pm

I know people aren't lambs but I vent my dryer into the house year around to increase the humidity (Phoenix resident). I love how it makes the house feel!

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