shade for sweaty pigs

Large animals need to be cool - this is one of the first lessons I learned to keep the animals happy at the farm.  Number two-  look where you are stepping, that keeps the architect happy on the farm.  


Inside the existing enclosure was the only shade Duncan and Nugget currently had at the site.  The first design decision made was to provide an impromptu shading structure attached to the enclosure.  Bart, Joe and I foraged for material along the creek and in the pastures hoping to find felled timbers and other materials we could use to build with.  Indra generously invited us to peruse the north barn, where we struck gold!  We found rough-sawn timbers, dimensional lumber, corrugated plastic sheeting (right?), cmu blocks, tires, palettes and an old Jaguar car cover (again, right?!?).  

After a quick design charette, we immediately began to build the shading structure.  On the east side of the roof, a 2x8 was placed on end to support the rough-sawn timbers that would hold up the stretched car cover.  The cantilevered timbers were notched and fitted over the 2x8, then toe-nailed at the west end of the existing structure.  

Joe and Bart stretched the car cover over the timbers, and no matter how much it was pulled to be tight and smooth, there was an awkward bump.  They decided to "celebrate" the material and extend the bump.  

The new shading was provided along the east side of the structure, extending the shadow provided by the existing enclosure AND the new cover.  

Goal = Achieved
Cost = $0
Success!  
Now that's one happy pig... (and architect!)