A loafing shed is a simple, open-fronted shelter where cattle or horses can get out of wind, sleet and summer sun, and come and go as they please. Done right, it keeps animals drier and bedded through the worst of a Prairie winter without the cost or ventilation headaches of a closed barn.
Done wrong, it fills with snow, sits in a pond every spring, or is too shallow to keep the back dry. Size, depth and the direction the open side faces matter more than the price of the building. This guide covers square feet per head for cattle and horses, depth and height, siting against prevailing northwest winter winds, drainage, bedding, portable versus permanent shelters, and materials.
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Quick answer: A loafing shed is an open-front shelter livestock use freely. Common rules of thumb allow about 20–30 sq ft per mature beef cow, and about 100–150 sq ft for the first horse plus 60–100 sq ft per extra horse. Make cattle sheds 20–30 ft deep, put the closed back to the prevailing northwest wind and build on high, drained ground.
1 What a Loafing Shed Is — and Isn’t
A loafing shed, also called a run-in shed or open-front shed, has three closed walls and one open side, usually under a single-slope roof that drains to the back. Animals are not shut in. They use it when they want, which suits cow herds through winter, bred heifers before calving, horses on pasture and backgrounding pens.
It is not a calving barn. A loafing shed shelters a group; it does not give you warm, dry pens to pull a calf, or the lights and handling to work on a cow at 3 a.m. If you calve between January and April, plan for both — our calving season equipment checklist covers what goes in the barn.
2 Loafing Shed Size: Square Feet Per Head
The space each animal needs under roof depends on the class of stock, how long they stay inside and how well the group gets along. The figures below are commonly used rules of thumb for open-front shelters with access to an outside pen or pasture. They are starting points, not standards — talk your plan through with your veterinarian or provincial livestock specialist.
| Animal | Rule-of-thumb space under roof | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mature beef cows | About 20–30 sq ft per head | Upper end for big-framed cows, late pregnancy or long stays inside |
| Bred heifers and yearlings | About 15–25 sq ft per head | Size for the weight they will reach by spring |
| Weaned calves | About 12–20 sq ft per head | Calves crowd; extra doorway width helps |
| Horses (about 1,000 lb) | About 100–150 sq ft for the first horse, plus 60–100 sq ft per additional horse | More for groups with a dominant horse |
Horses need more room per head than cattle because of herd dynamics. A dominant horse will guard a doorway or a corner and keep others out in the weather, so wider openings and extra space help lower-ranked horses get in. Cattle bunch more readily, but crowding still means wet bedding and bullied heifers.
Here is how those rules turn into building sizes:
| Herd | Space needed | Example shed size |
|---|---|---|
| 20 cows | About 400–600 sq ft | 20×30 or 24×24 |
| 50 cows | About 1,000–1,500 sq ft | 24×60 or 30×48 |
| 100 cows | About 2,000–3,000 sq ft | 30×96, or two 24×60 sheds |
| 3 horses | About 220–350 sq ft | 12×24 or 14×24 |
| 6 horses | About 400–650 sq ft | 16×36 or 20×30 |
Tip: size for the herd you expect in three years, not today, and split big groups between sheds. Two medium sheds in different pens give more doorway space, less bullying and a backup if one drifts in. Ask loafing shed and shelter suppliers what standard lengths they build; extending in fixed bays is usually cheaper than a custom size.
3 Depth, Height and Roof
Depth matters as much as floor area. A shallow shed lets blowing snow and rain reach the whole floor; a deeper one keeps the back of the shed dry for bedding.
- Depth: horse sheds are commonly 12–16 ft deep for small groups and deeper for larger ones. Cattle sheds commonly run 20–30 ft, with 24 ft a frequent choice.
- Front height: leave 10–12 ft clear at the front for horses so a horse that rears does not strike the header, and enough height and width for the tractor or skid steer you clean with.
- Back height: a single-slope roof drops to the back, commonly to 8–10 ft, so water and snow shed away from the open front.
- Roof: use steel roofing on a frame engineered for your snow load. A shed roof collects drifted snow, so do not size it like a garden shed.
- Kick wall: line the lower 4–5 ft inside with heavy plywood or planks so hooves and rubbing do not punch through the steel.
- Ventilation: leave a gap or vents high on the back wall so warm, moist air escapes in summer.
4 Placement: Orientation, Wind and Snow
On the Canadian Prairies and northern plains, the coldest winter winds come mostly from the northwest and north. Put the closed back wall toward the northwest and face the open side south or southeast. That keeps the worst wind out, lets low winter sun reach the bedding and dry the floor, and keeps the opening out of the wind’s path.
Check your own yard before you commit. Terrain, tree rows, bins and buildings change wind direction locally. Watch where snow drifts after a storm, and ask neighbours where drifts form every year.
Snow is the second siting problem. Snow drops out where the wind slows down — just downwind of a solid fence, building or dense tree row. A shed in that calm zone fills with drifts. Leave enough space between any windbreak and the shed for drifts to land in the gap, and keep the area in front of the opening clear so you can push snow away with a loader.
Watch for: a shed facing east or west gets wind blowing straight in whenever the wind shifts, and a shed tucked into a hollow out of the wind is often the wettest spot on the yard in spring. High, drained ground with the open side to the south beats a sheltered low spot.
Plan how animals reach the shed from pasture without wearing a mud lane. Our electric fencing for cattle guide covers laying out paddocks and lanes, and our guide to frost-free cattle waterers helps you place water close to the shed but not in front of it.
5 Drainage, Pad and Bedding
Most spring problems in a loafing shed are water problems. Get the ground right before the building goes up.
- Raise the floor above the surrounding grade with compacted fill on a clay or gravel base, and slope the ground away from the open side.
- Build a firm apron of compacted gravel or concrete across the front, where traffic is heaviest, so a mud trench does not form at the opening.
- Keep roof water out of the pen with eavestroughs or a gravel drip strip along the back wall.
- Stay back from wells, dugouts, creeks and property lines. Provinces regulate livestock facilities and manure near water, so confirm setbacks with your province or municipality.
Straw is the usual bedding on the Prairies. Plan where bales are stored, how you will get them into the shed without opening a fence, and how you will clean out. A wide front that a loader can reach every corner of is worth more than a few extra feet of length. Many producers clean out once the ground dries in spring and spread the manure on fields under their provincial manure-management rules.
6 Portable vs Permanent Loafing Sheds
Portable (Skid-Mounted)
- Built on steel or timber skids and moved with a tractor
- Can follow stock to new pasture and avoids mud build-up in one spot
- Usually smaller: a few horses, a calf group or a small herd
- Lighter frame that must be anchored against wind
- May be treated differently for permits; check locally
Permanent (Post-Frame)
- Posts in the ground or on concrete, with larger spans and depths
- Better for heavy snow loads and big herds
- Shares a pad, waterer and handling area with the wintering yard
- Higher up-front cost, so it has to be sited right the first time
- Usually needs municipal approval and setbacks
As a rough guide, typical ranges as of 2026 put a skid-mounted portable shelter at about $4,000–$18,000 CAD depending on size and build, and a contractor-built open-front post-frame shed at about $25–$45 per sq ft. Prices vary by region, dealer and spec — get quotes. For how post-frame pricing works by size, see our pole barn cost guide.
7 Loafing Shed Materials
Steel-clad post-frame
The Prairie standard for permanent sheds: treated or laminated posts, trusses or rafters, and painted steel roof and walls. Long-lasting and quick to build; add a kick wall inside.
Wood board or plank
Rough-sawn boards on a pole or timber frame. Easy to repair and quieter in the wind. Needs more upkeep, and horses may chew exposed edges.
Steel frame and panels
Welded steel-tube frames with steel sheeting, common on portable and skid units. Strong and movable; check for sharp edges and protect the lower panels.
Fabric or hoop structures
Steel arches under a fabric cover. Bright inside and fast to put up; check the snow-load rating and the expected life of the cover.
Whatever you choose, get the snow-load rating, fastener type and warranty in writing, and make sure the frame is built for animals rubbing and leaning on it. For larger permanent sheds and barns, also compare farm building suppliers who put up post-frame buildings.
8 Before You Buy: Loafing Shed Checklist
- Head count now and in three years, with space per head for each class
- Depth and front height that suit your cleaning equipment
- Open side facing south or southeast, back to the prevailing winter wind
- High, drained site with a built-up pad and a firm front apron
- Snow drift zone mapped, with room to push snow clear
- Water, feed and fence access planned without a mud lane
- Setbacks from wells, water and property lines confirmed
- Snow-load rating, materials and warranty in writing
Then compare cattle and horse shelter suppliers on FarmPages, or browse the wider livestock equipment category for waterers, feeders and handling gear.
Loafing Shed FAQ
How big should a loafing shed be for cattle?
A commonly used rule of thumb for an open-front shed with an outside pen is about 20 to 30 square feet per mature beef cow, less for yearlings and calves. Fifty cows would need roughly 1,000 to 1,500 square feet, such as a 24×60 shed. Use the upper end for large-framed or heavily pregnant cows, and check your plan with your vet or provincial livestock specialist.
How many square feet does a horse need in a run-in shed?
A common rule of thumb is about 100 to 150 square feet for the first horse, plus 60 to 100 square feet for each additional horse that gets along. Three horses would need roughly 220 to 350 square feet, such as a 12×24 or 14×24 shed. Allow more room and a wider opening if one horse tends to guard the doorway.
Which direction should a loafing shed face?
On the Prairies, face the open side south or southeast and put the closed back wall toward the prevailing northwest winter wind. That blocks the coldest wind, lets winter sun reach the bedding and helps the floor dry. Local terrain and tree rows change wind patterns, so watch where snow drifts on your own yard before you build.
How deep should a loafing shed be?
Horse run-in sheds are commonly 12 to 16 feet deep for small groups, and cattle sheds commonly run 20 to 30 feet deep, with 24 feet a frequent choice. Deeper sheds keep blowing snow and rain off the back of the floor so bedding stays dry. Make the front opening tall and wide enough for your loader to clean every corner.
Do I need a permit for a loafing shed?
It depends on your province and municipality. Some jurisdictions exempt farm buildings from building permits while others require them, and portable skid shelters may be treated differently from permanent ones. Setbacks from roads, property lines, wells and water bodies often apply to livestock facilities either way. Check with your rural municipality or county before you build or place a shelter.
Is a portable or permanent loafing shed better?
Portable skid-mounted shelters suit smaller groups and rotational grazing, because you can move them to fresh ground and avoid mud build-up. Permanent post-frame sheds suit larger herds, heavier snow loads and wintering sites with water and feed already in place. Many operations use both: a permanent shed at the wintering yard and portable shelters out on pasture.