Keeping Warm

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Many years ago, a group of us walking along a country road in North Germany, got into a conversation with a farmer in his front 'garden' and ended up being invited into his house. ( He could speak some English) The entrance was down a dirt floor corridor between two brick walls of the house, leading to a couple of steps up to a door with a side-entrance type of gate latch. It led into his kitchen from where a frighteningly steep flight of stone steps led down to his bier cellar. One wall of the corridor had two large unglazed 'window' holes with horizontal restricting bars. The smell had to be sniffed to be believed, caused by his cattle staring through the large dark room. Farmer said his bedroom was over top of the 'cowshed' and was toasty warm in the winter, for free! More recently, I have read of a recommendation to keep rabbits in a large greenhouse to keep it warm for free. All plants of course have to be grown in pots on shelves.

John

Edited By DMB on 26/12/2022 13:23:57

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

living next door to or above cattle was fairly standard in most parts of Europe until modern times – just research the topic.

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

My college notes remind me that the average pig produces 700 watts of heat for anyone wishing to heat their shed accordingly.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Dales barns (cow'ouses) typically had 2 storeys, with a full height bit by the big door to allow access to hay carts. The side bits were where the cows lived, so their accommodation had hay against one long wall and the ceiling, nice and warm in winter. The area above the cows was known as the baulks, probably from the timber floor. These barns were often away from the main buildings, in the hay meadows. This makes it easier to cart the hay in, and the manure (muck) back to the fields

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