What is the difference between a shed and a barn?

[Windy in Kansas]

Don't let other posts sway your definition, in your opinion what is each?

I looked online and found that my definitions were incorrect.

[Wisconsin Ann]

for me: shed is a small building for storage. OR a large building that's not completely enclosed. (like a 3sided pole barn type)

barn: larger, enclosed, doors, substantial. Not going to blow down soon

I tend to think of "shed" as a one story building, too.

[mare]

what she said

[How Do I]

I tend to think of a shed as for light storage too, whereas a barn would be more for livestock - farm usage.

[geo in mi]

A barn is what your Mother asked you if you were born in when you didn't shut the door. A shed is what you build onto the barn when you run out of room. Out behind the barn is where you learned to smoke and other things....... A shack is........

[big rockpile]

Don't know some would call my Barn a Shed.

Kind of like what is the difference between a Farm and a Ranch? I've seen several Farms around here be sold and become a Ranch.

big rockpile

[Jerngen]

A barn is where you keep your livelihood, a shed is where you keep the tools to support your livelihood.
That's why some farms the "sheds" are quite a bit larger then the barn!

[o&itw]

I'm with Ann and Mare on this one.

[Windy in Kansas]

In the area I grew up in a barn was always a facility for livestock although some of the hillside barns did have mow storage for tractors, cars, etc.

A shed was anything from a 6' X 6' city type unit to a 60' X 100' building to house things, work on things, or to store hay in.

A granary was used for the storage of grain, ear corn in small enough quantities that a crib was not needed and along those lines.

In other words a pole barn as in the topic below would have always been used as a livestock facility and a pole shed would have stored things.

Interesting to find out what others are using as definitions often do to varying areas.

[Murray in ME]

I've always thought about it the same way Ann does. And, for me, a barn is also set up to house livestock. Usually with an area for feed storage, such as a haymow.

[uncle Will in In.]

A barn has walls so you can lock the door before your horse gets out.
A shed is just something put up to SHED water. It might have some walls or it could be cobbled on to the side of the barn. It could protect a tool or a combine because size is in direct proportion to heft of your billfold.

why is a chicken house not called a chicken barn?

[springvalley]

To me a barn is the grand old 71 year old building that houses my milk cows and has hay storeage upstairs. A shed has poles with lumber attached to them with tin nailed on them, they will never be a barn in my mind. Thanks Marc

[js2743]

a shed is a building with a roof that only slopes one way, a barn is built with a A frame roof. there can be big sheds and lil ones the roof determines if its a shed or not.

[hunter63]

Barn is for animals and feed.
Shed is for most anthing else.

What ever you do never build a "garage".......call it an "Ag building.....Tax thing.

[Windy in Kansas]

This thread is interesting. I'm enjoying reading it.

[PNP Katahdins]

We have a large 3-sided building, open to the east, called "the cattle shed," which stores machinery and large square hay bales in the end protected with gates. Sheep have access to the other end. We set the lambing jugs up in the storage part in the spring. It is about 35 years old.

We have a classic 1917 bank barn called "the barn," which stores small square bales of hay and straw in the second story as well as miscellaneous stuff and junk. Sheep have access to the bottom, which has three large openings facing east. That's where the former owners milked cows and stabled horses long ago.

So they both perform the same functions. Both have double-sloped roofs. One is a barn, the other is a shed. Hmm.

We also have a grainary now used for storage, a building used as a shop that used to be a farrowing house, and a garage that has a storage shed attached. Oh, yes, also a house used as a house for people, cats, and dogs.

Peg

[rambler]

Originally Posted by Windy in Kansas

Don't let other posts sway your definition, in your opinion what is each?

I looked online and found that my definitions were incorrect.

A barn holds critters.

A shed holds implements, tools, etc. Non-critters.

A barn I always think of a big old dairy barn like is on every place around here, 40-60 by 60-120 feet, big huge open hay mow. But I can accept that there are other size barns that hold smaller critters or a couple horses.

I just have to smile when someone says 'barn' and they are talking about a machine shed. Just ain't right.

But I say that only in fun, in jest.

--->Paul

[Minelson]

A barn is red a shed is white...just kidding

[hillbillly]

a barn is two [or more] levels/stories
a shed is one

[sunshinytraci]

I can build a shed without a land-use permit. (12' by 12' or smaller)

I can't build a barn without a land-use permit. (darn it. So I will build my goats a few "sheds" to live in.)