Here is some info on "straw bale homes"...

[noobiechickenlady]

I'm not keen on the heat myself... When I "have" to wear long sleeves for the cold, I'm constantly pushing my sleeves up. I wear shorts in the winter

I want to play in the mud too so this winter, I'm doing as much research as possible and I'll play in the mud when it gets warm again. I'm pretty much decided on a cob building for my first go round though.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

You'd probably want to get the straw in the summer anyway . . . less chance of it getting wet/moldy in transit, etc.

 

[big brown horse]

Yes, this is a project that will have to wait for dry weather. :/ I'm so impatient!

Noobie, I'm still on the fence about which way to go cob or straw...

 

[noobiechickenlady]

I have dreams of a little hobbit type storehouse
Something like this, with storage all around the walls & a built in bench to sit & enjoy the scents & read when I need to get away.
Only, instead of "normal" windows, I want to do abstract patterns through the walls with colored bottles *longing sigh...*

 

[big brown horse]

That is cute Noobie! Is that straw bale or cob?

I LOVE your colored bottle window idea! How would you make that?

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Its cob. As you are building the walls, you stick bottles in them, so at least one surface is exposed. For "windows" you use large wine bottles or glass dishes, stained glass pieces, anything that the sun can shine through. Lay them into the cob so both ends or sides are exposed. Picture, Another picture

 

[big brown horse]

Ok, that is way cool Noobie! I loved the wine bottle sun!! That is probably something I couldn't do with a straw bale house. :/

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Well, you couldn't do windows, per se, but there is no reason you couldn't do wall decor. It doesn't HAVE to have sunlight showing through it to be pretty. I just love the effect of the multi-colored light hitting the walls.
Both cob & strawbale seem to have the ability to go very creative. More pictures More

And this is simply breathtaking. You could totally do that in a strawbale.

 

[big brown horse]

Oh Noobie!!! Thanks for the photos, I love the tree!

Also thank you for that article, I've been searching how to make the "mud".

I can't get this project off my mind! I have a little graph paper replica and I'm tempted to get those little mini straw bales at a craft shop to practice with. I want to get my hands dirty NOW! I think I am going to practice with different "muds" too.

I'm trying to think of ways to incorporate the chicken coop into a sheeple coop too. I'm thinking of a roost of course, but also a ledge for nest boxes high enough to keep out of the sheep's way. Maybe a little gate to separate them.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

While you're checking out that article on MEN, be sure to click on Image Gallery. There are even more pictures that you don't get to see unless you click that. Image page 5 is super cool, the last 5 or 6 are... words escape me.

ETA: Surely you could do that. I don't see any difference between making a cob/strawbale barn & a traditional stick-framed as far as the usage goes. People put animals together all the time in buildings.