If you have feeding animals such as horses or sheep that spend much of the day free grazing, it can still be a great option to have some kind of shed for run-in cover and shelter. For small hobby farms, it may not be cost effective to install a traditional feeding shed but a carport can be a great alternative. 

Feeding area

Offering an undercover area for feed can help your feed remain in tasty condition whether it's raining or the weather is hot. On hot days having a shaded area for water can help to keep the water cooler and help ensure that animals and pets can stay cool and hydrated all day long. If you are using the shed for a taller animal such as horse, it's a good idea to go for a slightly higher roof as animals are often coming in to feed quite fast and excitedly. You can cover sharper edges in the roof or support beams in foam or soft tubing in case the animals knock against the edges while jostling for food. 

Shading

Equally, the shade can be a great boon on a hot day, especially if your grazing area doesn't have much natural shade. This can help your animals find somewhere to rest and recuperate on a hot day. It's also a good option if the weather doesn't end up being warm and instead, your animals need somewhere to shelter from rain and hail. This can help them to stay comfortable but can also prevent them from getting injured if the weather turns too wild. 

If you live in an area that has high winds, you might need to look at having heavier foundations in case the wind ends up knocking over your carport. In most cases if you live in an area high winds, your local contractors will be familiar in how to install your carport to cope with any weather. 

Storage area

The other useful thing about using a carport as a feeding area is gaining some extra storage space. You can store items you might need in there such as grooming tools or cleaning implements so you don't need to transport them every time you head out to see your animals. 

If you are looking to install a carport in your hobby farm to act as a feeding shed you should speak to a local contractor. They can give you some advice on how it needs to be constructed and the best way to orient the carport to get maximum weather protection benefits.