My husband made a couple of warming huts for the really cold days around here.
He cut a plastic barrel in half, then cut a round hole on the the top and a door opening on the side. The hole is big enough to fit a heat lamp that has a "cage" over it. There is a gap between the solid part of the fixture and the edge of the hole to allow excess heat to escape. The heat lamp is held in place with plastic tie wraps (the white things sticking straight up). And although they aren't really visible, there are small holes drilled in the top to let heat escape. I didn't actually measure it, but the top of the barrel comes to about the bottom of my knee.
We tested it a lot to make sure it didn't get too hot. Not only do I not want to overheat goats, but I also don't want to burn the barn down. When I set it up I put a small amount of straw on the floor and then a towel on that to keep the kids from pushing straw into a pile which might bring it too close to the light.
The plastic barrel was left in the barn by previous owners and the label says that it originally contained liquid hand soap. We have neighbours who have offered us more barrels if we want them. They have a cattle ranch and something they need for their cattle comes in the plastic barrels.
There is a loop on the top of the heat lamp that we're going to run a rope from the rafters to so that it can't be knocked over.
The next time we make some I think we'll just make one hut per barrel and make it taller to keep the heat lamp a bit further from the floor. The current high works okay, but I'd like it taller for my peace of mind.
(And yes, the doe in the picture is overweight. I didn't realize how bad it was until she only had one kid.)
Replies
Thank you for your responses on door sizes.
Our openings are 8" x 14"-ish. Nothing specific, just kind of eyeballed and cut:-)
Sally, think house cat size. You can make the opening bigger if they grow fast. I used a compost bin with the door at the bottom and both mom and big sister managed to get into it. It was really quite hilarious to see mom curled up in there but that was not for whom it was intended. If it had been weighted down somehow, they might not have gotten in but that might not have helped - they really, really wanted in there!
We all love this little hut ^^ - My mother goat would lay and put her head in LOL - I had a large wire cage and used that when she kidded the first time - trying to get the big goats from the little pan of grain and hay I had in there for the babies - She laid down and got as much of her body as she could in the opening of the cage. LOL - best of luck with your new arrivals! I have kids coming in mid April - I should get off my butt and get something made for them.....
May I ask how large the opening should be for a baby to get and stop mum getting in? First time kidding so we are not sure how small large to make the opening. Any measurements would be wonderful. Thanks so much!
Glenna, thanks for that heads up! I have 25 acres of clay, and very little water - so sad to say, my gardening is minimal! Another reason for goats. I never thought about the struggles of barrels! Being able to harvest a little at a time - would be really desirable, take some - leave some to grow. I have always wondered about storage with a large harvest of potatoes.
GloryBee Foods 541-689-0913 - when I got barrels I had to use a reciprocating saw to get the lid off. The barrels have two maybe 2" round openings in the top. I got mine 2 years ago - so they may have different ones - or ones with lids that you can remove. Give them a call - the clerks are extremely nice and helpful!
Your light bulb - is it a heat lamp or just high wattage? Assume high wattage.
Kid cave is a really nice use for the barrels. Filled with hay, the plastic barrels would be much warmer than metal. ^^ Thanks for that idea!
Glenna Rose said:
Or you can cut them in half and use them bottom to bottom for a waterer on a stand. I actually planted my chocolate peppermint in one like that, good harvest height and no way for it to "creep" out of the container.
Margaret Langley said:
Oh, Melissa, do be forward-thinking about the potatoes in the rain barrels. The first year, I used the straw as instructed which didn't work out too well. The second year, I used all dirt - harvest time I was digging anyway as there was no way I was tipping over a 50-gallon barrel two-thirds full of dirt! (And it's harder to dig potatoes out of a barrel than out of the ground!) If I were to use barrels again, I would cut out the bottom to lift off the barrel at harvest time. Some things are far better in theory than in practice. In subsequent years, I chose instead to use blocks to build up the soil as the potatoes grew. You can also use a "planter box" using the four corners (2x4 or 4x4) and fastening (with screws) 1x4 or 1x6 boards on the outside and building up as the potatoes grow; at harvest time, remove them from the top down as you want to use the potatoes and have fresh potatoes for months. It also gives you total control over how large the area is, a raised bed in its ultimate form.<g>
Also, Melissa, you mentioned Glory Bee for barrels. Do they have anything with a removable lid, like pickle barrels? I get vinegar and soy barrels from Yoshida near PDX airport but would love to have something with a removable/replaceable lid that isn't metal which is what their tomato sauce is in. I would even be willing to drive to Eugene to get them if they have them (in more predictable weather than we are having right now).
Jess, the size of the bulb would depend on how far above the animals it will be. Do take care to not have the wattage high enough that it will overheat; it's amazing how much heat they will put out for the area in the hut. Mine is 250 watts but was at least a foot above the top.
Another use for the barrels is to cut out the end and lay it on its side. They love to get inside them and climb on them. First I braced one, but Ginger was having so much fun on the unbraced one trying to balance (and ignoring the other one) that I left them unbraced. I have one inside now and they take turns sleeping in their "cave" with the two younger ones usually sharing it leaving mom to "guard the door."
I also saw online - you can use the 55 gallon barrels for potatoes - I am going to convert one of my rain barrels for this use.
Margaret Langley said:
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