Building a goat house from scratch!

Here we go everyone!,

Michael has made his plans and has given me a list of questions to ask you all your thoughts about before he starts all the cutting and nailing of the housing!

We are starting out with two goats as we have loads going on at the farm and felt two would be a good start one doe and one wether.

Michael is planning on building a 10'x10' as we do not need a permit for this size building, and thinking of having a 4'x10' entry area for food storage and maybe to milk in as well.

Windows how high from the ground is a good height to stop the goats trying to butt or break them? Is glass a bad idea for the windows, we would be covering the openings of the windows with wire mesh to stop pests and predators and to stop the goats from breaking the glass.

We are going to put a floor in, the goat house will be on a hill and after the snow melt it is just horrible so we felt this is a good idea to stop the dampness in the house.

Eaves will be open for air circulation but again wire mesh will cover this opening to stop predators getting in.

Location at present they will be on a hill with grass and hedgerow to play around and eat in. Hedgerow is filled with wild raspberry canes and a few wild saplings. One of the moveable paddocks will have a lot of dead maple leafs on the grass and was wondering if this area will be o.k for them to romp around in just concerned about all the leaves and etc.

I think that is it!, any suggestions, thoughts would be wonderful.

Replies

Adrienne April 5, 2011 at 3:16pm

Here in Louisiana, we have a loft in the garage, but I hate it because we have so many wasps nests up there. I only have a way to get one bale of hay at a time right now anyway so I just get David to stick it on the radio flyer wagon in the garage near the door so all I have to do is lift it up and grab some hay out, stuff it in the milk crates, slam the door down and run like heck, so I don't get stung and have to get rushed to the hospital. I don't know if David has been up their spraying the nests or not but just in case I don't want to hang around and find out.
Rachel Whetzel at MigMog Acres April 4, 2011 at 7:03pm

The hay loft part of the barn is brilliant!! I wish I had one. If I were to ever custom build a barn I would certainly build one with a loft for storage.
Sally Knight April 4, 2011 at 6:48pm

Thanks for all the great advice so far.

Will, Would you be able to post some photos of your barn as it sounds perfect!
Will White April 4, 2011 at 6:02pm

This is what I do (my barn is on a hil too) and I haven't had any water problems yet. It did fill up pretty fast. They've been in there since Sept. and I have about 12" of manure I need to remove.

Adrienne said:
I agree with Deborah, it might be better to do some deep litter bedding method in there to keep it warm and dry and just muck it out in the spring. And you wouldn't have to worry so much about the rot.
Will White April 4, 2011 at 6:01pm

I built a 10' x 12' shed for my four goats. 1/2 is a dirt floor and the 10' wall on that side opens almost completly so I can get my tractor in and scoop out the manuure. The other 1/2 has a floor and I use that side for storage and to milk. It also has a loft for hay. It works perfect because I can split the goat 1/2 and have a kidding pen. I think you could get about 6-7 goats in there with not too much problems but I wouldn't do much more than that. The windows I have are small and were overstock at the local lumber yard. I have them about 5' off the floor and there is no way the goats can get at them.
Rachel Whetzel at MigMog Acres April 4, 2011 at 5:32pm

Another thought on the floor... I love not having a floor in my barn. My barn is on a hill too, and if I had issues with run off, I think I would dig a trench around the barn (on the uphill side and down the sides to the slope) and fill with gravel to keep water from running directly into the barn.
Adrienne April 4, 2011 at 5:29pm

I agree with Deborah, it might be better to do some deep litter bedding method in there to keep it warm and dry and just muck it out in the spring. And you wouldn't have to worry so much about the rot.
Deborah Niemann-Boehle April 4, 2011 at 5:16pm

If you have a wood floor, it's going to rot within a few years.

I'd make sure the windows are 3-4 feet off the ground.

Eating maple leaves is not a problem.
Rachel Whetzel at MigMog Acres April 4, 2011 at 4:38pm

Mary Jane's Farm magazine recently had an article about people building "barns" out of the 10X20 tarp buildings and wood pallets! They look REALLY easy, and sound pretty sturdy. You can get them at costco for under $200 and because they are "portable" they don't usually fall under permit status. This is the kind I'm talking about. http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200333893_200333893 It was a fairly recent magazine publication... I don't know where you can get it, and I don't remember the month it was published...

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