This might be the easiest thing to learn about goats…but can be the hardest thing to assemble. Their shelter.
Call it whatever you want, goat house, lean-to, weather barrier, shed, barn, etc.
Goats do not like bad weather so keeping them out of it is pretty essential.
Building on a Budget
We started out with just chickens and made their coop half greenhouse, so we could start our plants earlier in the spring…well then we got goats…I guess the goats trump the plants. So we converted the greenhouse/chicken coop into one big chicken coop/goat house. It is not the best but it will do for now.
It can be hard to build a structure on a tight budget, especially with todays prices on lumber and well, everything! Our goat house/chicken coop is built out of random wood we had around the property that we weren’t using for anything else, pallets we got from our local feed store, a mixture of nails and screws, and lots of patience.
I say lots of patience because goats like to scratch up against everything so the structure you build needs to be very sturdy! We’ve had to replace some walls, makeshift fix some holes, etc. because the goats have rubbed, pulled, or chewed on them. Yes…you read that right, chewed! They are curious creatures and like to check out anything new you’ve added to their area and one way for them to find out is to chew on it. The pallet wood has proven to be great because most pieces are thicker and can withstand a head butting every once in a while.
This structure has changed so many times, and has had to be fixed so many times, that’s why it looks so mismatched… But it does the job and doesn’t look like too big of an eye sore. It is roughly a 10×20 structure.
The goats never spend too much time in there unless they are going in to eat from the hay feeder, or there is bad weather.
You might think “that’s not a lots pf indoor space for 16 chickens and 4 goats,” well the goats lay on the floor spread out and the chickens are all perched up on the shelves so they really do have plenty of room.
Goats need at least a 3 sided building with a roof to keep them out of the elements, if you live in an area where it gets really cold, I highly suggest getting a 4-sided structure.
When it got to negative degree temps one winter we had to lock the goats in the building for a day or two with the chickens because the wind was so strong and the temps outside reach about -20 degrees and it was sleeting…we didn’t want them roaming outside and freezing… literally. They probably would’ve been fine, their instincts about weather are pretty decent, but I didn’t want to deal with the outcome if something were to happen.
It doesn’t have to be pretty, the animals don’t care what it looks like, as long as it is functional, has enough room, and provides a space out of the weather for them.
Fencing
Just like our building, the fencing has changed numerous times as well. We have expanded this fence so many times, to only get bigger and bigger and bigger. Just starting out with 6 chickens, to growing to 12 chickens, to 20 chickens, then back down to 16 chickens and adding 4 goats…
The chickens don’t need really anything special for fencing, some posts and wire fencing will work. The goats on the other hand are truly escape artists, they are very quick, and will knock down anything they don’t like.
We started with just what we had for the chickens, some welded wire fencing and t-posts…wellllll the goats love to jump on the fence, and they are heavy animals so this fencing was not holding up well to the weight of them leaning up against it. We actually ended up getting this nicer fencing from where we got our first 3 goats.
The wood posts, wire fencing, and 2×4’s on the top and bottom of each section helps keep a sturdy and upright fence when your goats decide they want to act like jumping beans or scratch up against the fence. I honestly like this fencing a lot, because it is easy to fix if something breaks…which we’ve had to do a couple of times…and it looks nice.
We have gone back and forth on whether to concrete the posts in or not…currently they are not concreted in because of the fact that our goats like to ram the fence when they are not happy, so if one post snaps off it will be a lot easier to dig it up and place a new one. If you have goats that leave the fence alone or you have ground that moves a lot concrete might be a better option.
Don’t think that this is going to be quick what so ever! Putting up fencing takes a while especially if you haven’t done it before or are just using fencing nails and a hammer. This can easily be an all day task, so prepare for it!
Woven Wire or Welded Wire
We have also thought about changing to woven wire instead of welded wire. Woven wire is sturdier and the best option for goats, especially if they still have horns. The welded wire can break easier and the welds will come apart after being out in the weather for so long.
Some times you can get away with using just t-posts and welded wire, if you don’t having goats that will ram the fence or that are jumping beans. It all depends on your goats demeanor. This is also the cheaper route to follow…
One thing we have learned…the hard way…is that just because something is cheaper up front doesn’t mean it is cheaper in the long run. The amount of times we have had to replace the fencing because it has gotten holes in it, pulled away from the wood, bent to the point of no return, etc. it would’ve been so much cheaper to have gotten the more expensive fencing (woven wire) in the first place.
You live and you learn though, right?
The Layout & Separating Goats
The layout of your goat pen matters more if you have bucks and does and not just does. Especially at kidding time, bucks need to one separated from your does. The bucks can turn mean against the newborn kids and this can be fatal to the babies. You’ll want to have a separate shelter and fenced area for your bucks when you need to separate them.
Yes, this is another cost to think of, because now you’re not just looking at one structure, but two!
You can build a whole other pen and building or you can separate out sections of the current building and pen you have. Just make sure they can’t escape or break down the barriers you have in place.
Goats can be quite destructive so think long and hard about the goat’s personality and what kind of structure and fencing they might need!
