?s about building the goat's house

[gritsar]

Found out the goat I am going to get from stepDD is a nigerian dwarf. I've been looking for plans to build him a house and have a few questions.

First and foremost: Will he be able to share the same outdoor space (roughly 1/8 of an acre) with the chickens or will he need to be fenced off from them? I can add space if more is needed because I basically have 2 acres to play with for garden, goat, chickens, ducks.

Second: I found plans for a large dog house that is 34" high x 32" wide x 48" long, with a 16" H opening in the front. Is this going to be big enough for him to have as foul weather shelter? Also, the plans call for treated lumber to be used ONLY in the skids, floor, and roof. Do I have to forget about using treated lumber altogether in case he chews? Would he be inclined to chew on the roof, floor, and skids? If I decided to paint it I would of course use latex, non toxic paint.

What I think is very funny is that my SO already has big letters for the front of his harley shed that say 'hog house', so of course we will have to have the same type of letters that proclaim 'hen house' 'goat house' and 'duck house'. The neighbors are either going to think we are trying to learn to read or that we're just really forgetful.

 

[helmstead]

Our goats don't chew the treated lumber portion of our barns. We used barked pine boards for the exterior walls and they ate every accessable bit of bark off tee hee. Course, that wasn't treated. We also use plastic dog houses for them which are great. Large houses are perfect - put a bed of straw in there and they nest right down. Bottom line - I dont think treated lumber is an issue. Ours don't chew WOOD only bark.

You can keep him in a small space with little problem. Just be sure he can't get to the chicken feed.

Oh...and you are getting him a goatie friend, right?

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
Exactly what I was thinking, helmstead!

Lonely bored goats can be mischevious to say the least. They get into trouble pretty easily when left to their own devices. He needs a friend or two to play with.

 

[gila_dog]

He should get along fine with the chickens. If you can, put the goat house where it will get winter sun and summer shade (a shade tree to the west, but open to the south). Expect him to jump up on the roof of the house if he can, so don't put it close to the fence where he can jump out. They love to climb things. Also a high spot (a big rock is great) in the pen is good, so he can get up on it when the ground gets wet. Some people put a big cable spool (like fiber optic telephone cable comes on) in the pen as a playground thing. Goats are intellegent critters and like to climb, mess with things, etc. Another goat for company is strongly recommended.

Is this a male goat? If so you will probably want to "wether" (castrate) him. Otherwise he will stink. If so, wait until he's 7 months old to do it. That way his urinary department will mature completely and he will be less prone to urinary calculi (stones) that can plug him up and kill him.

Goats are very vunerable to dogs, so you should have a good fence. They are also really ornery and are hard to contain. Another reason for a good fence. If he has horns, avoid fence material that has holes big enough for him to stick his head thru, or he will get his head caught (like a fish hook) all the time.

 

[howlingwoodsfarm]

I have my 4 nigerians with my chickens. The way I have it now, I have a 12X16 shed. The goats have their half which is separated off by maybe 3 ft make shift wall. the chickens go freely into and out of the goat area. The opening to outdoors is in the goat area so they all can come and go but the goats can't get into the other half and eat the chicken feed as it can kill them. I have heard and it is true with us, that the goats help protect from birds of prey. Of course they can't protect from anything else since they are the size of a large cat basically. The chickens do lay in the goat hay feeder sometimes but we know to check there everyday so it is not a big deal.. PLEASE get your goaty a friend. THEY ARE HILLARIOUS together...You will really need to be out there hours a day if he has no friend. One goat is a sad goat. I was told when I got mine that a large dog house would be fine for them. Definately fencing is our issue. Get better/higher/stronger fence then you think you need. We did field fencing first, not realizing just how small they are, escecially as babies, then had to line the whole fence with smaller holed fence. of course that cost twice as much. Also an option is to take your goat(s) for a walk. If you get in good with them, (treats help),a collar and leash may be needed at first. they will follow you around and you can take them all over your property to get more of a selection of foliage. Have fun.

Heather

 

[ksacres]

We use the porta-shed thingies, they are little metal huts, and they work very nicely. They come in all sizes and price ranges. We paid about $200 for the size we have, they can easily be moved by two people, and they load in the back of a pickup truck.

 

[Nick]

Here is what I got for my Cocoa, so far:

first I had to build him a lookout point, high up there.....

...and he loves it

Then I built him a shelter, actually 2 of them, under the ramp. Yes, he's got to be the most curious animal (he thinks he is a person) I have!

and here he is, nice thick coat, ready for the weather!

You'll love your goat, and so will your hubby!

Good Luck,
Nick

 

[gritsar]

As I stated in an earlier post, having ONE goat on this farm is a mini-miracle in itself. Having a second one could take awhile. In the meantime, the goat will have to be content to play with me, the other critters, and as soon as the weather is bearable again, long walks with us. In good weather I walk (almost) the perimeter of the farm with lots of stops. Jake (whose current name is MUD) and Charlie no longer require leashes, so I'll be able to leash the goat. The cat tags along on these walks too. She usually gets about halfway thru the walk and then plops down and whines till I carry her the rest of the way.
The approx. 2 acres that is designated my playground is currently fenced with 3 strand barbed wire, but since the cows aren't always respectful of that...the current herd is, but the last ones were not....I plan to enclose the whole area in livestock panels anyhow. Then divide it in two between garden and chicken/goat area.
Thanks for the idea about some "mountains" for the goat. I'll be sure to include them in my plans.

 

[helmstead]

NICK! That is like the Family Robinson treehouse for goats! Too neat!

 

[picklespickles]

i totally love that ramp. faaaaaaaaaaaabulous.

mine did chew on the wood post on my porch. but just in one specific area they focused on. i think the treated wood would probably be just fine.

the shelter for bad weather doesn't have to be super big.

sounds like it will all be super neat. enjoy.

i love that you are using your sheds to learn your abcs.

my girl goats run with the chickens, duck and geese fine. the boy goat runs with a sturdy dog. one of the girl goats is a girlfriend to the duck. she bends down and the duck preens her beard for her. no joke. so your goat may just take up with one of the other animals. she hangs with the other girl goat, too, and he hangs with the geese, but they do definitely have a cross species friendship going.