Making a goat shed with your own hands is quite simple. Goats get along well in various climatic conditions. In the south of Russia, animals can be kept in the open. If there is a year-round climate with sharp temperature changes, then a room should be built for keeping goats.
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Goat shed
In order for pets to feel great, 1,5 sq.m should be allocated for one individual, if there are cubs – 2,5 sq.m. The height of the room is from 2 to 5 meters. In the barn, it is necessary to maintain the humidity of the air no more than 70%, and the temperature of 5-10 degrees. In summer, the temperature in the barn should not exceed 17-20 degrees. If you do not comply with these requirements, then the immunity of animals decreases.
When choosing materials for a barn, it is best to choose wood or brick. In a warm climate, you can make a barn with your own hands from long boards, without insulation. You can see in detail how to build a goat shed with your own hands in a photo or video. Before proceeding with the construction, you need to draw up a plan, draw drawings. If you follow the construction scheme, then the goat’s rue will turn out strong and will last for many years.
The content of the article:
Choosing a place for a shed
To properly make a goat shed, you first need to choose a place for it. It is better to place the goat’s rue on a hill so that the rains do not flood it. Next to the barn, you need to equip a place for walking with a fenced area. Goats should be let out daily for a walk.
It is recommended to build a goat barn on the south or east side. The barn needs a ventilation system. For the health of goats, it is important that fresh air prevail in the barn.
If there are no ventilation holes, then keeping the door and windows always open will not work. The light in the barn should be 8-10 hours a day. It is necessary to build a barn away from residential buildings so that the pungent smell does not enter the houses. The best time to build is early summer. Animals will be able to graze on the street and not interfere with the construction site.
Pros of keeping goats in a separate room:
- animals don’t fight each other
- goats can nurse other people’s cubs if they were abandoned by another female
- one type of food, no need to remove other pets so that they do not eat someone else’s food
Floor and walls
To avoid dampness, it is recommended to build a goat shed on a solid foundation. It is enough to make the foundation depth 30 cm. The floor in the barn can be made of clay or earth, 20 cm thick. The minimum temperature in the barn is 10 degrees. If it is cold in the goat’s rue, then you should think about the method of heating. If the floor is cold, then you need to lay a bedding of sawdust, leaves or straw on top. In winter, so that the animals do not freeze, the litter layer is increased. The bedding should be changed periodically so that it does not accumulate unpleasant odors. The floor must be made at an angle, then the water drains into one place and there will be almost no specific smell.
View of the barn from the inside
Sunbeds should be made on the walls so that animals can climb on them and rest. Goats are mobile animals and willingly climb them. The walls for the goat house can be brick or wooden, as such material retains heat. There should be no cracks in the wall. Walls can be insulated with peat or sawdust. How to properly insulate and build walls can be viewed on the video. Windows should be no lower than 1,5 meters from the floor so that animals cannot jump out of them.
Stall and feeders
It is recommended to make a separate stall for each goat. In width, one individual needs 2 square meters. meters. If the stall is narrow, then the goat will give less milk. The front wall must be made in the form of a door, 1 meter high. The top should not be closed so as not to reduce the flow of natural light.
The main feeder should be hung at a height of 0,5 meters. You can hang a spare feeder on the door, it helps out when the food runs out in the main feeding place. You can put an empty box under the feeder. Feed that spills out of the feeder will fall into this box. Mineral supplements and vitamins can be added to the feed. The drinking bowl must be done in the opposite direction from the feeder. If you put the feeder and drinker on the street, then you should make a canopy to prevent rainfall.
Overtaking
A barn for your goats, provides for the presence of a territory where animals can walk. The yard for walking is calculated only for the number of goats, other animals should not be in it. Fresh air is necessary for goats, they begin to develop faster and give more milk. The corral is small, but so that each goat is not crowded there. The best option is a covered area near the goat house. For each individual, at least 3 meters are required for free range. To prevent animals from running away from the pen, it should be surrounded by a fence 1 meter high. The fence can be made of boards and wire. So that the goats do not gnaw through the tree, the fence should not be made of dust, but of their strong wood. How to build a corral, you can see in the photo or video.
Note that making a fence with only wire is not recommended, as animals can make a hole in it and try to escape, which is dangerous for goats.
The optimal location for the paddock should be located on the side where there is a hill. If this rule is not observed, then water from precipitation will constantly collect in the corral and the earth will be wet. A small part of the paddock can be made under a canopy. If it rains during the walk, the animals can hide under a canopy. The door to the pen must be made so that it opens inward, otherwise the animals will be able to push the door and leave the pen unhindered. During the absence of the owner next to the corral, a lock can be installed on the door. After the barn is built with our own hands, we immediately equip it so that the goats can get used to the new room.
