Spacious stall for a domestic goat. Do-it-yourself step-by-step instructions for building a goat house Goat pen dimensions
Kira Stoletova
Goats spend almost all summer on pasture, but in winter time the question of the maintenance of animals arises sharply. IN very coldy goats need warmth, especially for females during lactation. Hypothermia threatens with mastitis and other problems with the udder. As a result, the animal experiences pain and discomfort, milk yields fall. Without proper treatment, such problems can even lead to death. In order for the goats to have a place to spend the winter, you can build a goat shed with your own hands.
Goat housing requirements
The room for goats does not have to be some kind of specialized building. Breeders often remake summer kitchens, outbuildings and others residential buildings under the goat barn. The main thing is that the premises meet the requirements for keeping small dairy cattle:
- The room must be warm and dry. The temperature in winter should not fall below 8°C, and in summer it should not exceed 18°C.
- The floor mat must be clean and dry. This is easy to ensure by timely cleaning of the stalls.
- It is necessary to take care of ventilation, but avoid drafts. This will prevent many diseases.
- Availability is important good lighting in room. Its absence negatively affects the development of goats.
- The height of the walls must be at least 2 m.
- Goats love space because of their mobility and constant activity. For each adult animal there should be at least 1.5 m², for a female with offspring - about 2 m², and for a young individual it is enough to allocate 1 sq. meter.
- Animals also need a place to run. For this purpose, an aviary is being built adjacent to the room where the goats live. The place of walking must be fenced with a net so that the animal does not run away.
- Lacquering females should be kept separate from sexually mature males. The specific smell of a goat can be transferred to milk, making it unfit for consumption.
How to build a goat barn to meet the standards? Can be viewed step by step videos on the Internet or seek help from specialists. The goat shed itself, the size of which will depend on the number of animals living in it, must be thought out in advance.
Location selection
If the choice was made in favor of building a barn with your own hands, then first you need to decide on its location. If on site ground water close to the surface of the earth, then you need to build a barn on the most elevated place, otherwise it will always be damp in the goat's rue.
It is also important to remember that goats are clean animals, and to be close to cesspool, outdoor toilet or compost heap they just can't. Also, milk can absorb strong odors. It is for this reason that males and females are kept separately.
Shed for goats. Everyone now has their own place
Goat house (Goat barn) part 1
GOAT SHED part 1 // Convenient home for goats.
What should be the room for keeping goats. Farm "Kamadhenu"
Do-it-yourself milking machine for goats // village life
The goat house (barn) is ready. Barn Review Part 1
Construction of a goat barn
Better start building in early spring in order to have time to finish it by frost. First you need to decide on the materials and draw up a project for a goat shed. Drawings are prepared in advance. Windows and facade should face south. It is also recommended to organize a paddock for walking animals in autumn and winter.
An important point in the construction of a barn with your own hands is the construction of the foundation. It is best to make an elevated support-columnar foundation of blocks. This is done in this way:
- They plan from the markup. You need to decide what size and shape the goat shed will be. If you divide the room into dressing rooms and directly the part where the goats will live, then drafts can be avoided in this way.
- The top layer of earth is removed.
- Dig recesses for support blocks at a distance of no more than 2 m from each other.
- In the pits for the supports, a pillow of sand is created and it is well tamped.
- Construction of foundation pillars. Cement is poured over the sand, then blocks are laid. They are also sealed with cement.
- The supports are plastered and insulated with bitumen.
To build a goat barn with your own with my own hands fit various material from brick to timber. by the most the best option will be the construction of walls of thick timber and internal walls from the board. Between them leave a distance of 10-15 cm and fill it with sand or expanded clay. Such a barn will not need additional heating in winter, and in summer it will keep the temperature comfortable for goats.
Windows are located at a height of at least 1.8 m above the floor, so that especially frisky goats do not try to jump out of them and do not get hurt broken glass. doorways make it wide enough, and the threshold - no more than 15 cm.
The floor in the barn for domestic goats is ideally made of wood, but a concrete floor is also acceptable. In winter, it is cold for animals to stand on a bare concrete floor, and it is covered with straw, sawdust, or old hay. The stronger the frost in winter, the more bedding will be needed. To drain liquid manure, the floor is made at a slight slope and a chute is built to remove it from the barn. The wooden floor is made of timber and boards. A heater is stuffed into the niches between the bars for good thermal insulation.
A barn for keeping domestic goats must have flat roof covered with slate or tiles. Roofing material must fit snugly against each other and have no gaps. If you make a gable roof, the precipitation will drain to the ground on its own, and in winter you will not have to clean off the snow. On the roof, if desired, you can build an attic for storing hay and straw, as well as agricultural equipment.
Interior decoration and arrangement of the barn
After the construction is completed, you need to think about arranging a comfortable goat shed. Interior decoration plays a big role.
If the walls are two-layer with insulation between them, then it is enough to whitewash the barn quicklime. If the walls were built of bricks or, even worse, boards, then they need to be insulated. This is done using foam or special building insulation.
Doors to the stall are installed so that they open outward. The rules require it fire safety.
The right barn for domestic goats should have:
- spacious stalls with a width of 1.5-2 m² and a height of partitions of at least 1.5 m;
- comfortable feeders;
- raised flooring for animals to rest.
Starting the arrangement of a comfortable goat shed, it is important to consider where and at what height the flooring or shelves for rest will be located. Animals love to sleep on high ground. The advantage of such structures is that they are far from the cold floor and the goats will not sleep in their feces. They should be located no higher than half a meter above the ground. The size of the sunbed should be sufficient for one individual, which is approximately 50 x 80 cm.
Lighting plays an important role in arranging a goat shed with your own hands. If in summer time enough natural light, then in winter, when the daylight hours become too short, it is necessary to light the stalls with electricity. It is better to place the lamp high under the ceiling so that the goats cannot reach it.
barn heating
If the barn has not been adequately insulated or the climate suggests very harsh winters, then care should be taken to heat the room with the goats. Stove heating is absolutely not suitable for this, because a fire can happen. Gas heating appropriate, but the cost of it will not be covered by income from the subsidiary farm. There is an option with steam heating.
Maintaining a temperature of at least 8 ° C in the barn in winter contributes to the normal wintering of goats. Animals get sick less often, and milk yields remain at the same level.
Arrangement of feeders
The front wall of the stall is also its door. Feeders and drinkers are usually attached to it. In this case, it is convenient for the owner to fill the feeders with food, and for the animals to reach it. Feeders are made from boards or tin. Often euro pallets are used to build feeders, but this material has low strength. A wooden partition is installed in front of the feeder with holes of such a size that the animals can stick their heads through, but no more. Goats can climb into feeders with their feet and turn their contents onto the floor. Trampled goat food will not be eaten.
Properly organized nurseries will help save food several times over. In search of more delicious food, goats are able to turn it all over.
In the feeder you need to take a place for a piece of salt. Goats need mineral nutrition at all stages of their life. Animals lick salt, so it needs to be securely fastened.
The role of a drinker can be played by an ordinary bucket, which is mounted on the door of the stall. So it will be convenient to change the water without going inside. In summer pens, water is poured directly into bathtubs or troughs.
Organizing an open pen
On sunny windless days in winter, goats enjoy walking in the fresh air. It is necessary to equip them with a paddock for walking adjacent to the barn. One of the barn doors should open into a fenced enclosure.
The height of the fence should be at least 1.5 m for young individuals and females, and it is better for goats to make the fence higher. This will prevent animals from jumping over the fence and escaping, and will also protect the goats from predators.
The corral should be covered with a canopy of fabric, slate or other roofing material. It will protect animals from scorching rays and precipitation in the form of snow and rain.
Conclusion
Building a goat shed with your own hands is not so difficult if you follow all the rules and nuances. Before launching goats into a new home, it is recommended to treat stalls, feeders and drinkers with Creolin or any other disinfectant, after all, materials for construction may have previously been stored in an inappropriate place for this or near infectious animals. The disinfection procedure will keep the goats safe.
plus self-built barn is that the size and equipment of the barn will depend only on the wishes of the owner. If you plan to increase the number of goats on the farm, then it is better to make a larger barn.
A goat shed is a must for keeping in our latitudes. It is not easy to build a room for goats with your own hands, to equip a goat house by making pens and stalls in it. In the article, we will analyze the requirements for premises where goats are kept, about the norms of the area per animal. What are the types of goats, how best to build them. If you have any questions, be sure to ask them in the comments or in our group in classmates.
barn requirements
Before starting construction, carefully consider all the details that will contribute to the comfort of the animals and simplify care. So, a do-it-yourself barn must meet the following characteristics:
- Temperature. So, at various negative temperature indicators, the mark in the room should not fall below 5 ° C - the smallest coefficient, it is better if it is in the region of 10 ° C. In summer, the temperature indicator should be less than 18 ° C.
- Humidity. It is worth noting that goats do not tolerate humidity, for this reason the humidity cannot exceed 75%. Under no circumstances should the floor be wet, this requirement is guaranteed by constant cleaning in the summer.
- Ventilation. Particular attention should be paid to air circulation. This type livestock prefers ventilated rooms, but the wind should not be present in them.
- Space. The area directly depends on the number of livestock, because goats love space, they are distinguished by physical activity. If it is planned to increase the herd, it should given fact taking into account. The height of the ceiling should correspond to 2.3-2.5 m. Thus, for a female who has an offspring, as a rule, there should be at least 2.5 m2, and for 1 mature goat - this is 1.5 m2 and for young - not less than 0.8 m2. Destined place for young kids. All kids must be kept separately; specialized stalls are equipped for them.
- Lighting. During the day, the barn should be illuminated, this is especially important for the standard formation of young animals. Compliance with the required conditions will contribute to the greatest profitability of breeding goats. With the right level of comfort, milk yield will increase with offspring.
The paddock is more suitable for warm climates 
If the winters are not long and warm, then a paddock is enough to keep goats 
Choosing the right place to build
The key importance in the construction is the choice of the right place. Since goats are extremely susceptible to dampness, it is necessary to choose the driest place, while it is preferable that it be on a small hill. Another condition is the remoteness of the shed from the garbage pits, sewers or toilets. These animals are extremely careful, and poorly tolerate proximity to similar sources of clogging. After that, you can proceed to direct marking, pouring the foundation, then proceed to the construction of walls, roofs, and arrangement inside.
Construction and materials
In the problem of material selection, it is not necessary to observe savings, because goat's rue does not require a significant consumption of them. In the case of building a barn, suitable: wood; adobe; brick; clay elements. Despite such an extensive list, wood is better suited, and brick does not guarantee proper warmth, as well as dryness.
Barn drawings
Ceiling and roof
The roof in the barn, as a rule, is made gable. This comfort system, which makes it possible to save unobstructed space above the building for the conservation of feed. However, in this case auxiliary insulation should be carried out. Sheet iron or slate is used as a coating, while roofing materials must be clearly sized so that cold air and rain do not pass inside.
Goat house device
The internal improvement of the barn is as important as the construction of the building itself. In addition to flooring, it is necessary to install stalls, drinkers, feeders, nurseries for older individuals and young animals. Next, we will analyze what conditions the internal arrangement of the barn must meet.
feeder
Inside the stall, a separate feeder should be installed, as well as a nursery. If you have created a shed for finding goats with your own hands, the production of nurseries and feeders will not be difficult.
Note: Goats are extremely receptive to food, and can go through an entire haystack to find a particular blade of grass. For this reason, it is recommended immediately, of which goats will not be able to scatter hay.
Feeders, nurseries are preferably located in such a way that animals have independent access to them. In addition, drinkers are installed inside the barn. This may well be either a special system or a simple bucket suspended on a hill so that the animals are more comfortable drinking from it.
Stall
So, the milking machine is an indispensable item, especially for farmers whose livestock exceeds 10 individuals. Such a device solves a lot of issues to facilitate work:
- a goat without movement will not interfere with milking, turn over a container of milk;
- ensures a comfortable posture of the milker at the time of manual movement;
- allows you to freely connect the electric milking machine, if the procedure is automated;
- provides an opportunity to wash the udder, cut the fur around it, trim the hooves without disturbing the animal.
And young animals that are not yet accustomed to the milking process must be brought to the machine forcibly, after a couple of procedures this problem will go away, as the animals will get used to it quickly. If you thoroughly consider all the stages of building a goat's rue with your own hands, there should be no problems.
Video on the construction and installation of a goat shed
Multifunctional barn for goats and chickens
Our goat house is ready for operation and now I can proudly tell and show its device. We planned the goat and chicken shed in a way that was convenient for everyone! Goats now have separate flocks and remote feeders for hay and grain. We also made a milking machine!
Goat shed and water supply
Requirements and device
A significant part of the warm season, small livestock is grazing, but in winter there is a need for a comfortable room. As a rule, it is possible to build a barn on your own. And to build a goat's rue, you need to stock up necessary material, alternately implement the stages of construction work.
Without a doubt, the main condition The productivity of any animal is health, and it can be ensured only through the fulfillment of the main conditions of detention.
If the question is about keeping goats, then it is worth noting that no matter what room you take away - be it a cowshed, a stable, a sheepfold, or a specially built separate barn - the main thing is that this place does not cause diseases and death of animals.
Simply put, you must provide a comfortable bed, protection from the weather and cold, as well as the possibility of caring care.
It is the requirements for these features of the goat’s rue that we will try to clarify as much as possible in further presentation.
Basic requirements for a room for keeping goats
The room that is intended for keeping goats should be warm and dry, spacious, clear, with good ventilation, without drafts. In any case, the building must meet a set of specific requirements. But first things first.
Permissible temperature conditions for goat's rue
The goat barn should be warm and dry. average temperature in the summer should not exceed the figure in +18°C, and in winter you should not allow it to drop below + 5 - + 10 ° С.
In the presence of small kids, this indicator should not be lower than + 10 ° C. In warmer climate regions, with warm winters, it is allowed to keep goats in the yard under a canopy, but if the area is cold, even plank goat houses will need to be insulated.
In severe frosts, water should not freeze in the goat's rue. But even more than sudden drops in air temperature, goats are afraid of drafts. Air circulation must be uniform. It is this moment that must be taken into account when initially choosing a place to keep the animal and designing the entire room when building from scratch.
Optimum moisture content in goat sheds
Goat housing cannot be built in close proximity to burial pits, latrines, and in general, those where air pollution can occur, and there is also a high possibility of dampness in pens.
After all, goats - animals are very sensitive to high humidity, and even more so to dampness. Based on this, the room in which you plan to keep them must be dry and clean.
Goats can tolerate cold, excess sunlight they are useful, but dampness is exclusively contraindicated. The fact is that high humidity may cause respiratory diseases . Condensate must not accumulate; for this, the barn should be ventilated frequently. Humidity should ideally be around 75%.
Ventilation - is it necessary?
Normal, full-fledged development of animals is primarily provided with fresh air and light. During the growth of young animals, these aspects are especially relevant. This problem can be solved by placing several windows in the goat room. After all, exactly open windows and doors in hot weather are the best ventilation.
The number of windows and the size of the doors depend entirely on the size of the room. Consideration should be given to their proper placement. It is very important to place them so that the through wind does not fall on the animals.
More often, windows are located on the south side, at a height of 1.5 meters from the floor level. Windows must be arranged in such a way that it is possible to open them, even when the animals are directly in the room. 1 m2 of window should fall on 20 m2 of goat house floor.
Doors should be made with a threshold, and the ability to open them outward, this is very important in terms of fire, as there is a lot of flammable hay in the stables. Threshold height range is from 15 to 17 centimeters.
Another traditional ventilation option can be considered hood- a tetrahedral pipe, with an outlet to the outside. A shield can be attached to the top of such a ventilation pipe, which, if necessary, can be opened or closed so that rain and snow do not get into it. In a goat house where one or two goats live, such an extract is not necessary.
You can make holes in the room, through them ventilation will also be carried out well. Usually equip one exhaust channel(35x35 centimeters) for ten animals. We arrange a comfortable feeder for animals: the most valuable advice from experts
The design of the feeders depends entirely on the type of feed that you plan to give the animals most often. The most common option is the combined type, as this option uses both coarse and concentrated feed.
It is more convenient to arrange the feeder in such a way that each time you feed, you do not have to go into the corral to the animals. Of course, a bunch of hay or a bucket of feed will make the movement itself difficult, and if it also happens with a restless herd of goats running underfoot, then doubly so.
For hay, it is enough to hang a manger on one of the inner walls of the goat's rue, which should be located at a distance of half a meter from the floor. They can be made either from metal rods, or from boards, or from pressed shavings.
The feed grate on the side from which the feed is laid should be provided with protective board. This will prevent the goat from getting food from above. The side boards will prevent the goat from entering the feeder. For convenience, the feeder can be made removable.
If a small box-feeder is placed under the manger, then small stems and leaves will be collected in it, and it can also be used for mineral supplements: fodder beets, cuttings, bran, salt.
For adult goats, the feeder should be 65 centimeters wide, 75 centimeters high (for roughage), 40 centimeters by 25, 30 centimeters (for concentrated). For an adult animal, the feeding front is approximately 20 to 30 centimeters.
When feeding goats outdoors, make sure that the food bin is covered from precipitation. If you consider tying goats to a manger a necessity, then in no case tighten the cord tightly. The goat must move freely V different directions and even go to bed.
It doesn't matter how you build your goat feeder, as long as it's comfortable to use.
Of course, you can also feed goats from the floor, but this is not the most economical way to raise animals.
Organizing regular access to clean water is easy
Drinkers for goats must be hung on the opposite side of the feeder with food. The approximate dimensions of watering feeders are as follows: 40 centimeters wide by 20-25 centimeters high.
For regular access to clean, fresh water, you can build an automatic drinker. If you place it on the border between two paddocks, then in this way access to water will be provided to more animals from both sides at once.
You can water goats from any containers, the main thing is that they do not tip over. For example, a bucket can be tied in the corner with a cord, and the height of the bucket can be adjusted with it.
For little kids, the height above the floor should not exceed 20 centimeters, for adults - about 0.5 meters. water in containers should change twice a day while washing out the drinkers.
Structural features or all stages of building a barn for goats
goats, animals at all unpretentious. They can easily take root in a separate room, and in a sheepfold, and in a stable, and in a barn. But, if you are determined to keep a livestock of more than 3-4 individuals, it would be better to build a separate room, while observing all the rules.
The walking procedure is simply necessary for goats, as it improves immune system animal. It is advisable to design a walking area, as well as a door to the goat room, on the south side.
The walking area should be fenced with a one and a half meter fence. Part of the walking area must be protected from possible precipitation and sun rays. On the same site, you can install concrete slab, goats will erase their hooves about it. Thus, you will have one less problem.
It is advisable to build small platforms above the floor in the fences. About 50-60 centimeters wide. Sleeping on them will be much warmer than on concrete or regular floors. It is generally accepted that goats sleeping on such beds have stronger immunity and practically do not get sick.
If there are trees in the paddock, then their trunk must be protected metal mesh. So the goats will not be able to gnaw the bark and lead the seedling to death. We select materials for construction: the advantages and disadvantages of various options
For the construction of a goat house, you can pick up any type of material depending on availability and location. It can be: all kinds of hollow materials (bricks, cinder blocks), adobe, adobe, log, plank.
If you choose cinder blocks as the material for the walls, the air that is inside in a stationary state will simultaneously perform a dual function - insulation and a supporting structure.
Wood also has good insulating properties, but, unfortunately, it tends to shrink and crack. Sooner or later, these gaps will need to be additionally insulated.
Anyway gaps should not be. If you build a barn from boards, then you can additionally sheathe the second walls, and fill the gaps between the walls with any materials at hand: leaves, peat, sawdust, needles.
If a reliable brick is chosen as the material for the walls, then a small attic can be built above the barn. You can use it for storing hay or bedding material, and for storing inventory. For convenience, it is desirable to make the hatch from the inside. So it will be more convenient in the future to dump the required amount of hay or bedding.
A material that should not be chosen for building the walls of a goat barn is stone. It is cold and holds moisture. It will definitely need to be insulated.
It is worth considering that the barn will constantly lose heat through the attic floor, since it is mainly made of boards. Therefore, it must be insulated. The ideal option there will be bedding material. Another option for insulation can be foam. But he will need to be thrashed.
Getting Started: A Step-by-Step Description of the Construction Process
When planning a goat house, be sure to provide a place to store feed and bedding material. If the floor is regularly covered with dry straw, then it will absorb urine and serve as good insulation, and will also prevent contamination of the animal, since the excretions will be mixed with straw.
In the construction of walls, the following should be considered:
- The height of the barn should not exceed 2.5-2.8 meters. If you ignore this condition, then the warm-up will be carried out very slowly.
- The walls should be as smooth as possible, it is easier to whitewash them - this is necessary for the purpose of disinfection. Whitewashing is best done in spring and autumn.
- The walls must be strong, not let in drafts.
- Well, do not forget about the windows, the requirements for which we have already mentioned.
How and what kind of floor to build also needs to be taken with responsibility. The most popular options for flooring are concrete, wood, clay, earth.
- If it is sensible to evaluate the possibilities, then the tree is much warmer than concrete, but it breaks down much faster. You will have to patch holes in a wooden floor after 5-6 years, and it may even need to be replaced. The reason for this is the constant exposure to ammonia and moisture.
- If the screed is poured at a slight slope, then manure and urine will be downloaded outward or into one corner.
- It is possible to insulate a concrete floor by pouring slag mounds onto the ball or by laying a wooden platform over it. In this case, we must not forget to change the bedding of straw or hay.
- The floor should be located 20 centimeters from the ground.
- The foundation of the goat's rue can be quite shallow, about 1 centimeter.
- The ideal option for the floor is considered to be clay or earthen. Its height should not exceed 20 centimeters above ground level.
- There will be no unpleasant odor in the place where the goats are kept if the stack of liquid is made into one container, which then needs to be emptied regularly.
If you correctly build a stall, it will greatly simplify the maintenance of your goats in the goat's rue. Of course, do not forget about the herd nature of these animals. But, there are situations when isolation is necessary. For example, when an animal is sick or struggling. Thus, consider the following:
- The fence can be made from boards. The height of the fence is at least 1.2 meters.
- The floor in the stall must be laid at a slope.
- The door in the paddock should be made of galvanized steel mesh.
- In any case, there should be a feeder with a drinker in the stall.
As for the size of the stall, goats are very rarely famous for their calm disposition, most often there is no peace and tranquility during meals. Based on this, a stall can be built according to the principle of stables.
Each goat is entitled to at least 2 meters of square space. If you plan to keep two young goats in a corral, then the area should not be less than 4 square meters
For a goat, as a rule, a separate stall is assigned, away from the goats. This is useful for mating as the male will be much bolder in familiar surroundings. The joint content affects the quality of milk, the specific smell of males can pass to the milk.
We must not forget about a specially designated place for milking, away from other animals and manure. Setting it up won't be difficult. Ideally, running water nearby will make it easier to maintain hygiene and maintain the barn during milking.
It is very important that pregnant goats are separated from the rest of the goat herd and kept in separate stalls. After all, like any living creature, in this position, goats need peace.
After all, goats generally tend to butt, and in a situation with pregnant women, this can lead to miscarriage or injury.
If the goat has to lamb in the winter, then it will be enough to allocate 2.5 m2 for it, and if in spring period– this area can be reduced to 2 m2. A small kid needs about 0.8 m2 for a full life.
A goat with kids will have to live in a separate stall for several months, until the young growth gets stronger. But still, main point- this is not the amount of allocated area, but the maintenance of the animal in dryness and cleanliness. If the content is untidy, then the possibility of harm to health increases several times.
Was this article helpful?
Thank you for your opinion!
Write in the comments what questions you did not receive an answer to, we will definitely respond!
167
times already
helped
Building a goat shed with your own hands is quite simple. For this, it is not necessary to have construction skills. You can easily transform any room. The fact is that goats are very unpretentious animals. Even during the stall period, they can be content with a minimum of amenities. In this article, we will tell you how to properly equip a room for keeping goats.
Building a goat shed begins with choosing a location. Any elevation on your site is suitable for construction. The only condition is that the goat's rue must be located away from sources of pollution, such as drains or cesspools. The fact is that goats are very clean animals, so they can not tolerate the neighborhood with a garbage heap or a country toilet.
Important! The construction of the premises is best planned for mid-spring or early summer. This will give you enough time to build the building for the winter cold.
So, let's look at how best to make a goat shed with your own hands.
materials
It all depends on your financial capabilities and desires. You can use bricks, boards, logs. In other words, any building material that you have or can purchase.
Walls
Goats tolerate frost well, but react poorly to drafts. Therefore, the walls of the goat shed are best made from boards or logs. wooden walls easy to caulk, besides, they are quite warm. If you decide to use brick for construction, remember that the walls will have to be sheathed with plywood panels from the inside.
doors
Should be wide enough to open outwards. First, it is required by fire safety regulations. Secondly, there will be sawdust, straw and waste products of your wards on the floor if the door opens inward. This will give you a lot of inconvenience.
Window
Windows are usually located 1.5 meters from the floor level. Goats are very mobile and active animals, therefore, even standing on their hind legs or jumping up, the goat should not reach the glass.
floors
A prerequisite is the presence of a solid floor. You can pour concrete or mortar, but it is immediately worth noting that these are very cold materials. Therefore, on concrete base still have to lay wooden shields.
Clay floors are categorically not recommended, the fact is that a long stay on soft surface, can provoke diseases of the ligaments and tendons of animals. The best option- This is a wooden floor, located at an angle. This will allow the urine to drain freely.
Roof
The roof is usually covered with iron or slate. Must be carefully adjusted roofing material so that there are no gaps. It is recommended to equip a barn for goats gable roof, this will allow precipitation to drain to the ground.
The entrance to the goat house can be made double, that is, to equip a small vestibule. This will provide additional protection against drafts.
In front of the goat house, it is necessary to equip small playground for walking. Even in winter, goats should be outdoors.
Requirements for the premises
When building a room for goats with your own hands, it is necessary to take into account the mandatory requirements:
- ceiling height should not be lower than 2 meters;
- area per adult is not less than 4 square meters;
- temperature regime: +6 degrees in winter and +18 in summer;
- Be sure to have sawdust on the floor. The bedding layer should be about 40 centimeters;
- ventilation is required. If it is absent, then it is necessary to regularly ventilate the room;
- stalls for goats should be equipped away from the place where the females are kept. The fact is that males have a rather specific smell that can be transmitted to milk.
Advice. If you decide to keep two goats in one pen at once, then you need to select animals with a calm character and equal in physical strength.
Equipment layout
If you have already been raising livestock at home, then you will not have problems with the equipment of the premises. It is almost the same for any livestock. For beginners, a few tips on arranging equipment in a goat house should be given.
The stalls in which the goats will be kept should be tall and spacious. The area is approximately 1 by 2 meters. Height - 1.5 meters. Animals should feel spacious. It is not recommended to tie goats during stall keeping.
Feeders and drinkers are equipped directly in front of the stalls. It is recommended to put a wooden fence in front of the feeder, this is done so that the animals do not climb into the feed with their feet. Goats are very clean, even if they trample on their own food, they will no longer eat it.
When arranging the roof, you can equip a small attic. There you can store hay in the winter.
As you can see, building a goat shed with your own hands is quite easy. The main thing is to show a little ingenuity and skill. Remember, just as you take care of your pets, they will thank you for their productivity!
With the decision to raise goats comes the question of where to keep them. This should be a room that meets the needs of the wards and is convenient for the owner when caring for the animals. You can build a goat shed with your own hands. Even a beginner will do this, subject to proper planning and choice of materials. What will need to be taken into account during construction and what materials to stock up will be discussed in the article below.
Basic requirements for the premises
In warm climatic regions, in spring and autumn, goats do not need a barn at all; a canopy in a place protected from drafts will be a sufficient condition for keeping. For the winter they need to be transferred to a more permanent structure, where minimum temperature does not fall below 8 degrees Celsius.
Building a shed for goats separately or allocating a nook for them in a common room is a master's business. It is economically beneficial when all the cattle is in one building, separated by strong partitions. But still, if there is such an opportunity, it is desirable to build an independent goat house.
Its size is determined based on the planned number of individuals. Ideally, each adult animal should have its own place. It could be a cage or a paddock.
The joint maintenance of adult goats is allowed. In the barn, it is necessary to provide for a separate maintenance of female cats, goats and young animals. This condition will prevent competition, conflict, make it possible to plan the reproduction of animals and save kids from the negativity of the older generation of goats.
Goats adapt to both hot weather and cold weather, but do not tolerate dampness, so the barn should be dry and warm enough. At proper construction goat's rue does not require the installation of a heating system, because the animals themselves heat the air up to 8-10 degrees Celsius. In addition, provide for sunlight to get inside, conduct electricity and consider a ventilation system.
Choosing a place to build
When choosing a place for the construction of a goat's rue, give preference to a small hill or plain. In the lowlands, the barn will be damp, which means that the animals will constantly get sick and wither away.
Before construction, the area for construction must be cleared of vegetation: remove trees and shrubs with maximum uprooting of the root system. After preparatory work level the area.
Keep in mind that each adult goat needs about 1 sq. m. area, and for kids - 0.6-0.8 sq. m. Place the building on site so that the facade and paddock were located on the south side.
Construction and materials
Depending on the reliability, solidity and time of operation of the building, materials for construction are selected. A capital structure requires much more material costs, effort and knowledge than a wooden structure.
Foundation
The foundation for capital construction is carried out in a tape way. To do this, it is necessary to dig trenches around the perimeter of the goat's rue with a depth of about 45-50 cm. Above them, a formwork from improvised material is installed, providing a concrete pouring height of 25 cm above ground level. It is poured into the obtained foundation recesses concrete mix. For the foundation to dry, it takes from 3 weeks to a month during a warm, rainless period.
For a wooden structure, a foundation of pillars or piles dug in over the area of the barn is suitable. Leave the distance between them no more than a meter. Remove the sod layer of earth over the area. Dig holes, fill in a pillow of screenings and gravel 20 cm thick, tamp it down. Install the pillars in the recesses, pouring them with concrete.
Filling and laying the floor
For a floor in a solid goat's rue, you first need to make a well-packed earthen or adobe base. Next, lay the floors from above:
- boards;
- flat slate;
- roofing material and metal sheets.
Another option is to pour the floor with concrete over a bed of slag or gravel. In this case, it is necessary to observe a slope of 2 cm per 1 meter so that the urine flows into the sump. For a concrete floor, it is worth stocking up with a large amount of bedding, since use without it is unacceptable due to the fact that even in summer the floor is very cold.
The best method is considered to be the installation of gutters along the floor in the direction of the container for collecting urine and feces, and the organization of a removable flooring in the form of wooden grating. Such a floor will be dry and warm, and bedding material is practically not required.
Building walls and windows
The walls are built of wood, brick, foam and gas blocks, adobe. Stone materials are not recommended - the barn will be cold and damp.
For a wooden structure, a beam sheathed with a board with inner space 10-15 cm. To preserve heat in the goat's house, these voids are filled with expanded clay, sand, fire or any insulation. Brick goat's rue is plastered for insulation.
Build walls with a height of 2-2.5 m. It is not worth it above, because it will be difficult to warm up a large amount of air in the barn in winter. smooth walls convenient to clean and disinfect.
Place windows and doors on south side the buildings. For safety reasons, the door should be double-leaf, and its opening should be carried out outwards. Opening the upper sash, located at a height of 1.5 m above the floor, is a way to ventilate the room.
For a small goat house, one is enough window opening alongside the door. For large sheds, several windows are required at a height of 1.5 m. Their number is determined by the ratio of 1:12 to total area the buildings.
Arrangement of the ceiling and roof
The roof must be secure. An excellent material for it is slate or tile. shed roof cover under a slight slope so that snow and rainwater do not linger on its surface.
gable roof will be more expensive, but it becomes possible to organize attic space where you can store hay, inventory or use for other needs. With this version of the roof, the ceiling is insulated with a mixture of straw and clay.
Treat all wooden building materials with primers, and soak floor boards with drying oil. So operational properties wood will increase, extending the period of operation several times.
Necessary communications
If communications are laid illiterately, then all efforts to build a goat shed can become futile. Animals in uncomfortable conditions can not be. Therefore, treat this stage of construction responsibly.
Ventilation
Ventilation will provide ventilation of the room, access to oxygen inside and maintain the level of humidity inside. The simplest supply and exhaust form of ventilation consists of:
- pipes with a diameter of 100 cm or more, installed in the center of the roof or under the ceiling in the far corner of the barn;
- pipes above the floor near the front door.
To prevent drafts, debris and rodents from entering through the ventilation into the barn, the pipes are covered with protective dampers.
The optimum level of air humidity in a goat barn is 70-75%.
Lighting
The level of illumination of the premises is very important for goats, especially for young animals. In addition to natural light, place electric lamps indoors. They should be at a height inaccessible to animals and be protected by a grill or ceiling.
Heating
Heating is necessary only in areas with a cold climate, where maintaining the indoor air temperature at around 8-10 ° C is impossible without the use of additional heat sources. It is forbidden to use the oven in the barn. It is recommended to carry out steam heating with a boiler in a separate brick shed.
manure removal
Cleaning and cleaning of manure should be done twice a day. This will keep the livestock from developing infections, maintain hygiene and keep the humidity level at the proper level.
If there are pallets, they are taken out and washed. A system is often used when a ditch is made under one wall for raking manure into it, followed by cleaning.
Arrangement of the premises
Properly equipped goat's rue space will provide comfort for the animals and convenience for the owner when caring for the wards.
Stall
The common room reserved for the stalls can be divided using wooden partitions not more than 1.5 m high. If individual stalls are planned for each goat, then their size is considered to be at least 2 × 1.5 m. In such pens, animals are kept without a leash.
Crowding when keeping a goat affects it general state and reduces milk yield.
Make the front wall in the form of a door on reliable canopies and locks. Place a nursery on the inner surface of the door to optimize space and ease of feeding. Thus, it will not be necessary to go inside the table for each feeding of the goats.
Floor mat
Use straw or sawdust as bedding. They will protect animals from the cold floor, if it is not covered with wood, and additionally absorb moisture. Don't skimp on bedding. This will protect the goats from various infections and inflammation of the udder.
Manger and feeder
The nursery is designed for laying hay and grass in them, and concentrated feed, vegetables and fruits, mashed cereals, etc. are poured into the feeders.
Goats often spoil hay and other feed by sorting, scattering and trampling them. To avoid such wastefulness, provide comfortable nurseries and feeders in the barn, located in a state suspended 0.5 m from the floor, and place a tray under them so that the feed falls into it, and not onto the floor. Later, it can again be poured for food by animals. Small boards on the feeders will also be useful.
The nursery needs space for salt stone and mineral supplements. Keep this in mind when sizing so the goats don't end up throwing away the hay in an attempt to get to the salt.
Stall
The milking parlor facilitates the milking of the goat by ensuring its immobility during the process. You can buy it ready-made or make it yourself from wood. The milking machine is a kind of box made of thin timber with a feeder at the head and the ability to fix the animal's head. Often this part has a tighter space, which does not allow the goat to turn its head during milking.
The design must be reliable and have a ladder so that the animals can safely climb the height of the machine. It is necessary to install a cage for milking in the quietest and most peaceful place of the goat house.
If automatic milking is envisaged, then there should be space for the machine and containers next to the machine, as well as an electrical outlet and sufficient lighting.
Water supply
Make goat drinkers from ordinary buckets by hanging them above the floor. So the animals will not spill and turn over the container with water. If possible, you can install automatic drinkers. They require a water supply to operate.
summer building for keeping goats can be made in the form of a canopy with a fence. The main thing is that the animals have somewhere to hide from the scorching sun and precipitation. In addition, it is desirable to make a goat resting area protected from through wind.
Another option is simple building from wood. In southern latitudes, a summer house can also be used in winter. It is enough to insulate it and eliminate all the cracks.
The equipment of the summer barn does not differ from the main goat house: drinking bowls, feeders, nurseries and delimitation of territories for goats, young animals and a goat are obligatory.
Insulation of the barn for the winter
Measures to warm the goat's rue are not required in regions with temperate climate. If the goat house is made of wood, then over the summer the materials could dry out and gaps will appear at the joints. Therefore, the only way to prepare for winter period will be the elimination of these gaps and other openings through which cold air can penetrate inside.
Before the onset of cold weather in cold areas, it is necessary to prepare a barn. For this:
- Patch all the cracks and holes throughout the area of the goat's rue.
- Insulate ventilation pipes.
- Check the roof for integrity.
- Stock up on bedding.
- Check the heating system, if any.
Ensuring year-round walking
Goats need to move, so if the outside temperature is more than 12 °C, they need to be released into the corral. The area for animal walks is determined at the stage of site selection and barn planning.
Paddock Requirements:
- Area not less than 5 sq.m. per animal in the absence of grazing.
- Area fencing. The height of the fence is not less than 1.3 m.
- Provide shelter from the sun. It can be a canopy or trees. Goats love to eat bark, so protect the trunk of each tree with a metal fine mesh.
Budget construction options
To make the goat shed durable, comfortable for animals, but at the same time does not require large construction costs, use the following tips:
- If you are just starting out in goat farming, do not build large capital sheds. Build a goat house from scrap materials or allocate space in a shared barn with other animals. If the desire to breed goats strengthens next season, feel free to consider building an individual goat house.
- Keep in mind that brick buildings, although more durable than wooden ones, still require additional costs and are not deprived of shortcomings. For example, a brick can become damp in winter, so the walls must be sheathed from the inside with moisture-resistant plywood or covered with a layer of plaster, and upholstered on the outside. sheet metal.
- Wooden buildings perfectly keep heat indoors, cool in summer period. But to increase the service life, they require impregnation with special antifungal and moisture-repellent compounds. Flooring from the boards changes as it rots or thins.
- When insulating a barn, keep in mind that the use of polystyrene foam is cheap, but rodents start up in it, which can nullify all work. Therefore, it is more profitable to use mineral wool or glass wool.
- Do not save on the construction of the foundation and roof. The higher the goat's rue above ground level, the more protected from moisture and moisture. Publications: 64
