The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Tree Farmer on April 09, 2012, 01:55:51 pm
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I have spent the morning trying to plan the stable for my goats - the forthcoming 10 month old goatling wether (Rufus) and the two AN girl kids. It is leading to a tense atmosphere with my (less goat-enthusiastic) other half.
We have an old equestrian place so there are several utilitarian concrete type stables to choose from - and I have chosen one. But inside it is just a big square space so I am trying to work out what to buy / do to make it a good place for the three goats.
So far I have a plan with a foyer / feeding area in the front, then a communal 'loose box' area with means to divide into three. Three hay racks on the back wall, all feeding / drinking through head holes in the front through the three gates.
It's a basic question but could I have two kids and Rufus together?
Or should I be using the dividers from day one to create two spaces so Rufus has his bit, and the kids theirs. (One day I'd use the other divider - either for kidding, or if I needed space for poorly goat etc).
I was planning to have Rufus and Martha together as they have been since birth, obviously that's changed now we've lost Martha (hence the kids).
I want the kids and Rufus to have as much company as possible, warmth at night if they can lie together etc. But is it just a no-no to have a goatling and two kids together in their sleeping quarters?
Thank you
Charlotte
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hmmm...
well...
I'd say go for the best of both, have them separate-able (!) but able to get together if all goes well.
then you've got the partitioned area for kidding, or semi-isolation in case of illness.
Your plan sounds great.
Ours have a communal shed & pen, we tried putting partitions up but they just wont have it! one prefers to sleep out when its fine, so we don't even shut the shed door anymore as he freaks out.
Really, you need to see how well they get on. The kids won't cope well being apart ... but if you want them to be a herd then the sooner the are all in together, the better
sorry, not much help I know!
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That's lots of help! I guess I do want them to be a herd - thought they would be happier that way, more natural etc. (But there would be the provision there to split off a third (for Rufus) or even into three if ever required).
Other half has been pricing up timber and is looking a bit grim faced!!
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Can you get hold of any pallets?
Or gates?
Timber is outrageously expensive, and if it does turn out to be temporary...
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Pallets from feed merchants if you have one nearby...ours told us that the pallets are non returnable because of cross contamination from farm to farm so they are glad to get rid of them.
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Our situation is a little difficult to describe but I will try - 1 big shed with 7 pens and one smaller shed next door the boys say in the small shed overnight and each breeding female has her own pen. The large shed has a door at either end to the outside, and each pen has a door to the next pen so during the day all pens are open so everyone can come and go where they like at feed time they are in their own pen so I can monitor feed - works for us but must say has been modified over time!!
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I would initially just get some cheap hurdles and divide the space into two, and then after a while if they all get on fine outside just take the hurdle away (and you can always re-install it if necessary or need separate kidding space (for example when one goat kids the wether can still share with the girl not kidding etc). If they are all still quite young they should get on well. Pallets also work (and you will need them to build muck heap enclosures later on anyway...)
If you put in a central dividing hurdle you also only need one hayrack to start with, one of the panier style ones, you may even have one of you have an old horse place). I would advice against having hayracks at the back of the pens, you will always have to march through the muck to reach to re-fill them. Also make sure you have a kind of lid on the hayrack, otherwise they just pull all the hay out and use it as bedding... We just have bent some wire mesh into place and it swings open. Then enclosed with one of these rubber straps/bungees (and even those get eaten periodically.. or disappaer into the straw/bedding only to be found in compost several years later...). For feed bowls we use the cheap 1 pound-a-go ones from any supermarket, again we go through a few of them per year, but they can easily be washed out after cleaning out the milking machine.
My goats share pens in family groups, with one kept free for any individuals kidding, ill etc etc.
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I have two pens which open into a communal area. So I can shut away kidding goats with their newborns. But a lot of the year the pen gates are open and everyone mills around together.
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I have 2 sheds which are currently in separate paddocks (with a gate for access should we choose to graze all 4 together).
This means that if one goat is bottom of the pecking order they ahve an option of separate shelter, we also have the 2nd shed as a designated 'kidding' shed and finally it can be a quarantine shed shoudl the need arise for a poorly goat.
If you choose to have one main shed it could be worth having a spare open fronted shelter 'just in case' even if its just made out of pallets.
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I have one shed and all three in together. It's never been a problem even when one was kidding and her mum was watching. They both nuzzled the kid when he was born but the gran soon let him know who not to suckle from ;D