Author Topic: What size shed will they need? (Read 3485 times)

egglady · « **on:** January 19, 2011, 07:33:28 pm »

some of you will know that we are planning to get a couple of milking goats this year.

Can anyone advise me what size of shed I should be getting for them please?

And do they need mucked out daily like the horses?

Thanks

Brucklay · « **Reply #1 on:** January 19, 2011, 09:02:36 pm »

There may be differences for milking goats but for my Pygmy's we use the 'deep' technique - letting things build up - keeping them cozy but we do have the advantage that the shed is sat on a base of 1' of hard core (my thoughts were everthing wet would eventually drain away) - size I'm not sure - someone with more knowledge of their need will answer that one - looking forward to the pictures when you get them!

Hermit · « **Reply #2 on:** January 19, 2011, 09:49:15 pm »

My two are in a 12' x 10' stable in a larger shed, they share and just have a straw pad for a bed which is in one corner. I clean that away when it needs it( about every four days). The rest of the area is swept every morning to keep the droppings from squashing onto the concrete. It is generous but I look at sometimes they have to be kept in cause of the weather up here , then they have the run of the whole shed. The shed has another stable in , a hay storage area, feed area , leccy and water . Which all need to be considered if possible.

Brucklay · « **Reply #3 on:** January 19, 2011, 10:23:41 pm »

Just an update on the size - we did a 8.4m x 2.4m (everything done by timer sizes) goat shed, now housing 10 pygmy's - divided into pens that have gates from pen to pen so during the day everything is open - all internal gates and 2 door one at each end of the shed - so there's always a way in and a way out in case of a bit of bullying. I divided things into pens when the girls were heavily pregnant to stop any 'side dunting', so pregnant girls can eat their morning and evening feed in peace - wish I'd thought of it at the beginning - seem to be forever making changes and adapting, and probably will for some time to come! Hay shed next door - wish it was bigger, running water (most of the time) IBC collecting rain water for emergency's and we have that overflow into a wheeliebin so I can lift the lid and smash the ice as plan 'C' but will still probably carry buckets of water at some point in the winter!!

Anke · « **Reply #4 on:** January 20, 2011, 07:00:49 am »

I have a fairly generous goat shed that PH built , it is concrete foundations/base, and 10ft by 18ft. Same size hayshed, all because of the lengths of wood available. The goat shed is divided into 4 pens of 5ft by 6ft, with a central area in which there is the entrance, milking area, feed bucket, water tap etc. WE have put electricity in, and I think that is essential for winter (milking kidding etc). My tw GG nannies share, as do the two BT kids(now goatlings). On epen will be for kidding, once my wether kid/buckling is in the freezer.

Lots of ventilation above the had height of the goats, and large mesh doors for when they are inside.

However people use B&Q sheds successfully, you can get cow mats of thick rubber I think, and you could lay an extra layer of flooring to extend the lifetime. I have the equivalent of kickboards (as for horses) in the pens, and I also deep-bed them. In the summer cleaning out every months or so, with daily topping up any wet areas and taking out any droppings (usually from where they sleep at night). In the winter no mucking out between Nov and a week or so before kidding. But this year we had to take some of the muck out from one of the pens, as my BT type nanny was poo-ing into her waterbucket every day, the muck layer had grown too much in her pen. I normally would have had a last big muck-out end of November, but as winter came early that never happened... but they are warm, no extra heating required and they are not rugged at all.

If your OH is good with wood, look at the Fiasco farm website for construction of a milking stand!

plumseverywhere · « **Reply #5 on:** January 20, 2011, 09:28:48 am »

OUrs are in a shed that hubby made. they live out on the whole but there is a self shutting mechanism on the door and a nudge bar so that the goats can open it from inside or out yet the door remains shut when in to keep them wamer. Needs to be well ventilated and easy to clean - I struggle a bit with ours as its not high enough but the goats are happy enough.
we deep bed and just removed excess muck as and when neccessary.
my milking stand is outdoors and I am (when we have a milker) quite happy milking outdoors and taking in the view