# I need some ideas/photos for goat shelter: UPDATE PICTURES!



## Burns Branch Boers

Hubby promised me if I could find the paperwork so we could get tags on a new trailer he won a few years ago he would get the tags and get me all the wood we would need to build shelters and toys for the goats!

Well....I found the paperwork yesterday. :greengrin: So.....I need help with ideas for building a house/shelter for the bucks. We have boers so size will need to be considered. I also would love some ideas for items he could build in the buck pen to keep them entertained. I am thinking some things they can climb and walk on. 

We are also going to build a play structure for our goat kids in the doe pasture. 

I know we have had many posts were people have put up wonderful pictures of what they have built but I tried searching this a.m. and of course can't find many of them 

Any ideas?? I would love to see pictures too!!!


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## Randi

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *










This is an old Little Tykes sliding board, a tub turned upside-down, and some old tires, a ball or two from Walmart. Any old junk with no sharp edges or other safety issues will do as long as the goats can climb on it and not jump over the fence.


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## freedomstarfarm

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

I also love the Little Tykes stuff but there is no way it would work for a boer unless it were a kid. :wink:

Big wooden spools are great and come in all sizes from 2' up to 10'.


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## Burns Branch Boers

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

yes! I have been eyeing the little tykes stuff on CL. I am waiting to get a set at a good deal for the kids to play on.

I was also reasearching on the internet and it suggested cleaned out plastic jugs w/a bit of grain put in them (w/the top left open) for bucks to play with. Said they would roll them around for hours trying to get the grain out. What do you all think of this?


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## Burns Branch Boers

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

I have seen the wooden spools. How do you get those?


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## Bona Fide

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

Hey. We bought a little tykes slides and one of those 8-in-1 style little tykes playsets at yardsales for close to nothing.

We've got igloo dog houses that my dogs abandonded when DH build them little "barns" so they climb in/on those and then they've got 10-15 of the wooden spools (so far) that are vary in size from 2' across to 5' across. They've got a bunch of railroad ties they climb over too.

I've got my eye out for an old street sweeper though - I've missed the last 2 auctions where they were "Retired" --- one of these days I'll get one!!!


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## Jessaba

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

We just put boards together to make different things to jump on and hubby made a bridge for them to get on that leads to a platform to lay on...will get pics of it in a few mins and will post!


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## GotmygoatMTJ

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

Pretty sure you can get spools from electric and phone companies. Though you might be on a waiting list (like I am, sigh), they will pretty much give them to you for free.


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## Mandara Farm

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

If you have the wood, how about a teeter-totter? I really want to build one for my girls! Also, we have soil to be used in next year's gardens in piles with boards across, so the goats can A) eat the weeds off the soil and "season" it and B) play troll under the bridge and queen of the mountain. :laugh:

Can't wait to see what you create -- do post some pics, ok?


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## Jessaba

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

here is the pic of our goat bridge/playground

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... =1&theater


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## Burns Branch Boers

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

Wow! Jessaba your goat playground is COOL!!! :leap: I LOVE that!

Yup, I will surely post pics when we are done! Can't wait! I wish I could snap my fingers and have it all done.

hee hee :laugh: I would love to see my goats playing "troll"!! The does already play queen of the mountain in the doe pasture-we have an overturned water through that I have for them to play on and it is hillarious to see my oldest doe up there--she will hop up there (which it is fairly high in goat terms) and just stand there "surveying" LOL!! The babies hop on it and a dog house hubby built years ago and play.

A teeter-totter. That is a cool idea--would they/could they squish each other under it though???? :shocked:


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## RMADairyGoats

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=24561

How about something like this? Our goats LOVE  it!!!


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## Jessaba

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

NICE lost prairie...that goat playground is beautiful...


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## Itchysmom

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

Those two play yards are awesome!

Right now, as I do not have alot of room, they have a x-lrg dog igloo, an apple crate turned upside down and of course the stantion!. It was too much fun watching the kids trying to get on top of the igloo like big auntie Bella. Once they got big enough, up they went. All three love to play king of the igloo! Bella likes to push it around too, from the outside and the inside. I never know where I am going to find it! In my yard we have a wooden picnis table that they play on also. Unfortunately we also have a hot tup with a cover on it. The lids would run and jump up on it and that was fine. Then auntie Bella tried and she broke the cover .


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## Jessaba

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

Our first playground was nothign fancy...my sister in laws boss was throwing out an old HUGE saw horse and we were like hmmm add some ramps on both sides and you got a small/simple bridge.


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## Mandara Farm

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

Regarding teeter-totters, yeah they're for the big girls. :wink: Little ones could get squished underneath. You would need to have some sort of stop-block to prevent the teeter-totter from going all the way to the ground so little ones didn't get caught under it.


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## Randi

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

I also love the Little Tykes stuff but there is no way it would work for a boer unless it were a kid. :wink:

Oh, yeah.


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## Burns Branch Boers

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

LOL Randi that is ok--actualy I want a little section, in our pasture, of little tykes things for the kids. So I LOVE your set up!!

well I can't wait to see what we cook up--I will post pictures!


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## DulmesFamilyBoers

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

Our goats have a few things to climb on and around in the pasture. I would love to dump a big pile of rocks out there for them to climb on, but it's not my land, and it wouldn't be fun to clean up someday, so this will have to be good.


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## DulmesFamilyBoers

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

Here's a picture I found online. I thought it was great, my husband...not so much! :shrug:


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## jaycee

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

I've heard that rockpiles like that last one for the goats to climb on can really cut down on the amount of hoof trimming you have to do because they wear them down on there. I suppose thats how theyd do it in nature.


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## DulmesFamilyBoers

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

Yes, that's part of the reason I though the rocks or concrete would be so great. Fun for the goats and less work for their owners...


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## Epona142

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

Free coffee tables on CL


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## Burns Branch Boers

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

Dulmes, I LOVE the tree stumps! I wish we had large trees around us so that I could get some long limbs for them to climb on. I found a moderate sized on on the side of the road one day. I screeched to a halt and back up --my daughter who is 11 was like "WHAT are you doing?" I said "I want to get that tree limb for the goats" She was looking me like "OMG have you lost your mind?" Well the limb looked smaller on the side of the road than it actually was--but I did not let that stop me--I got it, swung it around and started passing in through the interior of my expedition. I ran out of room (LOL) so I yelled up at my daughter "put your window down and move your head" I stuck the end out the passenger window in the front and the end stuck out the back door!!! LOL!! My daugther was really embarrased but I got my tree limb home! :laugh:


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## goatsnmore

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *



Burns Branch Boers said:


> I screeched to a halt and back up --my daughter who is 11 was like "WHAT are you doing?" I said "I want to get that tree limb for the goats" She was looking me like "OMG have you lost your mind?"


 :laugh: I'm SO happy to hear that I'm not the only one who stops and grabs things from along side the road, for goats! We'll be driving along and I'll yell to my husband, "STOP! I need that. Hurry and back up!"


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## Hidden Waters Farm

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

We do the same thing with side of the road freebies. Aren't they great? We love to find free pallets!


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## Burns Branch Boers

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

:clap: I had a strong suspicion I was not the only "goat looney" LOL! But..it is nice to know I am well amoung friends.

Yep, it just seems to reason that goats toys are much better free!


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## Burns Branch Boers

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing*

We began construction in the buck pen yesterday!! Hubby drew up some plans for a really nice buck shelter w/an adjoining "wind wall" The house will be built under of 15ft overhang on our barn-so it should really shelter them from the elements in the winter and offer a cool shady place to hang out in the summer.

Hubby is also putting up feeders in the buck pen. We had to wait on the platform/climbing things that I decided I wanted due to the cost of pressure treated wood--whew!!! More expensive than I anticipated but WELL worth it, we will just have to build the toy type structures in increments.

I will post pic's when we are done! He is 1/2 way there, so should be soon!!


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## flatmountain

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

We have a "treat toy" for the chickens made from PVC. It has holes drilled in it that they can peck through. The goats discover this toy and went nuts rolling it all over the yard to get everybit of grain out.


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## myfainters

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

Here's one my hubby just built for the doelings. It's not quite finished yet....but you can get a general idea of what it will look like once the roofing is put on.


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## Calico Patch Farm

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

One of our friends/fellow breeders has a pretty wicked sweet goatie playground. I stole these pics from her website ( http://www.maplewoodhilltop.com/ )


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## Burns Branch Boers

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

Jess that is cool!! We are building a series of platforms for them to jump and climb on too--but it will be smaller than yours. Yours ROCKS!

We finished the shelter and wind wall yesterday. We got the boys all moved in. I took pictures and I will try to post them tonight after work  We only have the climbing platforms left to do--we had wood left over from the shelter that hubby was going to use and a friend of mine found a bunch of wood that she had in her barn and won't use so she is bringing it to me this week. Between what we had left over and what has been donated we should get some pretty "sweet" things for them to play on!!

I will return w/pictures :greengrin:


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## Burns Branch Boers

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

:shocked: OMG Calico Patch--I just saw your friends tree house/fort!!! WOW

That is super sweet!!! I LOVE the top 1/2 so the goats can look out but I love how they have it so there is no way they can jump out!

I would like to live there!!! When do I move in? :ROFL:


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## Calico Patch Farm

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing *

It's pretty sweet for sure! I love the top half too! I would love to have something like that for my goats but we don't have the time (or wood) to build something like that. I'm soooo jealous..... :drool:


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## RMADairyGoats

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing*

OMG Calico Patch!! :shocked: That is the most awesome thing I have ever seen!!!!!!!!! It is going to be on their Christmas list! :laugh:


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## Burns Branch Boers

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters: UPDATE its d*

Da da dahhhhhh! LOL!! The main part of our buck pen is done! Hubby finished the shelter (8ft long x 4ft deep) with a 4ft long wind wall attached.

We put it under the overhang of the barn (with the opening facing the wall of the barn) so that the wind can not blow in there. Also in the summer the house will stay in the shade and it will stay cool.

We are still constructing our "toys" for them to climb and play on---so...more to come 

*This is our barn*










*The doe pasture/paddocks are over here on the left*










*The buck pen is on the right side*










*Here are the pictures of the shelter and wind wall*




























*My son was hiding........and (see picture below)*










*and he scared our wether, Macho*


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## freedomstarfarm

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelter: UPDATE PICTUR*

Looks great and nice with the wind break!! :hi5:


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## RMADairyGoats

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelter: UPDATE PICTUR*

You have such a nice place  Love the pics! :hi5:


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## GotmygoatMTJ

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelter: UPDATE PICTUR*

I'm super jealous of your awesome barn! :drool:


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## liz

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelter: UPDATE PICTUR*



GotmygoatMTJ said:


> I'm super jealous of your awesome barn! :drool:


ME TOO!!
And of all the LEVEL land you have!
Great buck shelter...I really like the wind break wall too!


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## Mandara Farm

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelter: UPDATE PICTUR*

Love your barn and your buck shelter! Love that red color too! Thanks for posting pics -- it always spurs my imagination and gives me new ideas for my own goaties.


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## DulmesFamilyBoers

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelter: UPDATE PICTUR*

Very nice!! :thumb: Your barn is on my "wish list"...some day...


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## CapriGem

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelters and climbing*



Calico Patch Farm said:


> One of our friends/fellow breeders has a pretty wicked sweet goatie playground. I stole these pics from her website ( http://www.maplewoodhilltop.com/ )


Those are my friend Kathy's, I helped build them. I also do her website. She also built one for her bucks.


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## CapriGem

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelter: UPDATE PICTUR*

She made it with the big space underneath so her horse (halflinger) could get under it with out knocking it over...lol.

:laugh:


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## JackMilliken

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelter: UPDATE PICTUR*

That is so cool!


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## JackMilliken

*Re: I need some ideas/photos for goat shelter: UPDATE PICTUR*

Did it take a long time to build?


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