# Shelter ideas



## Archie (Dec 13, 2015)

I am new at this and am needing ideas on shelter from rain and wind in a pen made of 10 foot goat panels that will not take up ground space. 
I have used 2 different contraptions with less than favorable results using a tarp and zip ties and grip hooks. I am in the Dallas area and most of our storms blow thru at night with high winds, by morning the tarp is half blown off and I have 2 wet crying goats.


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## fcdairygoats (Jun 24, 2013)

Are you using the cheap tarps? I use the grey tarps and have very good luck with them. The ones on the doe shelter has been on for 2? years I believe. I have used cattle panel tarp shelters for my goats for the past few years...

This is my buck barn. This is new. I just done this shelter the spring/summer of this year.


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## fcdairygoats (Jun 24, 2013)

This is the doe barn. I have had this shelter for 3-4 years but the tarps are only a couple years old. I had to replace the other tarp because of the cats poking holes in it when they climbed on it. I do need to replace these tarps because the cats have put holes in them as well. The downfall to these shelters is replacing the tarps but thankfully I don't have to do that every year.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I agree the tarps make a huge difference. Another idea, kinda the same as above is to use 6 pallets, 2 on each side and 2 in the back and a beef panel and a tarp. I only saw a picture of it on Facebook so couldn't go totally in detail of how to make it but seems pretty simple. I don't remember if the tarp went all the way to the ground or if ply board was also used


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

yes..the one floating around FB is pretty neat...^^^ the pallets really seemed to add the stability to the cattle panel...you can also add a 7th panel in front as a wind breaker leaving enough space for door way...


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I found it...heres the pic....


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Yes!! And good thing you found it because it's 2 cattle panels! So if you can get pallets for free, even then it costs $4 here (NOTHING is free here) that's $24 in pallets, $50 in panel and whatever the tarp costs, say another $50??? So $124. I'm really considering this for here, even having to buy the pallets. I pay $400 for a shelter logic and it's 16X20. I love those things too but I think it's too big for your pen???


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## fcdairygoats (Jun 24, 2013)

That would work for where you are at. It wouldn't work for us. We have to have solid walls. It's too cold and snowy here for pallet type sides. 

The one thing I love about using these type of shelters is the fact you can take them down and move them if you need to! Well my buck barn would be difficult to take down and move because everything is solid pens and posts are in the ground ...the other shelter can be torn down easily. And the type of shelter listed above with the pallets would be easy to take down and move and put back up.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

> That would work for where you are at. It wouldn't work for us. We have to have solid walls. It's too cold and snowy here for pallet type sides


I think I would add ply-board to the pallets for a wind free zone...we get a lot of wind here and it can be quite cold...


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## fcdairygoats (Jun 24, 2013)

We have single digit temps and lots of snow....although we are hoping for a mild winter....after having negative degree temps and wind chills colder than -10 the past two winters I think we are due for a mild winter!! The one year we had wind chills of -40 THAT was COLD. lol


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## Daisy-Mae (Feb 24, 2014)

My husband made this for are goats. We have 2 of them. We bought used igloo dog houses some 2/4's and plastic panels they work great. We did put a plastic panel on the front now that it's winter and it has an opening for them to go in and out


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## Archie (Dec 13, 2015)

THANK YOU ALL for all the great ideas ..... The pallet set up looks perfect with a few minor adjustments to make it more wind resistant.....


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## wndngrvr (Dec 10, 2011)

We have a greenhouse for our garden and I think it would make a terrific barn for goats -with something added on the sides for stability. The greenhouse plastic has been on it for about 8 years now. You can also buy a fabric type cover I have seen in a catalog for covering instead of plastic. Something recommended for animals so must be waterproof. Plastic is hot for summer.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Billboard tarps last half of forever.


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## AncientBlue (Dec 21, 2014)

The pallet idea sounds like a good one for the inside of the barn we're getting. We don't need much for wind resistance because it's usually so darn hot here. It's December 17th and I still have the AC on. Does anyone using the pallets have trouble with goats jumping over them? I've got two girls that could be entered in a high jump competition. Cool idea and thanks. I'm wondering how I'm going to handle this when the barn gets here. Hubby is swamped at work. I guess someone has to keep the lights on for the power company. My daughter works and is going into the Air Force and my son starts trade school about the time the barn gets here. Therefore, it's just all 5 ft of me handling this barn interior. I think I could handle the pallets.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

No they shouldn't be able to jump it, well unless you really have a problem with them jumping. I do on one so she like jump it lol but they are 4 foot high which is the same as panels and fencing, unless you have the 6 foot high fencing. I have 3 pallets I use as gates and no one has gone over them YET.


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## Jasmar (Mar 28, 2015)

What about stuffing the pallets with straw. Would that actually work? I've been slowly collecting pallets when the feed store leaves them out for free, but the plywood seems like it my be spendy.


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## deerbunnyfarm (Dec 14, 2015)

I have a pallet shelter, and I stack straw bales on the outside to block wind now that it's cold. I live in Arkansas so it's nice to have more air flow in the summer.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

> Does anyone using the pallets have trouble with goats jumping over them?


yep, and I sold both of them lol...so yes its possible...


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## fcdairygoats (Jun 24, 2013)

My goats would eat the straw if I tried that. lol


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## Saddlebronc (Sep 4, 2015)

*IBC Tote Shelter*

Been at this goat business about 6 months, and wanted my goats to have a dry shelter option from the start. Most of the time they don't use them, but when it rains they sure do.

I made a couple of these, after viewing the *instructional video*. They are light enough to move around by hand, or drag around with my ATV. Of course, if you have forks on a tractor, they're made for that.

There's also a useful detail about the eye bolts for connecting panels. Pretty versatile.

I have seen my pygmies on top, but never my "full size" Kikos.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Will building a couple pallet shelters come spring...


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Saddlebronc said:


> Been at this goat business about 6 months, and wanted my goats to have a dry shelter option from the start. Most of the time they don't use them, but when it rains they sure do.
> 
> I made a couple of these, after viewing the *instructional video*. They are light enough to move around by hand, or drag around with my ATV. Of course, if you have forks on a tractor, they're made for that.
> 
> ...


Do you cut the bottoms out of those? Sorry if it shows in the video it won't let me play it. I saw where someone uses this totes for houses as well but still has the bottom so just sprays it out. I just see it getting gross pretty fast


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## Saddlebronc (Sep 4, 2015)

Jessica84 said:


> Do you cut the bottoms out of those? Sorry if it shows in the video it won't let me play it. I saw where someone uses this totes for houses as well but still has the bottom so just sprays it out. I just see it getting gross pretty fast


No, I leave the bottom intact. If constructed with the drain valve in back, positioning the new entry door uphill will let liquids drain out...assuming the gate valve is left open. Sure, goats are goats and will mess up the inside, but with a short hoe or similar it's easy to tilt toward you with one hand and drag the soiled bedding out with the other.

I have another tin-covered frame structure on the ground, and it also needs cleaning occasionally. They use both but the tote is definitely used during wet periods.


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## fivemoremiles (Jan 19, 2010)

My little guys like there Dog igloo


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Use a billboard sign, don't use tarps! The billboard signs are stronger. 
We wanted to make a covered shelter for the round bale so the goats didn't have to stand out in the rain/snow to eat. This is the first one we made









They stopped sleeping in the barn, and started sleeping in the hay shelter lol
It was up a year, never had to do anything to it, and we can get some nasty wind/snow here at times.
We built a bigger one, but had to use 2 layers of tarps as well as the billboard sign because we didn't have a billboard sign big enough to cover it. Looked ugly, but worked awesome! Again, used this for a year and never did any adjusting to it at all.
We put OSB on the sides to keep out wind/rain/snow. The only thing we should have done was paint the OSB to protect it. It looks ugly right now being weathered, if we ever get a dry spell we'll get it painted, as we have to finish painting the barn.

With the layer of tarps right after we built it


















This was taken this morning, we're still working on it, so don't mind how it looks, we had to stop because of the crazy weather. We got flooded Wed night, and it has rained every day since then, everything is wet, muddy and nasty.
Eventually when we do get some dry weather, we'll paint the osb, and fix the front.
A friend of ours gave us the billboard sign. This shelter is around 15-16' L x 10'W.









Another idea is a pallet shelter with roofing, and just not messing with panels or tarps.
If you are creative, you can make a nice shelter and spend little $$ The $$ part depends on what type of roof you want to put on it.
Metal is a pain to work with, but it's inexpensive.

We built our barn out of pallets. Originally planned to have maybe 5 goats (yeah....right that idea didn't last long lol).

Original barn is around 16' L x 12'W









We put OSB siding on it, used Ondura (sp?) roofing from Lowes, and haven't done anything to it since, ok, well we've added onto both sides now, and a section off on the front side lol
Don't mind the door, after about 5 years of goats jumping on it, we decided it needs replaced not painted lol









Nothing fancy, but being a stay at home mom, we have a tight budget, so I have to find ways to stay within a budget.

Anyway, I just wanted to share this, because there are a lot of ways you can do it, just have to put your mind to it. If your using pallets, make sure they are up off the ground so they don't rot.
Make sure you raise the floor inside the shelter depending on it's location so rainwater can't seep in, or doesn't flood as easily.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

^^^ I like those ideas... I'm going to have to build a few soon


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