# Calf hut with door?



## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

We've been thinking about a calf hut for awhile now, but with some coyote sightings I want to be able to shut my boys in at night. Would there be an affordable way to add a door to the calf hut, or is there a similar hut that already has a door?


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## FloatnRockRanch (Feb 7, 2015)

You can get them with doors.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

I made a door for one of my calf hutches using hog panel wire and rebar rods cut down. I drilled holes in the lip around the door, stuck the hog wire (cut to the size and shape of the doorway) inside the door, and used the rebar to slide across behind the wire to hold it in place.

Another of my calf hutches has a door like this one: http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f188/poly-dome-shelters-securing-transporting-livestock-176986/


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Wow, that is an excellent idea, I may think of doing that.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

That is awesome!! It can double as a crate even then, that's excellent!


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Yes, we have used our smaller calf hutch as a crate. It's perfect if you're just hauling one or two goats and don't want to bother with hitching up a whole trailer for the job. We have big goats, so a normal dog crate doesn't work for us. This small hutch is perfect since it slides exactly between the truck wheel wells.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

What kind of calf hut would you recommend, size and quality-wise, in order for me to comfortably shut three miniature (BFF) bucks in at nighttime?


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

I use the PolyDome calf hutches. You can look at their website for hutch sizes and dimensions. I have great big goats so I use the large round Calf Nurseries. But PolyDome also makes a Mini Dome which would probably be more suitable for Nigies. I like the round domes because no one can get cornered in a fight. However, round domes don't fit in the truck bed.

The small hutch that fits on the truck is the "Warm Climate Hut" and it would probably be too small for three goats, but you'd be the better judge of that since I don't have minis and I'm not sure how much space they need. If they get along well, it might be big enough but you'd have to clean it every day if they are locked in.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Oh, to get a PolyDome you have to find a distributor in your area. Also the difference in size between the little rectangular hutch and the mini dome is 20 sq. ft. vs. 28 sq. ft.--so the round one is almost 1/2 again the size of the other. My big round ones are 38 sq. ft. and usually fit 2-4 large goats depending on how well they get along.


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## AncientBlue (Dec 21, 2014)

I'd check out some dog houses first. The Poly Dome huts look really nice but are really expensive.


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Dog houses won't work for what we want - we want to be able to shut them in together, move the shelter, and also have more protection against the winter.


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