# Handling Facilities



## HDRider (Jun 15, 2014)

Can someone post a picture of their handling facilities?

Can you highlight what you like and maybe talk about what you'd do different if you redid them?

Thanks


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Are you talking about the shelter area that they have?


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

You mean the general set up?


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## HDRider (Jun 15, 2014)

I am asking about where you pen them to worm, tag, trim hooves, castrate, check, load, unload anything and everything associated with the handling of them from birthing to ramps for sending them down the road.

Thanks


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## chelsboers (Mar 25, 2010)

I'm not any help as far as pictures go. I just walk out with a feed bucket, dump the food in the troughs and grab one. Then I put them on a stand and do what I need to do. When it comes time to load them to take to the sale barn I park my trailer by the gate and run them in the trailer.


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## HDRider (Jun 15, 2014)

chelsboers said:


> I'm not any help as far as pictures go. I just walk out with a feed bucket, dump the food in the troughs and grab one. Then I put them on a stand and do what I need to do. When it comes time to load them to take to the sale barn I park my trailer by the gate and run them in the trailer.


How many goats do you market annually? Maybe I am thinking about more volume?? Not sure, as I am trying to understand how all this works. Thanks.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

I've found, that at a minimum, you should have gates to trap them into a spot smaller than "wide open spaces", if you know what I mean. I only have 20 head, so I'm more like chelsboers, but really you have to figure out what works for you and your goats as you go along. An alley way or something that they have to travel though daily with gates on both ends would be a good start, but I wouldn't advise spending a bunch of money on goat handling equipment until you get your feet wet. Spend the money on your fence.


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## bbellhbl (Aug 1, 2013)

We started with a shed enclosed in a small paddock that the goats will come in to feed, salt, water, etc. There are smaller pens in the paddock and in the shed. 
After the goats are in the main paddock they are pushed to the smaller pens and locked up until their group's turn to be handled. 
In a (not too) crowded pen they can't run away while I inoculate. 
In the future we'll have a crush gate and lane/ramp for weighing and headgate for hoof trimming. 
been studying cattle pen setups


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## Cebesue (Dec 9, 2013)

We are building a handling area in one of our barns to handle 200+ goats. We should be starting this week. I will take pictures and post when it is finished. There will be a weigh station and a ramp to a platform so trimming, worming and general handling can be done. There will be a crowding pen, forcing pen, ally with weight and working station, then the sorting pens.


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## HDRider (Jun 15, 2014)

Thanks everyone. I am looking forward to any pictures.


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