# Housing question



## Erik_L (Nov 27, 2012)

My wife questioned if building a couple smaller shelters would work as well as a larger one. Will goats sleep in separate housing or do they sleep in herds? Has anyone tried this?

Erik_L (goat owner wanna-be) sent this from his iPhone using GoatSpot.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Personally I like my one big barn. Has electric and water. Everyone is in there so it is one stop for cleaning and feeding, etc. I can close it up and know the goats are safe.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I have 1 building that has separate housing for preggers, bucks and retiree's.... I also have huts available in the pens for them but they all would rather sleep in their barns together. Easier for me too as everyone is inside one area that can be closed against bad weather and they can enjoy their hay out of feeders inside instead of in a small "bed" area.


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## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

I have three shelters so that there is plenty of room for everyone........problem is I go out there at night to check them and they are all sitting on top of each other in one shelter...sigh. So I made the other shelter nicer thinking that maybe they just don't like that one. That night I went out there and they were all piled up in shelter number two. Then my herd queen took over. She allows only royalty in 'her' shelter. Her twin bucklings, her daughter and one lady in waiting (with kid) are the only ones allowed in the back of the shelter. The front is available for use provided that the royalty is not crowded. It is used by the second in charge and her three sons. Everyone else now uses the original shelter. The third one stands empty. So, my opinion on the issue is that the goats would probably prefer to share one large shelter and it will be easier for you if you can manage it.


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## S+S Homestead (Jul 23, 2012)

It really depends on how many goats you have, what the purpose of those goats is and what you can afford to build! We have one main rustic but functional goat house about 12 by 16 feet and a smaller side building maybe 8 by 8 that can be closed off as a birthing room or to separate out a goat that has special needs. Our herd matriarch and her followers prefer to hog the best areas of the main goat house and the lower level goats take refuge in the side building when they get tired of being bossed around. We also have a few other rustic three sided goat "huts" with the ability to close off penned in areas if the need arises to separate somebody out from the herd. We used to have just one main goat house, but found it really helpful to have one main house and a few other housing options, both for us to separate out special needs and because sometimes even goats just seem to want to be alone.


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## pdpo222 (Jun 26, 2011)

I have one small barn divided right now until I can introduce everyone. I have my buck and a wether in another shed by themselves right now. We will add on to the main barn this summer so everyone is togethor. I still want the buck barn away from the girls, but connected to the main barn. I keep all the feed in there in metal barrels, their brushes, leads, anything a mouse might chew is in a metal cabinet. My barn right now is 10x12. It will do til we can expand it. Wasn't counting on getting four more goats right away, but they needed a home and well....you know how that goes..:hammer:


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## Erik_L (Nov 27, 2012)

Thanks, again, to everyone for the great information. I was planning on building just one structure, but like to look at options. 
I'm planning on having just two goats. So, armed with the knowledge I've acquired from this forum thus far, I'll build for six. It seems once you have goats, others just seem to "show up" wethers or not you expect them.  Read that how you wish, eh?

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## ksevern (Dec 12, 2012)

Part of your needs depends on where you live and how much money you have  

We are doing monthly pasture rotation for the main herd amongst three pastures, 5 - 6 acres. Plan is to have one permanent shelter in each, with movable huts to complement them. I am in Central Texas, so cold weather is infrequent. We have brushy woodland/prairie. The main use of shelters is to keep the rain off and provide wind break when it is cold. The permanent shelter is 10 x 8 and is tall enough for standard donkeys. We also have the 4x4 huts, built from two pieces of plywood and some 2x4 s. These are portable and move from pen to pen. Finally, a large doghouse for the kids. Our goats will split up when its raining. When it's hot, they seek shelter from the sun in the woods most of the time, but the shelters work for sunshade too.

When a pasture is not stocked with goats, we use the permanent shelters to store tractors ans such. We also have lots of interlocking pipe goat panels, and have a round pen and working pen built from those. One day I would love to have a real barn and pipe working pens, but what I have now works and was not expensive to build.


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## mjgh06 (Sep 4, 2012)

Goats will get used to whatever you build. We have separate pen areas for our does, bucks and kids. Because we have more does than bucks, we have one semi large shelter 16x16x5 and a 6x6x4 n their area. Bucks have a 6x6x4 shelter and we have the breeder barn in their pen open when not in use. The kids have an extra large dog house - the igloo type in their pen. Plus we have two birthing/nursing pens with a extra large igloo in each. Our goats love the shelters - the more the merrier. Especially the height- they can jump on them and play. With one big barn they don't get that. And sometimes our herd queen can be a little pushy and the other does just need the time away from her. Same with one of our bucks.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

We are different since we are on such small property. We have one pen about 60x40 with one shelter that is 8x6 for two Nigerian dwarf bucks. We have one pen that is about 80x60 for the three ND does, in that pen I have a shelter that is 4x8- which the three fit just fine, the other shelter is 8x6. That way I can, if needed put someone in by them self temporarily (such as kidding). In the back we have another pen for 3 boer does, with 2 temporary shelters -4x8 and 8x8- they will all sleep together (again one can be closed for a doe kidding). I have one more to build pretty quick since my boer buck is in with the girls.


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## Erik_L (Nov 27, 2012)

clearwtrbeach said:


> We are different since we are on such small property.


I don't know how small yours is, but we've own about an acre and a half of most wooded land. I'm working toward fencing off about a 90 x 60 area to start.

Erik_L (goat owner wanna-be) sent this from his iPhone using GoatSpot.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

No matter what the livestock, build the building as big as you can afford. You will be surprised at how fast you run out of room. I had a 40x56 barn with a hay loft and 10 foot overhangs on 3 sides built and when I was birthing alpacas for other people along with my own herd, still needed more room. My personal feeling is you never end up building a building too large.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

Erik_L said:


> I don't know how small yours is, but we've own about an acre and a half of most wooded land. I'm working toward fencing off about a 90 x 60 area to start.
> 
> Erik_L (goat owner wanna-be) sent this from his iPhone using GoatSpot.


I'm renting, I want to say it's about the same- I know it's over 1 but probably not2 acres. I'm hoping if I can get enough money next summer to see if the land lord will let me take over half of the pasture next to me just for the space. It's about 5 acres and he only runs his heifers there for a few months- he's got over 5K acres. I'd have to fence it though it's barb wire and a few spots of the low (3') cattle field fence.


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