# How much room does a goat need?



## Lucky S Ranch (Mar 10, 2014)

How much room does a goat need?

So I need to make some pens and corral and whatnot at the new place.

I have a barn that is about 25 x 60 feet. It has about 6 doors I can utilize and approximately half of the space 25x30.

So for times inside the barn for birthing and what ever how big should I make a stall for them? I have about 8 x 10' for each door. Is that too much space can I make them smaller? Or should they be bigger? I basicly will have to build whatever I need.

Also outside of the doors I was thinking of fencing off a little space at each one How much room would be good there? I was thinking about 8x16? Too small? Too big.

My goal is to raise meat goats. I do have a 28 acre pasture for them but nothing built up around the barn.

I will get a sat image and draw a few lines of what I am thinking.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

How many goats do you plan to have?


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## Lucky S Ranch (Mar 10, 2014)

Only time will tell on how many? None right now.

But I would like to try and make 5-10k a year on meat goats or possibly breeder goats.

So lots possibly?


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## Lucky S Ranch (Mar 10, 2014)

Ok so the smaller boxes would be the area just out side of the barn doors. I was thinking a fenced area for each.

Then I would need a side for bucks and one for does? Anyone know a good resource for this type of planning? I would like to start off on the right foot not just bandaid it together.

The only thing left right now in the photo is the barn and the orange line is the fence to the pasture.

I want to utilize that area for the goats. Then they could go out to the pasture to feed and whatnot. I plan on doing rotation for it.


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## Chadwick (Jan 24, 2014)

I have heard people say at least 8x8 kidding pens so I think you are right on with that.

What is the small fence for? Lineup for sorting?


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## Lucky S Ranch (Mar 10, 2014)

Is the kidding pen just inside 8x8? or would you want it combined with a little room inside and outside that is separated from everything else?

Other than kidding do I really need the goats in the barn? Would just a 3 sided weather structure in the pasture be enough?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Depends on your weather.


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## Lucky S Ranch (Mar 10, 2014)

So here is the whole area I have to work with.

So maybe let me ask this question.

How would you set this place up to raise meat goats? What would you put were? WWYD?

The 7 acres at the bottom might be used for winter forage and some other crops.


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## Chadwick (Jan 24, 2014)

Do you have the ability to plant and bale your own hay?

Until you need the pasture you could put up your own with that size property. Then when your herd gets large open it all to pasture. You may wat to keep the irrigation though, the surrounding land looks barren and you will have a huge dry lot if yours goes barren.


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## Lucky S Ranch (Mar 10, 2014)

This land was originally made and fenced for sheep. It has been at least 10 years for that.

The previous owner from me had cattle. So the irrigation was cattle proof. Sprinklers every 80 feet on 6' high risers with a tire at the base and a 5" post holding the riser. And that will stay. Without it the grass will die quickly.

My neighbor can cut and bale hay. I might get equipment in the future for this? But I will have him cut some for me this summer.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Lucky S Ranch said:


> How much room does a goat need?


As far as shelters go, goats need 15 square feet per adult goat. Less than that will usually result in goats being kicked out and aggression among them. Kidding pen size is going to vary according to where you live, what your weather is like, and how cold it gets. My kidding pens are roughly 5' X 5', although they can also be 10' X 4'. The reason for that is to make sure the kids cannot get far enough away from the heat lamps to become chilled/cold during winter kidding. I also have the ability to erect cattle/hog panel kidding pens as the need arises and I drape them with heavy sheets/tarps/blankets to keep the wind out. Should you go with the cattle panel pens, be advised that standard sized goat kids can get through the holes until roughly a month old. I would suggest you make your kidding pens temporary so you can remove the gates, and fold the pen walls back against the main barn walls/take them down when you're not kidding to free up space. As far as outside pens go, you cannot make them too big. The more room the girls have the better. Try to plan your set-up so you can 'funnel' your goats to the gate and put the gates in the corner whenever possible because that will make it easier to shuffle them by yourself. Most goats miss a gate set in the middle of a fence - it's harder to miss a gate set in the corner. If you're planning on having hay storage in the barn use heavy, solid walls to prevent stress from goats climbing/pushing trying to get to the hay. If using cattle panels for fencing, make it easy to replace them because meat goats will destroy them - it's just a matter of how long it takes them do it. If using continous fencing, kids will go under a fence that is ankle high or higher, yearling's will go under fences that are an inch or two above ankle high. Pay attention to the spacing in the bars of gates - kids will jump through bars that are spaced 8 to 10" apart. Everything I've listed are things my goats have taught me, and it's all I can think of right now. I apologize for the long post.


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## Lucky S Ranch (Mar 10, 2014)

anyone else have any ideas


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## Lucky S Ranch (Mar 10, 2014)

So.....Anyone know a good resource on how to design a yard for goats? Like size of pens for does, bucks? Handling areas and all that jazz.

I am starting from scratch so I would like to do it right the first time.


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