# How well do goats navigate stairs?



## zoomom (Feb 27, 2010)

I have a very small barn. It is devoted to my animals, and there is a small area for my goat stand. If the whole pregnancy/milking thing works out, i will likely need to expand the area..........OR

my husband has a very large barn. I let him have the larger one b/c it has a concrete floor, and he suggested tearing down my barn (and it was original to the house and i fell in love with it the first time i saw it) The lower section of his barn is devoted to farm equipment, but the upstairs (due to neglect from the former owners on the roof maintenance) is all rotted out. I finally got all the junk they left cleared out and plan to put in a solid floor. And stairs. Right now there is just boards nailed to wall. So i can make the steps/risers any size i want, within reason.

Since the upstairs is now a vast wasteland, i can design it any way i like. We were going to block off part for the kids to play in, part for a woodshop area, and i was thinking i could make part into a milking parlor if the goats could navigate the steps. I saw on one post they can climb ladders, and whenever mine get into the chicken pen they are great at climbing the chickens' ramp (the chickens have a second floor coop, so the ramp goes up about 12 feet) I am not 100% sure if this would work, but if i made the steps slightly different than normal people size, i doubt DH would notice. (until it was too late :wink: )

What do you think?


----------



## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

I dont have pictures but a friend has a huge play ground for her goats and its all made out of steps -- the top has got to be at least a second story high its crazy! 

So yah they can do steps fine 

mine get up on our deck with no problem


----------



## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

They do great. I have a friend also that has stair, rocks and all kinds of things like that. The goats love to run and jump on them.


----------



## mrs. lam (Apr 20, 2010)

Ditto. You would be amazed at what they can climb! :shades: (Get off that. Get off that. No. Not that either! Bad goat.) Well, you get the idea. :laugh: 

Gina


----------



## Cinder (Mar 3, 2008)

I have stairs in my barn going up to the hay loft. It has become a game to see if I can block off the stairs well enough to keep the goats from getting up there. It's amazing what goats can get around, through, over, etc. when they want what's on the other side!  The stairs are zero problems for them.


----------



## zoomom (Feb 27, 2010)

Awesome. I love it when secret plans will work out the way you want. :greengrin:


----------

