# Re-designing a gate! Please help university students with no goat knowledge.



## goatlovercitygirl69 (Nov 10, 2021)

Hello, goat spot! 

I am a representative on a university engineering design team! None of the people on our squad have experience with goats whatsoever. Our task is to design a gate for a goat barn and program the automation. Our current ideas for the gate, which would open from a barn to a pasture, are sliding, swinging open, drawbridge, or garage door. 

Any help or knowledge on gates for goats would be extremely helpful! 

Thanks!!
-college students


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

You don’t want sliding. Goats poop a lot and all over the place and sliders and poop, or even bedding, are not the best of friends. 
Goats are destructive and can fit threw very small holes. They also like to climb on things. So if not a solid gate you are probably going to want small holes


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## Cedarwinds Farm (Dec 2, 2019)

Yes, small holes and if you do cross pieces that are horizontal, put them on the side where the goats can't access them. Otherwise, the goats may climb out.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Goats also will stick their heads through any slat their heads can fit and then get stuck if they are a horned goats. What I'm about to say probably isn't an issue because you are using automation, but goats have been known to learn how to undo latches, so be sure that there is no way for them to figure out how to open the gate by themselves. I kind of like the idea of a draw bridge best. That way if it is being used in a situation where you were separating groups, there would be no chance of a goat getting stuck in a closing gate.


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## Moers kiko boars (Apr 23, 2018)

If you are useing the gate to help seperate certain individuals. You dont want automation. Goats will butt heads through fences and gates. I prefer a split gate. Small side that slides, to let one in, and restrict others. The large complete gate could be automated. I would suggest small openings, in the upper part, solid or slotted on the bottom. Also have fence on the bottom of the gate. To prevent them from going underneath.


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## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

Probably your best bet would be a swinging or garage style gate. Goats can get horns stuck in opening like another goatspotter stated above. I normally use the 2 in by 4 in horse panels for feedlots to cover existing gates to prevent any injuries to goats. 

One thing to think about is how will your automation work? Will it open every time a goat is within so many feet or will it work on a time setting? Some goats may just keep setting the gate off playing to go out and back in when the farmer may need them to stay up for safety concerns like predators at night. Some goats can jump so what height gate are you planning?

Are you drafting a design or drafting with the project producing a functional product at the end? If building the final design will you be buying readily available pieces or having some parts machined for custom designs?

Good luck!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Everyone has great advice.


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## Mike at Capra Vista (Nov 30, 2017)

The only goat related comment I can think of is that MY goats do not like anything moving overhead. Scares the hell out of them. So on that basis alone, I would not want the garage type door. Now that may be just my goats and no doubt they would get used to in time.

It would seem that the most practical, considering power needed and space required would be a sliding barn door hung on an overhead rail.


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## goatlovercitygirl69 (Nov 10, 2021)

Thank you for the feedback! I'll share with my team and include that in the design specifications.


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## goatlovercitygirl69 (Nov 10, 2021)

DDFN said:


> Probably your best bet would be a swinging or garage style gate. Goats can get horns stuck in opening like another goatspotter stated above. I normally use the 2 in by 4 in horse panels for feedlots to cover existing gates to prevent any injuries to goats.
> 
> One thing to think about is how will your automation work? Will it open every time a goat is within so many feet or will it work on a time setting? Some goats may just keep setting the gate off playing to go out and back in when the farmer may need them to stay up for safety concerns like predators at night. Some goats can jump so what height gate are you planning?
> 
> ...


Hi! Thank you so much for replying. 
My team and I are designing and building everything custom. The gate will use a light sensor and a timer, so it will open automatically during the day to let the goats out, and can also be overridden to close at any time. The goal of this automation to make the farmer's life easier. 

The height we are planing is still in the works. How does 6ft check out? Is 4ft too small?


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## Mike at Capra Vista (Nov 30, 2017)

goatlovercitygirl69 said:


> The height we are planing is still in the works. How does 6ft check out? Is 4ft too small?


4' is fine for goats, but to be practical for the farmer I would want over 6'.


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## DDFN (Jul 31, 2011)

goatlovercitygirl69 said:


> Hi! Thank you so much for replying.
> My team and I are designing and building everything custom. The gate will use a light sensor and a timer, so it will open automatically during the day to let the goats out, and can also be overridden to close at any time. The goal of this automation to make the farmer's life easier.
> 
> The height we are planing is still in the works. How does 6ft check out? Is 4ft too small?


5 ft 5 inches or 6 foot would be the best. So of us have jumpers that can clear 5 foot and 4 foot easily. Light sensor. One thing to think about what happens if the goats are not up before dark? Will they be locked outside?

I used to teach aerospace and the moon buggy challenges. My husband's college project was biofuels and the challengex. So it is good to see engineering students working on agricultural projects these days. 

If you have any other questions or want to run anything else by us we are here for you. Would love to see the final design when it's done. 

Good luck and best wishes!


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## alwaystj9 (Apr 10, 2019)

If it slides down like a garage door (or an automatic chicken coop door) it must have a safety stop in case a goat gets stuck under it.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

One old saw that farmers use is: If a gate or fence will hold water, it might hold a goat! No gaps underneath or on the sides. Goats are kind of like
rats, if they can get their heads through, they many times somehow squeeze their bodies through! (or get really stuck!)


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