Goat pen suggestions! - Cloth Diapers & Parenting Community

fawnanddoe · 01-21-2013, 09:58 AM

Hi all! I'm looking to get a couple of goats soon (hopefully some Nigerian Dwarf goats) and I am trying to find some ideas for goat pens to build. I saw something at one point that had some stairs and a little deck they could climb up onto.
Just looking for some good links or plans for goat pens. Or photos of your pens so I can get some ideas! Thank you!

aiyana4969 · 01-22-2013, 05:26 AM

I used a 5ft welded wire fence for nigerians and it worked great. I'll try to get some pics later.

okiemama · 01-22-2013, 07:25 AM

We use cattle panels and tee posts

kellyzaney · 01-24-2013, 01:29 PM

We raised goats from when I was 2 until....well....we still have a few. Anyway.

Any kind of fencing will work besides a barbed wire fence. As long as the gaps aren't too big. You want to try to get fencing with gaps that are small or large enough that they won't really get their heads stuck. And make sure you de-horn babies. Horns are a pain in the buns.

We used a piece of plywood with little strips of boards nailed on for "cleats" leaned up against a crate, box, or stack of brick or concrete blocks to build little mountains for them. Just make sure the mountain isn't so big they can jump out of the pen. That happened a few times to us. LOL.

When we were showing goats we put the feeders at the top of a ramp so they had to stretch and balance to eat. The best part of that was the insane amount of poo that collected at the bottom of the ramp. Goat poop makes THE BEST fertilizer. Hands down. It breaks down easier than anything else.

PM me if you have any questions.

Squeaky McMurdo · 01-25-2013, 04:32 PM

I have Nigerian Dwarf Goats. I use cattle panels, t posts, and line the bottom with chicken wire because my 6 month old doeling can still squeeze through so babies would be able to as well. lol.

We have a big boulder for them to climb. Bonus to that is that it keeps their hooves worn down so that I don't have to trim them as often, which the goats are happy about. I have an old cable spool in there too.

fish3737 · 01-26-2013, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aiyana4969

I used a 5ft welded wire fence for nigerians and it worked great. I'll try to get some pics later.

This is what we have as well. With a piece of barb wire running along the top (when they want to our pygmy's can jump the fence) - especially our little one - he looks like a little deer. LOL DH put decorative split rail fence all the way around the outside so it looks prettier. It is just decorative. But I wanted to fancy it up because it is in the middle of my yard. The first picture is actually of a tree that fell all the way across the yard - not the fence.

Added a second to see the tree.

We have a kids' old play fort (a caboose on wheels) that is their little "house". We have our burn pile in that part of the pasture and they love to climb anything that is built up on there.

Their feeding thing:

fawnanddoe · 02-04-2013, 02:56 PM

Thanks for all the replies, and photos! I just logged on after a little while so I am gonna read everything now!

01-21-2013, 09:58 AM	#1
fawnanddoe Registered Users Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 208 Ratings: 12 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Goat pen suggestions! Hi all! I'm looking to get a couple of goats soon (hopefully some Nigerian Dwarf goats) and I am trying to find some ideas for goat pens to build. I saw something at one point that had some stairs and a little deck they could climb up onto. Just looking for some good links or plans for goat pens. Or photos of your pens so I can get some ideas! Thank you! __________________ Little Fawn Organics - Organic cloth diapers, wool, and baby & kids clothing. Homesteading mama to 3.5 year old DS, Elijah.

01-22-2013, 05:26 AM	#2
aiyana4969 Registered Users Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Steuben, Maine Posts: 3,726 Ratings: 139 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Goat pen suggestions! I used a 5ft welded wire fence for nigerians and it worked great. I'll try to get some pics later. __________________ ~Amanda Busy, mostly minamalist, homesteading Mama to 4 girls. Stepmom to one and step-grandma to three Navy Wife to my retired sailor I have horrendus spelling, I'm dyslexic and random keys tend not to work (or double type), changing on a daily basis on my awesome computer so please excuse typos.

01-22-2013, 07:25 AM	#3
okiemama Registered Users Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Oklahoma of course: ) Posts: 3,452 Ratings: 48 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	We use cattle panels and tee posts __________________ wife to my hard working oil patch hunny hershalmama to abigail 2-12-10and big sis elizabeth 4-21-03

01-24-2013, 01:29 PM	#4
kellyzaney Registered Users Join Date: May 2012 Location: near Austin, TX Posts: 15	Re: Goat pen suggestions! We raised goats from when I was 2 until....well....we still have a few. Anyway. Any kind of fencing will work besides a barbed wire fence. As long as the gaps aren't too big. You want to try to get fencing with gaps that are small or large enough that they won't really get their heads stuck. And make sure you de-horn babies. Horns are a pain in the buns. We used a piece of plywood with little strips of boards nailed on for "cleats" leaned up against a crate, box, or stack of brick or concrete blocks to build little mountains for them. Just make sure the mountain isn't so big they can jump out of the pen. That happened a few times to us. LOL. When we were showing goats we put the feeders at the top of a ramp so they had to stretch and balance to eat. The best part of that was the insane amount of poo that collected at the bottom of the ramp. Goat poop makes THE BEST fertilizer. Hands down. It breaks down easier than anything else. PM me if you have any questions.

01-25-2013, 04:32 PM	#5
Squeaky McMurdo Registered Users Join Date: May 2010 Location: Afton, Wyoming Posts: 1,134 Ratings: 8 Feedback: 100% My Mood:	Re: Goat pen suggestions! I have Nigerian Dwarf Goats. I use cattle panels, t posts, and line the bottom with chicken wire because my 6 month old doeling can still squeeze through so babies would be able to as well. lol. We have a big boulder for them to climb. Bonus to that is that it keeps their hooves worn down so that I don't have to trim them as often, which the goats are happy about. I have an old cable spool in there too. __________________ Chelsea, wife to kilted hubby JD Mumma to Sariah Aislin and Declan Someone new coming July 2014 My ISO/IHA I'm looking for a Cosco Pronto cover in "Cars" preferably.