With the decision to goat plant comes the question of where they are kept. This should be a room that meets the needs of the wards and is convenient for the owner when caring for animals. You can build a barn for goats with your own hands. This will be done even by a novice, subject to competent planning and selection of materials. What you need to consider during construction and what materials to stock up will be discussed in the article below.
Basic room requirements
Keeping goats is a simple matter, because these animals are quite unpretentious. They can live next door to other cattle and get along well with the bird.
In warm climatic regions in spring and autumn, goats do not need a barn at all, a canopy in a place protected from drafts will be a sufficient condition for keeping. For the winter they need to be transferred to a more capital structure, where the minimum temperature does not drop below 8 degrees heat.
To build a barn for goats separately or to allocate a corner for them in a common room is a master's business. It is economically beneficial when all the cattle is in one housing, separated by strong partitions. But still, if there is such an opportunity, it is advisable to build an independent goat house.
Its size is determined based on the planned number of individuals. Ideally, each adult animal should have its own place. It can be a cage or a pen.
Allowed the joint content of adult goats. In the barn, it is necessary to provide for separate maintenance of kitten females, goats and young animals. This condition will prevent competition, conflict, make it possible to plan the breeding of animals and protect the kids from the negative of the older generation of goats.
Goats adapt to hot weather and cold weather, but do not tolerate dampness, so the premises of the barn should be dry and warm enough. With proper construction, the goathouse does not require the installation of a heating system, because the animals themselves heat the air to 8-10 heat. In addition, consider sun exposure, conduct electricity and consider a ventilation system.
It is recommended to attach a corral for walking animals to the barn, provided that the temperature in the street is from 12 degrees Celsius and above. You can feed goats in it.
Choosing a place to build
When choosing a place for the construction of the goat house, give preference to a small hill or plain. In the lowlands, the shed will be damp, which means the animals will constantly ache and wither.
Before construction, the area under construction must be cleaned of vegetation: remove trees and shrubs with the maximum rooting out of the root system. After preparatory work, align the area.
Keep in mind that each adult goat needs about 1 square meter. square meters, and for kids - 0.6-0.8 square meters. Position the site so that the facade and the paddock are located on the south side.
Building and materials
Depending on the reliability, thoroughness and time of operation of the building, materials for construction are chosen. Capital structure requires much more material costs, strength and knowledge than a wooden structure.
Foundation
The foundation for the capital construction is carried out by the tape method. To do this, you need to dig trenches around the perimeter of the goatskin with a depth of about 45-50 cm. A formwork made of improvised material is installed above them, providing a concrete pouring height of 25 cm above ground level. Concrete mix is poured into the received foundation deepenings. To dry the foundation, it takes time from 3 weeks to a month in a warm, rainless period.
For a wooden structure, a foundation of dug-in pillars or piles according to the area of the shed placement is suitable. Leave the distance between them no more than a meter. Remove the turf layer of land over the area. Dig holes, pour a pillow from the screenings and gravel 20 cm thick, tamp it. In the recesses, install the posts, pouring them with concrete.
Pouring and laying the floor
For a floor in a solid goathouse, you must first make a well-compacted earthen or adobe base. Next, lay the floors from:
- boards;
- flat slate;
- roofing material and metal sheets.
Another option is to fill the floor with concrete on a pillow made of slag or gravel. In this case, it is necessary to observe a slope of 2 cm per 1 meter so that urine flows into the sump. For a concrete floor, it is worth stocking up a large amount of litter, since use without it is unacceptable due to the fact that even in summer the floor is very cold.
The best method is to install the gutters on the floor in the direction of the tank for collecting urine and feces, and on top of the organization of removable flooring in the form of a wooden grid. Such a floor will be dry and warm, and bedding material is practically not required.
The construction of walls and windows
The walls are built of wood, brick, foam and gas blocks, adobe. Stone materials are not recommended - the barn will be cold and damp.
For a wooden structure, a beam sheathed with a board with an internal space of 10-15 cm is used. To preserve heat in the goathouse, these voids are filled with expanded clay, sand, a bonfire or any insulation. Brick goat house for plaster warming.
Erect walls 2-2.5 m high. It is not worth it above, because a large amount of air in the barn will be difficult to warm in the winter. Smooth walls are easy to clean and disinfect.
Place windows and doors on the south side of the building. For safety reasons, the door should be double-leafed, and its opening should be carried out. Opening the upper sash, located at a height of 1.5 m above the floor, is a way to ventilate the room.
For a small goat, one window opening near the door is enough. Large sheds require several windows at a height of 1.5 m. Their number is determined by the ratio of 1:12 to the total area of the building.
Ceiling and roof
The ceiling with a shed roof is recommended to be hemmed with a board, and for thermal insulation use mineral wool, polystyrene or other insulation. Lay a layer of thin plywood on top of it.
The roof must be reliable. An excellent material for it is slate or tile. The pitched roof is covered under a slight slope so that snow and rainwater do not linger on its surface.
The gable roof will come out more expensive, but there is the possibility of organizing an attic space where you can store hay, equipment or use for other needs. With this version of the roof, the ceiling is insulated with a mixture of straw and clay.
Treat all wooden building materials with primers, and soak boards for the floor with linseed oil. So the operational properties of wood will increase, extending the period of operation by several times.
Necessary communications
If communications are laid illiterate, then all efforts to erect a barn for goats can become futile. Animals cannot be in uncomfortable conditions. Therefore, take this construction phase responsibly.
Ventilation
Ventilation will provide ventilation of the room, access to oxygen inside and maintain the level of humidity inside the air. The simplest form of ventilation consists of:
- pipes with a diameter of 100 cm installed in the center of the roof or under the ceiling in the far corner of the barn;
- pipes above the floor near the front door.
To prevent drafts, debris and rodents from entering through the ventilation inside the shed, the pipes are covered with protective flaps.
The optimal level of humidity in the barn for goats is 70-75%.
With a large goat house area, the installation of an automatic ventilation system is recommended.
Lighting
The level of illumination of the premises is very important for goats, especially for young animals. In addition to natural light, place electric lamps indoors. They must be at a height inaccessible to animals and protected by a grill or shade.
Heating
Heating is necessary only in areas with a cold climate, where maintaining indoor air temperature at around 8-10 ° C without the use of additional heat sources is impossible. It is forbidden to use the furnace in the barn. It is recommended to conduct steam heating with a boiler in a separate brick shed.
Manure
Manure should be cleaned and cleaned twice a day. This will protect livestock from the development of infections, maintain hygiene and maintain the level of humidity at the proper level.
If there are pallets, they are removed and washed. The system is often used when a ditch is made under one wall for raking manure into it with subsequent cleaning.
Arrangement of premises
Properly arranged space goatskin will provide comfort to animals and convenience to the owner when caring for the wards.
Stall
The common room reserved for stalls can be divided using wooden partitions with a height of not more than 1.5 m. If individual stalls are planned for each goat, their size is considered to be at least 2 × 1.5 m. In such pens animals are kept without leash.
Stress in the content of a goat affects its general condition and reduces milk yield.
Make the front wall in the form of a door on reliable canopies and locks. Place a nursery on the inner surface of the door to optimize space and ease of feeding. Thus, it will not be necessary for each goat to go inside the table.
Bedding
Use straw or sawdust as bedding. They protect animals from the cold floor, if it is not covered with wood, and additionally absorb moisture. Do not save on bedding. This will protect the goats from various infections and inflammation of the udder.
Nursery and feeding trough
The nursery is intended for laying hay and grass in them, and concentrated feeds, vegetables and fruits, cereal-mixers, etc. are poured into the feeders.
Goats often spoil hay and other feeds sorting out, scattering and trampling them. To prevent this squandering, provide a convenient nursery and feeders in the shed, which are suspended 0.5 m from the floor, and place a pallet under them so that the feed falls into it and not onto the floor. Later it can again be poured for food by animals. Small sides on feeders will also be useful.
In the manger you need a place for salt stone and mineral additives. Keep this in mind when planning sizes so that later goats do not throw hay in an attempt to get to the salt.
Stall
The milking machine facilitates the milking of the goat, ensuring its immobility during the process. It can be bought ready-made or made with your own hands from wood. The milking machine is a box of thin beams with a feeder in the head and the ability to fix the head of the animal. Often this part has a narrower space, preventing the goat from turning its head during milking.
The design must be reliable and have a gangway so that animals can safely climb the elevation of the machine. You need to install a milking cage in the most quiet and calm place of the goat's house.
If automatic milking is provided, then next to the machine should be a place for the machine and containers, and also need an electrical outlet and adequate lighting.
Water supply
Make goat drinkers from ordinary buckets by hanging them above the floor. So animals will not spill and turn over containers with water. If possible, you can install automatic drinkers. Their work requires a water supply.
Summer goat shed
A summer building for keeping goats can be made in the form of a canopy with a fence. The main thing is that the animals had somewhere to hide from the scorching sunlight and precipitation. In addition, it is advisable to make a goat rest area protected from through wind.
Another option is a simple wooden structure. In the southern latitudes, a summer house can also be used in winter. It is enough to insulate it and eliminate all the cracks.
The equipment of the summer barn does not differ from the capital goat’s: drinking bowls, feeding troughs, day nurseries and delimitation of the territories of goats, young animals and goats are obligatory.
Wintering shed
Measures to warm the goat's house are not required in temperate regions. If the goat house is made of wood, then over the summer the materials could dry out and gaps would appear at the joints. Therefore, the only measure of preparation for the winter period will be the elimination of these gaps and other holes through which cold air can penetrate inside.
Before the onset of cold weather in cold areas, it is necessary to prepare a barn. For this:
- Cover all cracks and openings throughout the goat's area.
- Insulate the ventilation pipes.
- Check the roof for integrity.
- Stock up on bedding.
- Check the health of the heating system, if any.
Providing year-round walking
Goats need movement, therefore, if the air temperature in the street is more than 12 ° C, they need to be released into the pen. The area for walking animals is determined at the stage of site selection and shed planning.
Corral Requirements:
- Area not less than 5 sq.m. per animal in the absence of grazing.
- The fence of the site. The height of the fence is at least 1.3 m.
- Organize shelter from the sun. It can be a canopy or trees. Goats love to eat bark, so protect the trunk of each tree with a metal mesh.
Low cost construction options
To make the goat shed durable, convenient for animals, but at the same time do not require large construction costs, use the tips:
- If you are just starting to goat, do not build large capital sheds. Build a goat house from improvised materials or allocate a place in the general shed with other animals. If the desire to breed goats strengthens next season, feel free to consider options for building an individual goat premises.
- Keep in mind that brick buildings, although more durable than wooden ones, still require additional costs and are not deprived of shortcomings. For example, a brick can damp in the winter, so the walls need to be sheathed from the inside with moisture-resistant plywood or covered with a layer of plaster, and upholstered with sheet metal from the outside.
- Wooden buildings keep heat indoors perfectly, cool in the summer. But to increase the operational life they require impregnation with special antifungal and water-repellent compounds. The flooring from the boards changes as it rotts or thins.
- When warming the barn, keep in mind that the use of foam is cheap, but rodents are started in it that can reduce all work to nothing. Therefore, it is more profitable to use mineral wool or glass wool.
- Do not save on the construction of the foundation and roof. The higher the goat is above ground, the more it is protected from moisture and moisture.
The construction of the goat house is an important preparatory stage in goat breeding. A responsible approach to construction at the planning stage will help to avoid problems and unforeseen expenses during the work and subsequent operation of the barn. Animals will be grateful to you for comfortable living conditions, responding with high milk yield and healthy fertility.