Goats need shelter like other animals in inclement weather. So you have to provide a suitable shelter where your goats can get a hedge against cold and rain, whether you are raising goats for the purpose of milk, meat and wool production or raising them as pets just for fun. Goats are very sensitive to cold and water.
They can get pneumonia if you keep them in a wet or cold place, and pneumonia can be fatal for your goats.
So providing shelter is very important for protecting your goats from cold and wet. Goats are not fussy and they don’t require any elaborate shelter setup.
They just need a sturdy one that can provide them adequate protection against cold and wet. Building a suitable and comfortable goat shelter is absolutely very easy.
Even, you can setup a complete goat shelter together within an afternoon. Here we are describing more about goat shelter types and the steps on how to build a goat shelter.
Cattle Panel Shelter
Livestock or cattle panels provide good shelter for the goats as the form of a half moon shelter. Creating such a shelter is very easy.
You can create a panel shelter in a fixed location with a wooden frame or T-posts. This type of shelters are portable.
You can move the shelters from one place to another place, if you want or need to do so. For erecting panels with T-posts, follow the steps listed below.
- First of all place a cattle panel flat on the ground.
- Position two T-posts at any of the short ends (on either side of the panel and close against it, and drive them into the ground).
- Position two additional T-posts in line with the others, 6 feet away (creating a square) after moving the cattle panel out of the way.
- Lift the cattle panel and position the one short end up against the first two T-posts.
- For bringing the other end up between the second two T-posts, bend the panel and create a half-moon.
- You can secure the panel to the T-posts by using zip ties or twine.
- For better protection form precipitation, cover the expanse with the half-moon frame with heavy duty trap (secure it with twine).
- You have to use additional cattle panels for larger shelters.
Pallet Shelter
Pallets provide a good foundation for shelter walls and are great building tools, especially for the people who want to create their goat shelter by their own. Follow the steps described below for creating a goat shelter with pallets.
- For creating walls, attach pallets together.
- Cover the pallets for preventing rain and wind from coming in the stats. You can cover the pallets with plywood or tarps.
- Stack pallets longwise, one’s end atop another, and pound a T-post through the gap in the middle for height. And for a roof, you can cover with tarp, simple wooden roof frame or metal sheeting, and cover with shingles.
- For ensuring a deluge won’t collapse the cover, slightly elevate one end.
- For making a suitable gate, use a pallet attached with a hinge.
Three Sided Shed
Making a three sided shed is very easy like putting up a wooden fence. Follow the steps mentioned below, for making a three sided shed.
- First of all, determine the size of your shelter. Then dig holes in the corners for wooden fence posts. You may need to add additional posts, depending on the size of your shelter.
- For the opening to the shelter, use taller posts. Use such posts for the two in the front section. Using taller posts also allow you creating a slanted roof to allow water to drain.
- For creating the frame, connect the fence posts horizontally with 2-by-4s.
- Use fence boards to enclose the shelter. Use longer boards at the front of the shelter. Decrease the size on the sides gradually.
- Attach a metal sheet roof and the shelter is complete.
You can use any of the methods described above for creating goat shelters. There many more options available for making a suitable shelter.
You can use your old doghouses for providing shelter for smaller sized goat breeds, such as Nigerian dwarf or Pygmy goats. You can also convert unused storage sheds into comfortable goat shelters.
Whatever you use for making shelters, keep in mind that your goats will stay free from cold and water inside the shelter. Thank you!
