I am in the process of planning my homestead. It is still going to be a few years until I can break ground, but I want to get as much of it planned as possible. I intend to have a herd of Nigerian Dwarf goats for making soap, cheese, and yogurt. Eight seems like a good number. I also want to keep chickens for eggs, probably nine. Because my wife is opposed to raising livestock for meat, we will not be butchering any of our livestock. We will be purchasing all of meat from the grocer. Our fruit and vegetable needs will be raised on our homestead, hopefully enough to last all year. I currently have an office job, but being raised on a farm, I’m going crazy not having land of my own. For me the most difficult part of the planning process has been trying to figure out what kind of barn/coop/milk room/storage I need. I think I’ve decided that the “half-monitor” style would be the best for me. From what I’ve read the roof lines allow for the best ventilation without being…

These smart Goat Hay Feeder ideas are a great addition to your goat farm. Grass can become wet and moldy if lying on the floor, so it's essential to keep These smart Goat Hay Feeder ideas are a great addition to your goat farm. Grass can become wet and moldy if lying on the floor, so it's essential to keep your goats' feed dry and protected from pests; then, these hay feeders will play. Some people feed their goat's hay in a feeder, where it stays clean and dry. It is the best project for those who want to ensure their goats get the nutrition they need from their hay. The ones that have the small openings are best for goats, as they can quickly eat their daily ration of hay without wasting it on the ground. Some people use large wheelbarrows as goat hay feeders by placing them upside down on a stack of bales of straw.

Free plans and instructions to build this DIY goat shed that I use for my dairy goats but can be used as a small barn for any backyard livestock or 4H animals!

How much space do goats need? Learn all about the space requirements for goats to give them the best shelter and pasture for healthy and happy lives!

How to set up a functional goat barn. From proper nutrition to pest control, this guide has everything you need to create an ideal living space for your dairy goats.

Discover the secrets of what do goats need to keeping happy and healthy goats! Learn everything they need to thrive, from food and shelter to companionship starter guide.

There are some impressive DIY goat barn plans from which you can choose to build a small or large barn, depending on your needs.

From raising goats, I know how to keep them happy. It starts by giving them a perfect shelter and we have suggestions for inspiring goat sheds just for you.

These smart Goat Hay Feeder ideas are a great addition to your goat farm. Grass can become wet and moldy if lying on the floor, so it's essential to keep These smart Goat Hay Feeder ideas are a great addition to your goat farm. Grass can become wet and moldy if lying on the floor, so it's essential to keep your goats' feed dry and protected from pests; then, these hay feeders will play. Some people feed their goat's hay in a feeder, where it stays clean and dry. It is the best project for those who want to ensure their goats get the nutrition they need from their hay. The ones that have the small openings are best for goats, as they can quickly eat their daily ration of hay without wasting it on the ground. Some people use large wheelbarrows as goat hay feeders by placing them upside down on a stack of bales of straw.

Simple and stylish white and rustic goat house! Looking for goat shed ideas? It is great small livestock barn with digital building plans.

No self-respecting homesteader would leave their animals without the three essentials - water, food, and shelter. Whether it's to get out of the baking sun, shelter from the rain, or get protection from the wind,

Big Joel's Safari Petting Zoo and Educational Park is the "zoo made for you" and is the premier animal-based attraction in the area. Big Joel's is a family-owned farm and attraction, that is open to the public April through October. At Big Joel's Safari we offer an up close and personal experience with animals of all types from mild to wild. Birthday parties, Zoo Rentals, Special Events We care for well over 60 different animal species, both big and small! No visit is the same as there are always new-born animals, new species, exhibits, and things to do. Looking for a cool and fun place to have your child's (or yours!) birthday party? Give that special child a truly unique day at Big Joel's Safari!

Efficient and Easy. Everyday, I am looking for new ways to do those two things. Improving the efficiency with how I can feed my animals is no different. Making it easier to do and thereby making it quicker to do let's me do more in each day, which makes me a happy camper! Hay and goats... Who knew the animals "that eat everything" are actually the pickiest eaters on our place! In our continual effort to improve how our animals are fed, my husband and I came up with the following hay feeder des

When you start raising goats for the first time on your small farm, homestead. or backyard, a goat shelter is a necessity, especially a cheap easy goat shelter. Even though goats are equipped to live outdoors, they still need protection from rain, snow, wind and extreme temperatures. Exposing Your Goats to the Weather Goats hate to get wet. They can handle hot weather pretty well, as long as they have some shade. They can also live in extremely cold conditions (no heaters necessary), as long as they have protection from rain, snow and wind, and they have a deep pile of hay or straw they can snuggle into with other goats to share body heat. A cheap easy goat shelter can provide plenty of protection, regardless of the season. Keep Your Goat Shelter Simple Many new goat keepers make the mistake of thinking their new goat shelter needs to be elaborate or expensive. Not true. In fact, some of the simplest and least expensive shelters turn out to actually be the best shelters for your goats. Don’t overdo it. A cheap easy goat shelter is your best bet. Keeping your cheap easy goat shelter simple is a smart way to minimize the time and money you invest, so you can apply that instead to other things you may need on your homestead. Another advantage of a cheap easy goat shelter being simple is that you will often want to change it around. Goat Shelters Must be Flexible and Changeable On our farm, we adjust goat shelters and move them around to fit changing circumstances. This includes changing needs for separating goats, breeding different goats, isolating new goats, pasture rotation, and lots of other reasons that require different shelters in different locations. One of the most popular, easiest and least expensive do-it-yourself goat shelters used by new goat keepers is a shelter made from free or cheap wooden pallets. It’s the most popular type of cheap easy goat shelter around. Making Goat Shelters with DIY Wooden Pallets Throughout this article, I’m NOT going to focus on expensive, professional-looking barns or goat shelters that seem like something from a Home Depot commercial. Instead, this will focus on some real-life cheap easy goat shelters built by actual homesteaders, small farm operators and do-it-yourselfers, mostly from free or cheap materials they already had laying around. VIDEO – Goat Shelter Using Free Pallets Video Credit: The Tactical Homesteader 25 Easy Goat Shelters Made With Pallets Let’s take a look at 25 different cheap easy goat shelters and sheds, made with pallets, that will help you understand why “simple is best”. I’ll start with the most basic, and work up to a few that are a little more involved. 1. The “Slap-It-Together-Quick-and-Cheap” A-Frame Goat Shelter Credit: starvingthemonkeys.com This is an example of one of the simplest types of cheap easy goat shelters. It may not be pretty. But sometimes you may find yourself needing to put up a shelter quickly for your goats, with very little time or money available at the moment, especially if you’re a beginner at raising goats. This cheap easy goat shelter started with just 3 pallets screwed together in a triangular shape, to form an A-Frame shelter. Then, it was finished-out with pieces of wood taken off of some additional pallets. It’s extremely simple, but is perfectly suitable to provide one or two goats some protection from the elements. There are a couple of aspects that are important to notice about this cheap easy goat shelter. First, this goat shelter actually includes a pallet underneath as a floor. This is good because goats love to sit up on top of any kind of platform off of the ground, so they can stay warm and dry. With shelters that have no floor, you typically need to add a pile of hay or straw underneath so your goats can stay warm and it will absorb their pee and poop. Second, notice that the ends of the shelter are not fully enclosed. Too much humidity can make your goats sick. So it’s important that any goat shelter have plenty of ventilation. In fact, the ideal setup is a 3-sided shelter that has at least one side open to the outside to let air flow in. One issue I have with this design is that goats prefer to feel like they are somewhat in the open, rather than being totally enclosed. This shelter could probably be improved by having it a little more open, so the goats could easily come and go as they please. On the other hand, it can sometimes be beneficial to lock your goats up at night if there are large predators around like bears or mountain lions. To check out pictures of the various stages of construction used to build this cheap easy goat shelter, just click on the link below. When you get there, be sure to click the link at the end of each page to go to the next page, and you’ll see the full progression of the project. 2. The Two-Sided Goat Shelter Credit: bootsandhooveshomestead.com This is another example of simplicity. This particular cheap easy goat shelter only has 2 walls and a roof. And there’s no floor, only ground underneath. According to Mary at Boots and Hooves Homestead, it only took about an hour to put this cheap easy goat shelter together. They used some scrap plastic silage cover pieces around the sides to protect against wind. As you can see, goat keepers often use whatever materials they already have laying around their homestead. It doesn’t have to be fancy with goats. Note that this cheap easy goat shelter is being used in Nebraska where it gets pretty cold and snows. With no floor, you would definitely want to add deep hay or straw. Usually, that’s enough for goats to stay warm. Typically you will want to have more than one goat (they hate to be alone), and your goats will......

Feed Systems Saratoga Stalls offers the highest quality feeding systems options to complete your stall or pasture. Stainless Steel Feeders Two models to fit your stall and pasture horse feeding requirements. Horse Feeders mount on stall walls, on most swing-out feeder doors and outside on pasture fences. Swing Out Water […]

With the animals shedding their winter coats, they want to rub along anything to scratch their backs. Make this cheap goat scratcher to save your fencing from seasonal wear. All you need is a stiff bristle broom. This one was free - it broke and was abandoned on a job site where my husband was work

Discover the secrets of what do goats need to keeping happy and healthy goats! Learn everything they need to thrive, from food and shelter to companionship starter guide.

Follow these directions to build a goat stanchion, a DIY livestock structure that allows you to easily groom, medicate and milk your dairy goats.

Follow these directions to build a goat stanchion, a DIY livestock structure that allows you to easily groom, medicate and milk your dairy goats.

A list of budget-friendly options for building a playground, and safety measures to take when constructing the playground for your goats.

Learn how to build a simple goat house that won't cost a fortune. This detailed photo and video tutorial will walk you through the steps to a cozy shelter!

Building your own goat house can be a cool project by following any of these DIY goat barn plans we provided. It is like giving your goats a special home

These smart Goat Hay Feeder ideas are a great addition to your goat farm. Grass can become wet and moldy if lying on the floor, so it's essential to keep These smart Goat Hay Feeder ideas are a great addition to your goat farm. Grass can become wet and moldy if lying on the floor, so it's essential to keep your goats' feed dry and protected from pests; then, these hay feeders will play. Some people feed their goat's hay in a feeder, where it stays clean and dry. It is the best project for those who want to ensure their goats get the nutrition they need from their hay. The ones that have the small openings are best for goats, as they can quickly eat their daily ration of hay without wasting it on the ground. Some people use large wheelbarrows as goat hay feeders by placing them upside down on a stack of bales of straw.

How to make a goat milking stand for Nigerian Dwarf goats. This milking stand has an attached step in the back that doubles as a seat for milking.