Goat Housing or Shed

goat housing or shed

Introduction to Goat Housing or Shed:- Goat shed or housing plays important role in any successful commercial goat farming. Based on number of goats, you should plan for goat housing. If you want to start with low numbers of goat and wants to invest less initially, there is an option for going to construct a simple goat shed. For commercial goat farming business, one must know how to build goat housing. Goat shed is required for security to protect goats from unwanted predators (such as wild dogs, wolfs and snakes), unpredictable weather conditions and to provide shelter in night times. After planning on number of goats to be raised, you can get an idea on shed dimensions or size which can have both covered area and open area. Cost of goat shed construction depends on many factors like number of goats, space allocated for feed storage, and type of rearing like zero grazing (stall feeding) or open field grazing (where they require only night shelter). In the following write-up, let us talk about goat housing.

Tips for Goat Housing Selection and Construction:- The following tips are useful in selecting and managing the goat shed.

Select the land for shed construction which is not impacted by wild winds, predators and floods. The space should be dry and on height.
For good cross-ventilation and good air flow, East-West orientation of goat shed is preferred.
Go for simple shed with low coat material especially when you are in trail method of farming.
Always clean and keep the goat shed dry.
Make sure the shed is well ventilated and has good air flow.
Always make sure to have separate sections for goat based on their age and health conditions.
Gable roofing is preferred in shed construction. However, in case of small goat housing, lean type roofing is preferred.
Goat Housing – Goats should have feeding area and partition for kids.
Goat Housing – If you are planning for intensive goat farming, the pen and run system of housing is preferred.
Goat Housing – Clean the shed and feed area and provide clean and fresh water.
Goat Housing – Any sick animal from shed should be isolated, and in case of death, make sure to bury or burn the animal far away from shed.
Goat Housing – Make sure to have separate feeders for concentrate feeds, green fodders and water. Clean these feeders regularly to avoid any contamination.
Goat Housing – Construct the Goat shed in an elevated area to prevent water stagnation.
Goat Housing – Goat manure should be removed from the shed on regular basis to avoid any diseases.
Goat Housing – If you are growing any green fodder, make the out let from the shed, so after cleaning the shed, water can flow freely to nearby fields.
Goat Housing – Make sure to construct a feed room as part of shed, so that the feed is protected and will be handy.
Goat Housing – In front of the shed, open area should be secured by fence. This area can be used on and off (especially when cleaning the house).
Goat Housing – There is no restriction on length of goat shed. However, it is better to have width of the house should be between 24 feet to 30 feet.
Goat Housing – You can have one or more gates depending on the shed dimensions. The gate can be made with iron or wooden battens. When it comes to gate dimensions, 1 meter x 1 meter is preferred.
Goat Housing – Types of Goat Shed:- Types of sheds depend on the system of goat rearing, let us talk about different type of goat sheds those can be constructed for commercial goat farming business.

Goat Shed Construction Over the Ground: Usually this type of goat shed is made over the ground and this type is most common in Indian goat farmers. The shed floor can be built with brick or soil or cement. However, it is better to spread some dry straw material on the floor. Make sure to maintain the floor always clean and dry.
Goat Shed Construction Over the Poles: These goat sheds are built on poles, usually they height of the floor is going to be about 1.5 meters 2 meters from the ground level. The best part of this type of shed is it can keep goats free from Damp /humid/moist/wet conditions. This type of shed is also useful in areas where occasional floods are possible. This type shed floor and pole are made from wood or bamboo. As this goat said is built above the ground level, one can maintain (especially cleaning) very easily and expect less diseases. Apart from this, any predators like wild dogs or snakes can be prevented from entering into the shed.
Goat Shed with Concrete: Concrete is being used to build these kinds of goat sheds. Compared to other two types, this has more advantage due to easiness of cleaning and management. This type of housing is little bit expensive when compared to others.
Goat Housing – Space Requirement Based on Goat Age and Condition:- The following are meant for Indian Conditions.

Goat age groups

Covered space(sq. meter)

Open space (sq.meter)

Initial 3 months

0.3-0.4

1-1.5

3 – 6 months

0.6-0.9

1.5-2

6 – 12 months

1-1.5

2-2.5

Adult Goats

2

4

Male, Pregnant or lactating ewes/ does

2.5-3

4-5

Goat Housing – Bottom Line in Goat Housing Management:- Before starting a commercial goat farming, visit couple of goat houses or sheds in your local area to get an clear picture of the shed material and shed dimensions and intensive or stall-fed goat farming. Even you can watch YouTube videos or read these kind of blogs for more information.