# Nigerian Dwarf Goat housing



## sodamancer (Sep 4, 2012)

I am new to the backyard herd thing and we have decided that in the spring we will be bringing home 2 nigerian dwarf does and perhaps a wether.  We live (house and all on just over a 1/4acre.   We have a 13x18 stick built shed on a concrete foundation in the backyard that currently houses our lawnmower. I was thinking of converting this into our goat shed but the hubby thinks we should just build a new one. I disagree but would love to hear thoughts or see pics of other goat housing. I want to milk near their shelter in a covered space.  I was also thinking of buying a mama and her kid......is this a good idea?


----------



## autumnprairie (Sep 4, 2012)

you would have more than enough room in the shed that you have.


----------



## marlowmanor (Sep 4, 2012)

Sounds like you are doing the literal backyard herd! We are doing the same thing. We have 1/2 acre and all of our animals (chickens and goats are set up in the backyard. Let me see if I have a shot that shows our goat set up. It's nothing fancy and we want to expand it so we have room to breed our doe and possible buy more goats. It's a process though. We have the fencing to expand we just don't have the t-posts to expand. T-posts are so expansive we have to save up and get them a little at a time to get things done.


----------



## sodamancer (Sep 4, 2012)

LOL i have 7 chickens and that got me started.  Then the mini goats at the fair. Last night in my seraching i heard about mini sheep!!!! As a spinnner my heart raced!  My husband thinks I am nuts.  I may have to send my children to school so i can keep up with my growing hobbies. HAHAHAHAAA. oh well. I will take photos of my shed later and post my paint doc mock up of what i think would work.  You all can critique away


----------



## sodamancer (Sep 5, 2012)

Here are photos of the shed i would like to turn into a barn/goat house.
Inside





Outside with chicken coop out back




Inside front and loft area needs revamping




inside back






What would you do to make this a functional goat house/chicken feed area


----------



## Goatherd (Sep 5, 2012)

Your building looks great to start. It looks well constructed and weather proof.  

You mention wanting to keep chicken feed in there so the important thing to remember is you would need a separate, secure area that the goats would not have access to or be able to get into the feed.
Subdividing your shed could be easily done.

If you are keeping your goats together, then the shed would be fine as is.  If you want them to have separate accommodations, then dividing into individual stalls would be appropriate.

If the loft is high enough, you could keep extra bales of hay up there.  I don't think you'll have much of a problem at all.  Good luck.


----------



## ksalvagno (Sep 5, 2012)

I think you will find that you hate the cement floor for the goats. They do pee all over so it is going to be a mess. You need a good shed to keep feed and stuff in, so build a new shed for the goats with a dirt floor.


----------



## Tmaxson (Sep 5, 2012)

I agree with the dirt floor idea.  We built our first house with a wood floor and are now building a new one with dirt floor.


----------



## sodamancer (Sep 5, 2012)

okay thankyou! i really dont wish to muck out a stall more i have too


----------



## Alice Acres (Sep 5, 2012)

Our whole barn has a dirt floor...and having a cement floored (old dairy barn) one growing up - I MUCH prefer the dirt floor!

Good luck with your goat project


----------



## stevepax (Sep 10, 2012)

We have 2 nigerian dwarfs in our suburban backyard, too - 1/4 acre, just like you. I have a shed, it's for keeping my mower and a couple of bales of hay in (and a bunch of other junk that won't fit in the garage, but that's another story). The goats have a separate fenced off pen, about 20x30, and their shelter in the pen is just one of those cattle panel and tarp shelters, with one end blocked off (search for cattle panel . I guess we don't really live in a very harsh climate here in the pacific NW (maybe gets below freezing once or twice a year, rarely snows if ever, and my yard is well sheltered from wind by all my trees). They do just fine in there. We only have wethers, so no milking, but you could just set up a portion of your shed just for your own comfort while milking, and have them actually live on a dirt floor elsewhere. We let ours out to wander the yard and browse around when it's not raining.

Good luck! Keep it simple, and it's all going to work out fine.


----------



## lipazron (Sep 11, 2012)

I would be tempted to use the existing shed.  It looks great and building another one is hard work - just did it.  We lay large cardboard box covered in straw where they urinate and clear it every morning/sit it outside to dry while another one is in use.  In CA, with heat, it works well for us.  Nigerian Dwarfs are fantastic!  Enjoy!


----------



## Southern by choice (Sep 11, 2012)

For what it's worth... I've had both cement and dirt. I like cement. I have Nigerians also. We started with a building that had concrete, cinder wall on three sides and open font that we closed in. We used fine pine shavings bedding over the concrete, I loved it because every morning it was scooped the pee had been absorbed  into "spots" so it was easy to scoop along with the "berries". Once a month all the bedding was changed and I would take bleach water pour it over the whole floor then suck it up with a wet vac, let it dry, then replace bedding. The building was divided to house chickens too. Everything on our farm multiply!!! That building houses some of our chickens now about 100-125 (the rest are all over the place). The chickens/goats range all day. Sooo we built a loafing shed attached (open right now- we will close it when weather gets cold). We also have stall areas on another part of the property... needless to say dirt. Gross, alot more work, smelly, shoveling dirt, sometimes adding dirt, and always adding straw. Some pictures- some were in process of being worked on- if this helps. Just make sure you have good ventilation. The glass window is scary because my girls love to play and jump off the side of the walls, I'd be afraid they'd have leg go through. My goats are out and about now and can go where they want at night our LGD's took care of that, we don't have to lock em up at night. The last picture isn't updated, my DH was putting in a drain in the rain.


----------

