# Advice on kidding pen and milking station sizes?



## Boulder Mountain Farms (Feb 27, 2017)

We are building a new barn since we are beginning to breed our Nigerian dwarfs. We plan to breed up to around 10 does and 2 bucks. We have 5 does and 2 bucks now. I was thinking 5 kidding pens 4x6 and 2 milking parlours 6x8. Would these be suitable sizes?
Moms would not remain in kidding pens after birth. Kids will be removed and bottle fed and kept in their own area.


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## OneFineAcre (Feb 27, 2017)

O

 Our kidding stalls are about 6x8.
And we do occasionally in bad weather use one for milking.

We have 4 stalls and we have more does than 10.  We just spread ours out from Feb to April
We leave our moms in the stalls for a week or longer with their babies and then let them out with the herd.  We dam raise for the most part.


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## babsbag (Feb 27, 2017)

Mine pens are 5 x 5 and these are for standard sized does. I have 6 of them and 33 does to freshen this year. The stalls will be busy and I could use a few more. I milked two does at a time in a 10 x 10 shed.


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## mysunwolf (Feb 27, 2017)

Your sizes sound good to me. 

Here's what we did/do. For our hair sheep we used 4x6 lambing pens, and they were 120-150lbs. Now we have woolies that are 200+lbs and prefer 4x8+ pens. We usually have 4-7 ewes and always try to have 2 pens prepped for them in good weather, 3 in bad, since our girls usually go within a week or two of each other. But our lambs stay in with the moms for a few days.

With your NDs, I think you could definitely get away with the smaller kidding pens. I like my milk space to be as large as possible so that I can have two ewes with possible lambs in there at once, and have really enjoyed having two 10x10 spaces that I can break down into smaller stalls if need be.


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## Boulder Mountain Farms (Feb 27, 2017)

This is kind of what we are thinking. The feed/hay/supplies would have an entrance from the back with a loft than can look into both the boys and girls area so we can toss down bales. The wall between the boys and girls will go to the ceiling. The boys and girls will also have different pasture areas. I have a complete separate shelter/pasture for kids. 
What do y'all think?


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## babsbag (Feb 27, 2017)

I don't know if you have a tractor or not but if you do you might want to think about being able to get a tractor in to clean out the pens or at least the common area.  

Where is the area for the does?


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## Boulder Mountain Farms (Feb 27, 2017)

babsbag said:


> I don't know if you have a tractor or not but if you do you might want to think about being able to get a tractor in to clean out the pens or at least the common area.
> 
> Where is the area for the does?


The common area is for the does. Pretty much the whole barn is for the does


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## Latestarter (Mar 1, 2017)

Greetings and welcome to BYH. Hope you'll post some pics as you proceed so we can follow along with you. Looks like a great plan but are you taking into consideration the goat math that will occur? Also, Not sure what you'll be getting for hay... small or large bales, rounds, etc... Obviously in most cases the round bales (or large squares) are more economical but you might find those very difficult to get in or out of the planned space. Maybe consider a cheap metal car port like structure to keep the hay in?


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## Boulder Mountain Farms (Mar 2, 2017)

I figure goat math is just like chicken math ☺. For our budget right now this is the largest size barn we can afford, so I was wanting ideas to maximize space usage. Hopefully we can do an add-on if we get larger. 
Unfortunately we don't have a tractor so we have to deal with the square bales that weigh about 60lb each. We are still clearing land. Here's a picture of the almost-cleared area. Just a few more trees to take down today and then construction begins! This was complete oak forest just a few days ago, all cleared by the two of us and a chainsaw. We have wood for years now!


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## BaileBeatha (Mar 21, 2017)

I do not intend to hijack this thread - but I have to ask...


babsbag said:


> Mine pens are 5 x 5 and these are for standard sized does. I have 6 of them and 33 does to freshen this year. The stalls will be busy and I could use a few more. I milked two does at a time in a 10 x 10 shed.


How on earth do you milk two does at a time??  You are a master!


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## Mini Horses (Mar 21, 2017)

Two at a time?  Machines make it easy.


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## frustratedearthmother (Mar 21, 2017)

Mini Horses said:


> Machines make it easy.


No, no, no - you were supposed to say : Ya milk one with the right hand and one with the left, lol!


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## Mini Horses (Mar 21, 2017)

I think what you have will work.   My barn was built so that the dividers were not needed structurally, so can move all of them.  Since it was set up for mini horses, the stalls are 6X8 and are great for my does...most are full sized.    This year, I didn't even separate them to kid, huge lounge barn, they did fine!!  But have all been together for a while.

If you feel you need more lounge area, you can always add a roof one one side.   It could be in the area where you eventually add on with walls.


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## Mini Horses (Mar 21, 2017)

frustratedearthmother said:


> No, no, no - you were supposed to say : Ya milk one with the right hand and one with the left, lol!




   I love to watch ya!!  Video, please!!


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## babsbag (Mar 21, 2017)

BaileBeatha said:


> How on earth do you milk two does at a time??  You are a master!



I wish I was a master, the goats still rule.  As other stated, I have a machine. One milk can with a lid for two sets of inflations.  IF AND WHEN I ever get the dairy done I will be milking 4 at a time with 8 in the barn at one time. 4 get milked, 4 get prepped while waiting and then milked. And then "rinse and repeat" 3-4 more times.


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