# Goat Housing--plastic shed?



## Julia

Alright, so I'm getting my two mini Nubians in 3 days. I've been going crazy trying to figure out housing. I think I've settled on a 6x8 plastic shed from Costco, for 500. My question is--will they chew a plastic shed? I've never had goats before.  I'd like to do a less expensive housing option, but we have sooo many coyotes (hungry ones) on our property that I need something really secure and fast! Does this sound like good goat housing to all you knowledgable folks? I will be putting in a good fence. Any feedback/other housing ideas would be really appreciated! Thanks!


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## peachick

Boy goats like to head butt things and push things around....  boy AND girl goats like to rub their entire body against things.....  a plastic shed will end up getting pushed around the pasture  LOL  weigh it down with a bunch of cinder blocks

We had a big old  wooden dog house... that a neighbor gave us...  it was large enough for both of my adult bucks to stand in.   I had it in my buck yard.  and  every day it was in a different location  LOL  and then they figured out how to roll it   it ended up in the burn pile


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## Julia

This shed is HEAVY, though, 6x8x7. At least a few hundred pounds, and I'm getting two does.  Will they really push it around? I like the cinder block idea though, even if I don't need them for the shed I'm sure I can find some use for them...


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## freemotion

Is it this one?  http://www.costco.com/Browse/Produc...275&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C  Doesn't look like it would hold up to goats to me, even does.  It is only 200# total weight.    Do you have any building skills?  We made a sturdy A-frame for our pigs and it is holding up great for a second season, and cost about $150 in materials last year and two partial days of barely skilled labor.  http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4831&p=8  Scroll down for pics.  It is a good temporary solution and would make a great weaning house for kids later, or shelter for a pasture that is not connected to the main barn/shed.

In some places you can buy a used calf hut for a reasonable price, like $200.


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## 20kidsonhill

We have been using the calf nursery hut for years, here is a link to what it looks like. They have held up very well. 

http://www.polydome.com/calf_nursery.html

If you are using them for kidding or babies, or smaller goats they would need a notch cut out to make the front a little lower, but don't cut all the way down, it will ruin the support of the hut.


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## glbedrosian

Has anyone used these PolyDome calf huts to house their goats (two Nigerian Dwarf) as their winter housing in a northern state such as New Hampshire?

I'm wondering if they are truly warm enough for the goats in our winter climate......

Also, if anyone has any "Pro's" and/or "Con's" about using these PolyDome calf huts as their goat barn, please let me know.

Thank you!


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## Julia

I'm also really curious.  Additionally, where can one buy a calf hut?  I can't find them for sale online anywhere.


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## ksalvagno

The other thing that would concern me with plastic is it getting too hot. If you have a big coyote problem and need to lock them up at night, then the calf hutches would not be ideal. Is there some way you could haul a shed or have the know how to take apart a shed and put it back up? I see plenty of older sheds on Craigslist. Then you would have something more solid and the wood would be better against heat. Then you could also add windows.


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## manybirds

Julia said:
			
		

> Alright, so I'm getting my two mini Nubians in 3 days. I've been going crazy trying to figure out housing. I think I've settled on a 6x8 plastic shed from Costco, for 500. My question is--will they chew a plastic shed? I've never had goats before.  I'd like to do a less expensive housing option, but we have sooo many coyotes (hungry ones) on our property that I need something really secure and fast! Does this sound like good goat housing to all you knowledgable folks? I will be putting in a good fence. Any feedback/other housing ideas would be really appreciated! Thanks!


I use plastic calf hutches. they work amazing


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## 20kidsonhill

We have 10 of them, They are designed to stay cool in the summer and warmer in the winter, that is the whole point of them. 
Ordering them will be a little trickier, you may get lucky and find used onse, that is how we got ours. but otherwise you have to talk to your feedstores, or contact the maker of the huts and ask about shipping or dealers in your area. 

I have no idea what a new one costs. 

We do keep some goats in them all winter long, or I should say that is the only shelter they have in the field with them all winter long, so if it snows, we put their hay and feed in the hut, dig a path to the water for them.  

The biggest problem I have had with them is I have used them for kidding and newborns, and you have to put blocks on the inside and outside so the babies can climb over the front edge, You can't cut away the front edge, it will ruin the strength of the structure.


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## 20kidsonhill

manybirds said:
			
		

> Julia said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Alright, so I'm getting my two mini Nubians in 3 days. I've been going crazy trying to figure out housing. I think I've settled on a 6x8 plastic shed from Costco, for 500. My question is--will they chew a plastic shed? I've never had goats before.  I'd like to do a less expensive housing option, but we have sooo many coyotes (hungry ones) on our property that I need something really secure and fast! Does this sound like good goat housing to all you knowledgable folks? I will be putting in a good fence. Any feedback/other housing ideas would be really appreciated! Thanks!
> 
> 
> 
> I use plastic calf hutches. they work amazing
Click to expand...

Manybirds: you live in Wisconsin right?  Are you using the calf huts in the winter as well?


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## Goatherd

> I'm also really curious.  Additionally, where can one buy a calf hut?  I can't find them for sale online anywhere.


If you type "calf hutch" into your search engine, several sites come up as to  who sells them along with prices.  Be prepared, they're not cheap if you buy them new.  The most basic and smallest one starts around $250 plus shipping.  The price goes up significantly if you buy the more deluxe models as well as larger sizes.

If you have a dairy supply dealer in your area, they often times carry them.

I was interested in getting one or two for my goats shelter in the pasture during the day.  I put an ad on Craigslist's Farm and Garden and only got two responses.  Both people sent pictures of dilapidated calf hutches and they wanted big bucks for them.  Needless to say, I didn't buy them.

I went with a vinyl/resin shed for their "day house," and they go into the barn at night.  The shed has held up very well and they do nothing to it to damage or chew it.  Three full size adults use this as well as two kids.  It's only 8ft x 8ft, but again, it's only for protection from the elements during the day.


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## manybirds

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> We have 10 of them, They are designed to stay cool in the summer and warmer in the winter, that is the whole point of them.
> Ordering them will be a little trickier, you may get lucky and find used onse, that is how we got ours. but otherwise you have to talk to your feedstores, or contact the maker of the huts and ask about shipping or dealers in your area.
> 
> I have no idea what a new one costs.
> 
> We do keep some goats in them all winter long, or I should say that is the only shelter they have in the field with them all winter long, so if it snows, we put their hay and feed in the hut, dig a path to the water for them.
> 
> The biggest problem I have had with them is I have used them for kidding and newborns, and you have to put blocks on the inside and outside so the babies can climb over the front edge, You can't cut away the front edge, it will ruin the strength of the structure.


we got ours from a dairy suply company in our area. they're forsale on craigslist fairly often.......although living in wisconsin dairy suplies are pretty easy to come by here.


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## manybirds

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> manybirds said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Julia said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Alright, so I'm getting my two mini Nubians in 3 days. I've been going crazy trying to figure out housing. I think I've settled on a 6x8 plastic shed from Costco, for 500. My question is--will they chew a plastic shed? I've never had goats before.  I'd like to do a less expensive housing option, but we have sooo many coyotes (hungry ones) on our property that I need something really secure and fast! Does this sound like good goat housing to all you knowledgable folks? I will be putting in a good fence. Any feedback/other housing ideas would be really appreciated! Thanks!
> 
> 
> 
> I use plastic calf hutches. they work amazing
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Manybirds: you live in Wisconsin right?  Are you using the calf huts in the winter as well?
Click to expand...

yes and yes


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## peachick

Im in Maryland and we recently had an earthquake and a hurricane..  both in the same week!!
The hurricane took out the goat shed  I use for the girls and kids.

This is what  I have rigged up for them....  $300 car port at Sams Club... an old roll of fencing...  a couple livestock panels, and a bunch of those green stick in the ground fence posts.....  We put it up last Saturday.   Easy and cheep!  it should last a couple years before another hurricane rips it up....  




DSC_0002 by S!GNATURE, on Flickr


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## savingdogs

My goats would LOVE that, peachick. They love to have a place to stand out of the rain and it rains a lot where I am.

My goats are mini nubians and we have large dog houses that have been adapted for goat use. When we added more goats, we added more dog houses. They are similar to little sheds and lean-tos. There isn't room to MILK in them however, so our milking area is in a totally different place (in our laundry room).


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## SuburbanFarmChic

You can find damaged carports for free pretty frequently on Craigslist. If you know the basics of how they put together you can Frankenstein a pretty decent shelter from a broken one. Especially if the roof tarp is still intact.  It seems that most times snow weight will collapse all/some of the legs but if you use just the roof portion it's a good shade shelter or hay storage.  It's what we used for the pot bellies while they were here.


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## Ms. Research

peachick said:
			
		

> Im in Maryland and we recently had an earthquake and a hurricane..  both in the same week!!
> The hurricane took out the goat shed  I use for the girls and kids.
> 
> This is what  I have rigged up for them....  $300 car port at Sams Club... an old roll of fencing...  a couple livestock panels, and a bunch of those green stick in the ground fence posts.....  We put it up last Saturday.   Easy and cheep!  it should last a couple years before another hurricane rips it up....
> 
> [url]http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6155/6154028552_a27123e7af_z.jpg[/url]
> DSC_0002 by S!GNATURE, on Flickr


Know about that hurricane/earthquake deal.  Same here happened in New Jersey.   The setup looks pretty good.   Hope your girls and kids are enjoying their new enclosure.


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## peachick

thanks guys.  When we lost the goats shelter.  I was thinking it was time to build something really ncie for them....  and then I looked at the expense.  LOL  I opted for a this temporary shelter for now while I save for a new barn   Hubby used one of these canvas car ports for an old boat  and it lasted about 6 years.


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## that's*satyrical

We are going to use a steel chain link enclosure with an xtra thick tarp spread over the top & sides. We are in Georgia though so winters are mild here compared to some. I think it will be good for keeping the predators out though & I can easily close them in at night.


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## drdoolittle

I was lucky when I got my buckling last week.  DH was given the tank part of an old dunk tank by his business partner------we flipped it over, put a big piece of rubber in the opening (for wind/rain/snow protection) and that's our buckling's house.


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