# How to set up yard - Chickens, rabbits and Goats????



## Canamer (Aug 7, 2012)

I have any area that is 100 ft X 100ft that I would like to make into a yard for some chickens (about 20), Rabbits (3) and 2 show goats.  I am trying to decide how I need to divide this area up.  Can we use one building to house them all at night, or should we make a separate rabbit hutch, chicken coop and goat barn?   Do I need to separate the chickens and rabbits into separate runs when they are outside.   Keeping in mind I am trying to stick to about a $2500 budget and my husband is very handy and does carpentry work so we do not have to buy a prefab building unless it is a cheaper way to go.  These are all 4-H projects.  We will not be breeding the bunnies (they are all girls), and will bread the goats, but will not keep more than 2 after kidding.

I am thinking to fence in the whole area with goat fence, have a common yard about 75 feet X 100 feet in the front, then three separate areas 33 ft X 25 feet.  One for the bunnies where the hutch will be, one for the chickens where the chicken coup will be, and one for the goats where the goat barn will be.  This way the goats could go in the smaller area when the girls are working with them.

or, have the big common area with two areas at the back with one building in the middle of those two areas.  on one side the goats can go into their pens.  On the other side have the rabbit hutch at the back and the chicken coop at the front.  I was thinking with the rabbits and chickens, that the nesting boxes could be placed under the bunny hutches (there will be a slanted floor under the bunny hutches to direct all of there waste to a compost bin, so the chickens will not have droppings in there nest boxes), and a roost above the bunny cages with a poop shelf above bunny cages.  Do you think that will work?


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## cedarcurve (Aug 7, 2012)

100x 100 ft. is 1/4 acre, as roughly just a little more than 200x200 is an acre.  if you separate it off, you'll have nothing but a 100' sq mud hole-- even if you don't you still might end up with a muddy mess, depending on how much rain you get. 

built a perimeter fence, and let the animals in it.  

even at that size, for only 2 goats- you are going to be pushing it for enough size.

When you get to small pens, that are really small-- then you have too much trample and wasted money in fencing.  Short fences are nearly impossible to maintain the right way, unless you use panels, which are expensive.


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## Tapsmom (Aug 8, 2012)

What type of goats are they?  If they are Pygmies or Nigerian Dwarf they do need less space


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## Canamer (Aug 10, 2012)

I have another 1 1/2 acre pasture off of the yard area I am talking about.  They will be show goats (Boer), so we want a smaller yard to contain them in and get used to being around and handled by my daughter.


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