# kidding stalls?



## RockyPhoenix (Apr 6, 2011)

what are some temporary kidding stall ideas? I was thinking a couple 4'x4' panels in a corner for a stall....what do you guys do??

Pics would be fantastic!!!! Thanks! 
also how long do you usually leave the kids/does in the stall?


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## Chirpy (Apr 6, 2011)

Small kids can easily get through 4x4 squares so you'd want to go with something even smaller than that.   If they are completely out of all drafts then a temporary stall in the corner like you are suggesting would work just fine.   When I did that once I had one side that could get some breeze so I tied a large board up against that side to act as a windbreak.

Since I leave my babies with their mommas I leave them in my kidding stalls for about 5 days before letting them out into the large inside/outside stall.  They get to be in that every day from then on but I still lock up the babies and mommas at night until they are two (ish) weeks old.  Then I separate momma by leaving her in the large stall at night but locking up the babies until they are much older.  We have coyotes that would come right up to the stall if my big dog wasn't around so I don't take any chances with my babies at night.


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## chickadee (Apr 6, 2011)

We have a stall in the barn designated for foaling/kidding. 12x12 stall with deep bedding, heat lamp ready, and a web cam we can view from the house. 

But, if you just want something temporary just put up 4x4 plywood and add a door. Make sure the bedding is deep, wood shavings work better IMO to clean up than straw although lots of people prefer straw.

Mama and babies get a week minimum, go by your gut.. when you think your kids are big enough, strong enough to be with the herd let them out for a little bit each day (I always supervise the first time) every day a little longer until they can be with them full time.


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## ksalvagno (Apr 6, 2011)

Here is a picture of my kidding stalls. I have corral panels that I used and put tarps over them.


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## GrowURown (Apr 6, 2011)

Now I feel SUPER white trashified...we just have both of our does in the four horse trailer, separated with the divider...but it was a urgent "WHAT DO I DO?"  moment with them...Bambi has a special little hutch ready for her that we JUST could NOT share with the other 2...just in case...but these two...just hunkered down in the trailer for now with lots of straw bedding and heat lamps, etc...see the gate covered in plastic fencing and zip ties behind mama so all babies stay on their own side of things?

I am WORKING on it NOW though...actually since the day kids started popping out I've been working on it...it's a good 'in a pinch thing' to have that trailer...been the solution to lots of emergency housing (injured pig, giant turkeys, goats...) AND IF we have to run to vet we can - they are already loaded up for the next day or 2 until I get things better settled...see...





Extra ghetto-ified, I'm sure the neighbors think we are kin to the clampets every day...or Ma and Pa Kettle...but in a pinch it'll do!


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## Georgiamainers (Apr 7, 2011)

I have my buckling in a large dog cage overnight.  lol  We're out of pens and we need his mum's milk in the a.m.  He's not very happy with that.  He's still small.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 7, 2011)

We didn't use to have the brackets and rebarb on them, we used to just have hole drilled in them and wiredthem together to make a pen, That was okay, but a little harder to get in and out. We still just keep a cinder bock on the inside and outside of the pen to step over so we don't have to keep opening them.  

We take everything down in our barn, and use a tractor to clean out, then put it back up as we need it.

we are also using these boards as a creep feed area, since they can be configured in any shape and size, And we used them to make pen off about a quarter of our barn and weaned 18 kids in last weekend. 

We have panels, 4x4, 4x6 and 4x8, they are cut to 38inches high. 

4x6 is a good size for a kidding pen, for the first couple days, but if you were going to leave them in longer, a 4x8 would be better for a standard size breed.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 7, 2011)

We don't normally put our does in the kidding stalls until after they kid, I like them to stay with the herd and feel as natural as possible. So ours are really post kidding stalls, but on occasion I have made a double size pen and put one in that was having problems or seeming distracted by everything going on.

In the winter if the kids need the heatlamps I leave them in 2 or 3 days. If the doe is not a good mom, or baby had weak legs longer, until baby is up moving around really well. Sometimes I never put them in the kidding pen, if the weather is nicer and all is going well. 

Unless you have good sized full-size breed, I think the babies would come out of the 4x4 panel, I had a 2 week old kid the other day, squirm through the panel when we were moving animals around, and we have full-size goats. 

I know greendecember on here put chicken wire on her fencing near her barn, because some of her kids were going through her panels. 


You could try the 4x4 and see how it goes, never hurts to try. But might be prepared to have a back up plan.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 7, 2011)

Here is our creepfeed area put together with some of the panels. We had kidding stalls up in this area, but when we were done with the majority of the kidding we took down the kidding pens on one side of the barn and made a feeding/safety zone for the kids, they can come and go as they wish. if you only have a couple kids, this still is a great idea, just don't need it as big, They love laying in it, and have a place to much on their own feed.  

It is an easy way to round-up all the kids, They like going in it, so once they are all in, we just put the missing bars back in place and they are all caught.


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