# Inexpensive housing



## Ferguson K

Morning!

I thought I would share with y'all our new recycled loafing sheds. The cattle panels were originally purchased three years ago. We have tons of them lying around, and tons of hog panels. 

The wire that was used to the there together was baling wire off of our bales of alfalfa. For outer support instead of cinder blocks, since we don't have any to spare, I used old tree timbers that we have tons of since we're clearing the property. The back supports are leftover 1x4s from the shed rebuild, aaaand the old telephone poles were sawn in half and used for a wall support.

Works wonders.

The girls seem to enjoy it.

We're installing one for the horses, the pigs already have one, and we will be putting two or three more in the goat pasture.

I still need to add hay feeders along the wall but they're already enjoying it. 

Enjoy!


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## frustratedearthmother

Looks great!  I love the simplicity and ease of construction of a hoop house!


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## micah wotring

Cool! Ya know people use this same design for chicken tractors by making a wooden square as the base. It'd work good for rotational grazing to make a movable. Just a thought. Lookin' good!


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## samssimonsays

LOVE it! I really want to make something like this next year for mine but am apprehensive on how well it would hold up in our climate vs. yours  it's a "slight" difference


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## Ferguson K

@micah wotring I'm aware.

This design isn't limited to just chickens and poultry.

Horses, cattle, alpaca, llamas, sheep, goats, pigs, many animals can take advantage of a hoop shelter. It's a simple and east design. All you need is a solid base and you can make it as large or as small as you need it to be. With a little structure you can make a solid building out of panels. I used to have a yard full of them.


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## Ferguson K

You can also use wire to hold the bottoms of the panels together to keep them from flipping up. I used the timbers because it's what I had a lot of.


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## Bruce

I agree, there isn't a cheaper and easier way to make a shelter than to bend a few cattle panels. They have a SERIOUS desire to be flat and that tension will hold up a tarp and whatever snow lands on it unless you spread the base too wide.

You can hold them down with most anything, rebar, PT wood tied together across the narrow direction, T Posts driven at strategic locations or hunks of large logs as @Ferguson K did. Covering can be basic or elaborate depending on the amount of weather you need to keep out.


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## NH homesteader

I'm probably going to end up with these all over my property.  Wish I could get  away with just a tarp on top! We are planning  on making one for our turkeys in the spring but it'll need metal roofing. Hadn't thought of using it for goats but now maybe I'll do that too!


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## Alexz7272

I love hoop houses! That is what I have my sheep, alpacas and goats in partially! We found out the hard way that it wont support Colorado snow loads though, so we put a t post on the front and back to help support it structurally. Now I am dealing with kids climbing up it, but that is because my sides are not _as_ vertical as yours  
And using timber on the bottom is an awesome idea! Thanks for sharing


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## Mini Horses

They are great for shade shelters, also.   And I have put round bales in them for some weather protection.  The animals can eat while out of the rain, sun, etc.   WORKS.  Easy, inexpensive & portable.   Good deal.   Only ones I've had "attacked" were from goats who felt the need to climb...


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## Bruce

Plus, you can move the hoop shelter OVER the round bale rather than trying to move 1,000 pounds of hay TO the shelter!

And yes, if too wide at the base in snow country, they may need a center support at each end with a ridge pole between them.


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## Baymule

I built a hoop coop, it was so easy! I love cow panels! Way to go @Ferguson K !! That makes a nice shelter for your animals!


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## Ferguson K

I love hoop style shelters! They're nice and inexpensive. It doesn't take much to throw them together and they're pretty easy to maintain and virtually undestructable. We've had trees fall on them and they pop right back up!!


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## frustratedearthmother

That's a good lookin hh Bay!  Looks predator proof.


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## OneFineAcre

Baymule said:


> I built a hoop coop, it was so easy! I love cow panels! Way to go @Ferguson K !! That makes a nice shelter for your animals!
> 
> View attachment 22979



looks good


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## misfitmorgan

If your frugal(read as poor...like me...ok cheap like me ) We made a hoop barn on our last property but we wanted it tall enough for DH who is 6'4" and also to hold up to snow. So we drove T-posts into the ground and then slipped wooden pallet over the t-posts with the "decking" facing out, screwed those together and then ran one run of 1x4s  around the inside top and bottom of the pallets. Then we took our cattle panels, put one end against the t-posts sticking up and bent the wire placing the other end on the opposite side with t-posts holding it in place, put on a few zip ties to hold the panels to the t-posts in a few spots. Then we took a roll over clothes line from the dollar store and made small loops over the lower wire of the panels and stapled the roop to the pallet decking...like rope hold downs. We covered the whole thing in a tarp. We ended up with a barn approx 7ft tall and something like 12 or 14ft wide. We didnt just slap the tarp on and use the grommets to hold it though...the wind would have shredded it. We wrapped the ends of the tarp around a board and then screwed that to the pallets so the tarp had even tension and the whole board held it on.

Something like this but with pallets and t-posts.




While we are on the making things subject....anyone seen this yet?


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## frustratedearthmother

I've seen one similar, but it was just a three holder, I think.  Looks like a good idea to me!


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## misfitmorgan

frustratedearthmother said:


> I've seen one similar, but it was just a three holder, I think.  Looks like a good idea to me!



i thought so too....that one feeds 8 you could make it double sided and feed 16 lol. So much easier then my method of trying to keep the ones not on the bottle off my head while i use both hands to feed two others lol.


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## frustratedearthmother

misfitmorgan said:


> So much easier then my method of trying to keep the ones not on the bottle off my head while i use both hands to feed two others lol.



Agree!


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## Ferguson K

Someone really likes Dr. Pepper.

Must be my house.


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## NH homesteader

Love that shelter idea.  It's awfully nice to stand up!


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## misfitmorgan

Ferguson K said:


> Someone really likes Dr. Pepper.
> 
> Must be my house.



Mine too...DH calls me a Dr. Pepper Addict!


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## babsbag

I'm a DP addict too; only I drink diet. I know...bad stuff...but I'm too old too care now. 

The thing about any of the feeders is the cleaning. I use the lambar bucket but the tubes are a pain to clean. At least with the bottles you could just get new ones.


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## Bruce

Ferguson K said:


> Someone really likes Dr. Pepper.
> 
> Must be my house.



I'm a Pepper too  but I buy the cans. Too easy to just keep adding to the glass with a big bottle 

Diet ...  fake sugar = instant migraine hell.


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## Goat Whisperer

We have used hoop houses, they have worked great! 

As far as the bottle holder, I like the idea. I almost built one but have decided I'm going to use lambar buckets. Once a kid is finished with its bottle s/he will just try and steal another kids bottle. Kinda defeating the purpose of doing individual bottles 
I figured it would be faster to clean the bucket and tubes instead of each bottle. I did that last year 

I was doing farm chores for a lady down the road from us, she was using a lambar so I am a little familiar with it.


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## Ferguson K

We built a lambar out of a 5 gallon bucket.

It will bee tested next month when everyone starts kidding.


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## Goat Whisperer

You are pulling this year? I think you'll like it. I love BB's!


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## Ferguson K

We are pulling. It'll be harder, but easier, at the same time.


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## micah wotring

Bruce said:


> I'm a Pepper too  but I buy the cans. Too easy to just keep adding to the glass with a big bottle
> 
> Diet ...  fake sugar = instant migraine hell.


I like Doctor Pepper too! My mom is all for doctor pepper but being a diabetic she drinks diet. I've tried it and it tastes about the same to me.


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## misfitmorgan

I'm not used a lambar...how do you make measure how much each lamb gets? I like the bottles idea and if your there watching and just pop those who finish their bottle back into their pen or stall or whatever i dont think it would be much problem and i still think it would be faster then bottle feeding by hand if you have a lot of BB's.


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## secuono

How do the bottles not get shoved out?? My lambs always facepunch them while drinking, just like would do on mom. Had one knock it right out of my hand this spring.


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## misfitmorgan

secuono said:


> How do the bottles not get shoved out?? My lambs always facepunch them while drinking, just like would do on mom. Had one knock it right out of my hand this spring.



I wondered that too but i think what happens is if they headbutt it they hit the wood that holds the bottles and shove the bottle up into the slide part and then the bottle just falls back down into the hole in the wood so they can keep drinking. The holes look rather large and assuming the spacing is correct the side of the bottle would keep the neck of the bottle lined up with the hole and gravity would do the rest. The board the bottles rest on looks at approx 45degrees, so again gravity should keep the bottle on the "slides."


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## Ferguson K

SHOULD.

My goats don't follow should....


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## misfitmorgan

Ferguson K said:


> SHOULD.
> 
> My goats don't follow should....



Mine either but i can pretend


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## samssimonsays

Love these ideas!


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## Goat Whisperer

misfitmorgan said:


> I'm not used a lambar...how do you make measure how much each lamb gets? I like the bottles idea and if your there watching and just pop those who finish their bottle back into their pen or stall or whatever i dont think it would be much problem and i still think it would be faster then bottle feeding by hand if you have a lot of BB's.


You don't. That is the down side of using the bucket.
The breeders that I know who have used it have good success with it, but many leave the milk out free-choice.


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## Green Acres Farm

Goat Whisperer said:


> You don't. That is the down side of using the bucket.
> The breeders that I know who have used it have good success with it, but many leave the milk out free-choice.


@Goat Whisperer, how do you leave milk out free-choice? Won't it spoil?

I'd like to bottle feed some this year. Would it be possible to train a kid to the bottle AND let it nurse on its mama?

I don't want to pull kids from a doe who has kidded before...unless maybe there were multiples... But it would be great if I could do both and get extra milk for us + friendlier kids!


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## TAH

Green Acres Farm said:


> How do you leave milk out free-choice? Won't it spoil?
> 
> I'd like to bottle feed some this year. Would it be possible to train a kid to the bottle AND let it nurse on its mama?
> 
> I don't want to pull kids from a doe who has kidded before...unless maybe there were multiples... But it would be great if I could do both and get extra milk for us + friendlier kids!


The lady we got our first goats from put the kids on the bottle in the evening and left them with there mom during the day.


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## Green Acres Farm

TAH said:


> The lady we got our first goats from put the kids on the bottle in the evening and left them with there mom during the day.


I'd like to try that. Would also give us flexibility for selling early or not milking the dam on busy nights.


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## TAH

Green Acres Farm said:


> I'd like to try that. Would also give us flexibility for selling early or not milking the dam on busy nights.


Her doe also gives a gallon in a half each day so there was plenty for everybody.


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## Ferguson K

We plan on putting 4 kids to a pen on the bucket. That way there's not as BIG of a risk that one gets more than the others. 

The thing is, when does have multiples there's already one getting more than others do what's different? Thats the way i see it. Just watch and see whose falling behind and give them extra.


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## Goat Whisperer

I agree K. I can't do 4 kids per pen but if I have any falling behind I will pull them out and give extra. 

@Green Acres Farm We have done that, I call it joint-custody  Get them on the bottle ASAP, once they find the udder/teat it can be hard to get them on a bottle. 
I don't leave the milk out free choice, but yes it can spoil. I know some people put ice packs in the milk to keep it cool. I personally don't like the thought of feeding cold milk to kids, but some have good success with it.


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## babsbag

I leave milk out for kids. I only put ice in it if it is hot outside. (Look all those "i" words. )  At night I will fill the bucket and leave it until morning. Then I rinse and refill. When I had a job to go to I would leave milk with an ice pack in it. I only give my kids warm milk for about the first two weeks and then they get it cold so they ice makes no difference.  

If you are feeding a bunch of kids I suggest more than one bucket. That way you can fill one, take it to the barn and bring the other one in to clean. Also buy the tubing brush and the one way valves.   

http://www.caprinesupply.com/produc...-caprine-style/caprine-feeder-tube-brush.html

http://www.caprinesupply.com/produc...ne-style/one-way-valve-for-caprine-tubes.html

If you know how to weld you can make a bucket holder by welding the bucket holder onto an automobile rim. Works great.

http://www.caprinesupply.com/produc...bucket-holder-for-caprine-feeder-buckets.html


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## misfitmorgan

Goat Whisperer said:


> You don't. That is the down side of using the bucket.
> The breeders that I know who have used it have good success with it, but many leave the milk out free-choice.



Wow the first sentence i wrote......fail 

Thanks for the info though!  



Green Acres Farm said:


> @Goat Whisperer, how do you leave milk out free-choice? Won't it spoil?
> 
> I'd like to bottle feed some this year. Would it be possible to train a kid to the bottle AND let it nurse on its mama?
> 
> I don't want to pull kids from a doe who has kidded before...unless maybe there were multiples... But it would be great if I could do both and get extra milk for us + friendlier kids!



Our doe's wont let them nurse as soon as the formula gets thru their system...cause they dont smell like them then. If you sharing custody maybe that works out then i dunno...maybe it depends on the goat?


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## Green Acres Farm

misfitmorgan said:


> Our doe's wont let them nurse as soon as the formula gets thru their system...cause they dont smell like them then. If you sharing custody maybe that works out then i dunno...maybe it depends on the goat?


@misfitmorgan, your does who refused to let the kids nurse- were they first time or experienced mothers?


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## misfitmorgan

We have had it happen with both FF and experienced. We have 2 does that dont seem to care they will let anyone nurse on them but the rest if it doesnt smell like them they dont want them nursing. I have milked out the doe some and bottle fed that to the kid of course when the udder was to full at birth or something and they seem fine with that.


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## Green Acres Farm

misfitmorgan said:


> We have had it happen with both FF and experienced. We have 2 does that dont seem to care they will let anyone nurse on them but the rest if it doesnt smell like them they dont want them nursing. I have milked out the doe some and bottle fed that to the kid of course when the udder was to full at birth or something and they seem fine with that.


Did you use actual goat milk or powdered formula? Just a thought that maybe if you used the mama's own milk she would still accept the kid.


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## Green Acres Farm

Is it okay to partially milk out a doe right before she kids or should you wait until after? Sorry for the dumb question...


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## Goat Whisperer

I always wait until the doe if finished kidding.


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## Mini Horses

Momma will cut them off from nursing when full.   The cooler milk in the lambar will help to keep them from overfilling to a degree.   The youngest ones will nurse more often, less at a time, so it's important to keep the ages separated due to amounts they need and time between feedings.   As they age you can just put the lambar in there at certain times, for a shorter time.    You can keep some bottles of water in the freezer & just drop one in.....or heat the water, drop it in.  ( I've put frozen bottles in chicken waterers, horse troughs, etc. in summer)


Because I have fewer does/kids, those I separate are bottle fed by hand.  I use mom's milk.   My does are heavy milkers, so the reason to separate are  for my own milking training, use, routine for the does.    Plus, you get to really play with the kids and have friendly kids.   Another thing that helps me make the decision is what my own "off-farm" work looks like.   Will I have the time in the AM-PM & in between?  Of course, this is also determined by who is kidding and when       I'm more likely to "share custody"  in some seasons.


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## misfitmorgan

Green Acres Farm said:


> Did you use actual goat milk or powdered formula? Just a thought that maybe if you used the mama's own milk she would still accept the kid.






misfitmorgan said:


> We have had it happen with both FF and experienced. We have 2 does that dont seem to care they will let anyone nurse on them but the rest if it doesnt smell like them they dont want them nursing.* I have milked out the doe some and bottle fed that to the kid of course when the udder was to full at birth or something and they seem fine with that.*


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## Green Acres Farm

misfitmorgan said:


>


 Sorry, I misinterpreted that...


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## SheepGirl

I used a bucket, except the nipples are at the bottom so no tubes to clean. I filled it with cold milk twice a day. They would drink most of it when it was put in anyway and then snack on the rest the remainder of the time in between feedings. Lambs got nice and chunky.









This lamb is the one on the left in the picture above, less than 1 month a part.


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## misfitmorgan

Green Acres Farm said:


> Sorry, I misinterpreted that...



 no worries...i am guilty of that more often then i would like to admit.


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## misfitmorgan

SheepGirl said:


> I used a bucket, except the nipples are at the bottom so no tubes to clean. I filled it with cold milk twice a day. They would drink most of it when it was put in anyway and then snack on the rest the remainder of the time in between feedings. Lambs got nice and chunky.
> 
> View attachment 23263
> 
> View attachment 23264
> This lamb is the one on the left in the picture above, less than 1 month a part.



Excellent...clearly it worked well. Where did you get the nipples that thread thru the bucket?


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## SheepGirl

I bought the bucket pre-assembled at Sheepman Supply. I'm sure you could buy the nipples separately online and build one using your own bucket.


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## misfitmorgan

SheepGirl said:


> I bought the bucket pre-assembled at Sheepman Supply. I'm sure you could buy the nipples separately online and build one using your own bucket.



Ok thanks!


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