# Anyone Have A System For Feeding Goats From Outside Pen Fence?



## thailand (Dec 26, 2016)

Merry Christmas everyone, and Happy New Year too.    Hope everyone is well, and your goats too.

I'm FINALLY!! about to get a buck pen.  Yaay.  There will be one buck and one wether in the buck pen.  I also have the opportunity to modify the fencing of the does pen too so I need to think about that also - just the two girls.  I'm only gonna get one shot at this so I want to try to get things right the first time around.  What I would like to do is have a system so that I/the kids (or anyone who ever house-sits for us) can feed the goats from outside of their pen and not have to directly walk in (particularly worried about our buck head-butting).  Does anyone else have this kinda thing for your goats?  I'd love to see photos as examples, and I also need some help please with measurement allowances for heads to go through.

Hopefully this makes sense and you get what I mean? 

This is an example of what I'm talking about, but I need to make openings in chain-link fencing.




 

Thanks


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## thailand (Dec 27, 2016)

Today is the day the builders are modifying the fencing/gates for the does pen.  If anyone has any input about making a space in the fencing for feeding them....now is the time to give opinions  

Oh, and the design has changed a little.....the does pen won't have chain link, instead improvements will be made out of galvanised steel pipework.


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## Latestarter (Dec 27, 2016)

Really, so much depends on where/layout/space available/design/what you'll be feeding... I mean there are too many variables. I'd have to say do what will work best for you based on what you're doing for mods and the variables involved... Sorry I couldn't be of more help...


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## thailand (Dec 27, 2016)

OK, I see your point.  I'll have to put more thought into things then.  Really just want an easy way to feed the does their grain (when dry) and their forage when penned.

For the buck and future wether, I'd like to have a system where kids can feed & water them without the need to go inside the pen (to avoid being butted....and to prevent the kids letting the boys out! I have some naughty boys).

If no one else has any input/tips/ideas then I'll post a photos here when it's all done.


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## thailand (Dec 27, 2016)

Meant to add this photo of the new gate, yet to be attached.  The previous black gate is still attached behind at the moment.  You can see the gap on the left hand side of the photo, left for the goats to put their heads through.  I'm gonna have to tell the builders to close in the very bottom part of this gap though cause I don't want babies escaping!  Other than that.....does this look ok?


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## Southern by choice (Dec 27, 2016)

These aren't mine but we snapped photos  by permission of a buck pen... lady had  some iffy bucks and does everything from the outside as to not deal with a 250 lb buck in rut.


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## thailand (Dec 27, 2016)

Cool!  Thanks so much for these photos


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## greybeard (Jan 15, 2017)

(disclaimer--I am NOT a goat person--I raise cattle and calves)
I have in the last few years pondered how to build a bulk feeder, but instead of having feed available to the calves 24-7 as long as there is feed in the hopper, it would have  a lever activated 'gate or valve". I saw one once long ago, and the old guy loaded about 400lbs of pelleted feed in the storage hopper, and at feeding time, he just walked out and pulled a big handle down which opened a wooden flap and allowed the feed to flow out into the area the calves had access to. When he had whatever he wanted in that area, he just pushed the long handle back up and it closed the flap or gate. Wish I had taken pics of it then. It was all manual, nothing fancy, completely home built out of wood, no electrics or screw auger--just gravity flow, and simplistic really.
I don't know why something of this nature wouldn't work with smaller ruminants--as long as the herd size was relatively small in number and if positioned right, the operator would not have to get in the pen with the animals..

I'll try to do some more research on it and maybe throw up a drawing.


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