# Ideas for a goat playground?



## dianneS (May 17, 2010)

I would like to build my goats a playground to climb on and even use as shelter and shade.

I would like to use some old skids I have lying around.  I have the standard sized skids as well as some double sized ones, they are 4'x8'.  

I would like some ramps for them to climb and I want to put some sort of sandpaper-ish type of material on them so that it will wear down their hooves as well as provide and anti-slip surface.   I also want things for them to rub on and scratch on.  Multiple surfaces to jump from, as well as a enclosed space for shelter and shade.

Any design ideas, or anything that I'm missing from my plans?  What do your goats like to play on/with?


----------



## aggieterpkatie (May 17, 2010)

dianneS said:
			
		

> I would like to build my goats a playground to climb on and even use as shelter and shade.
> 
> I would like to use some old skids I have lying around.  I have the standard sized skids as well as some double sized ones, they are 4'x8'.
> 
> ...


One thing you can do to make the surface rough is to paint it and sprinkle lots of sand on it while the paint is wet. We've done that before and it works pretty well!  You just have to re-do it every now and then as it wears down.


----------



## The Egg Bandit (May 17, 2010)

Our kids love old tractor tires.  Put one on it's side on the ground and stand one up in the middle of it.  They will play "king of the mountain" for hours, until someone rolls it off the bottom tire.  I think they get a kick out of the sound their tiny hooves make on the rubber too.  Sometimes they play the game of "who can make the craziest dismount".  It is hysterical to watch.


----------



## glenolam (May 17, 2010)

Wooden electrical wire spools are great.  I just got one and they can't get enough.  I also put three stumps at different heights in a row, sort of like steps, and build a balance beam by nailing a 2x4 to two stumps the same height.

Old roof shingles are great for traction and hoof control.


----------



## lorihadams (May 17, 2010)

www.doubledurangofarm.com  click on the link for playground stuff....you'll see why her goats are spoiled rotten!


----------



## Hillsvale (May 17, 2010)

I put a shipping crate in the pen, bottom side up ... the goat and two lambs would nap unter there (open slatted crate). On the weekend I took the lid from the crate added legs and attached it to the crate... this made two platforms 18" and 31" high. I then made a ramp from the top platform, I used roofing shingles on both platforms, put slates of wood (like a ladder) on the ramp with shingles in between for traction .... baby goat is like a ballerena now hopping, skipping and jumping!


----------



## cmjust0 (May 17, 2010)

BEHOLD:  The giant dead tree.







We seriously thought about burning it when we first moved in, but now we're glad we didn't.  It's like a habitrail for goats.  They've literally worn the top of it SLICK.


----------



## jlbpooh (May 17, 2010)

I think that tree is larger than a giant. It is HUGE!


----------



## cmjust0 (May 17, 2010)

It's an ancient white oak.  It's gotta be 5'+ in diameter toward the base, and the 'bell' at the bottom (where the roots used to go into the ground) spans probably '10 from the dirt to the highest tip.

The 'bell' part of the root actually keeps most of the trunk off the ground, so there's kind of a little underpass type deal beneath the trunk..  The goats hang out under there during the summer for shade.  Wish I had a picture to better illustrate what I mean..  :/

Anyway, yep...it's monstrous big.  I'd recommend a ginormous dead tree to anyone with goats.


----------



## Henrietta23 (May 17, 2010)

cmjust0 said:
			
		

> BEHOLD:  The giant dead tree.
> 
> http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/uploads/745_kidtree.jpg
> 
> We seriously thought about burning it when we first moved in, but now we're glad we didn't.  It's like a habitrail for goats.  They've literally worn the top of it SLICK.


Ooooooo, I want one!!


----------



## dianneS (May 18, 2010)

Wow!  That tree is enormous! 

We actually just cut down an old tree in the goat pasture.  We can cut it up and prop the trunk up on some other logs and such!  

Its certainly not that big though!


----------

