madelynmccabe's Thread: Lets See Everyone's Herd Houses!

[NH homesteader]

I might have to build one for my goat pasture too... Hmm...

I would have to close the ends off I think for winter. My roo got frostbite in what I thought was a draft-free coop last year. I'm going to show my husband though, he's the builder!

Also if I put it on skids I wonder if it won't be taxable ... More things to find out.

 

[Mini Horses]

IS THERE any angle a goat won't attempt to climb?

The concern is their putting holes into the tarp from those hooves. You could put a pony wall up easily with plywood, even just hooked to the 3 T-posts. 2x8 panels for sides, then bend the cattle panels within those. Another panel at rear. A 10X12 tarp covers that nicely on all 3 sides, due to wood panels. Couple bales of straw bedding and you have a cozy shelter, open end facing South or SE. Depending on your location and weather patterns this can be adequate for many animals -- not all! -- you have to consider their own hair coat, etc. My mini horses are often outside, or just standing in their run-ins if high wind, heavy rain. In winter they have heavy coats and generate a lot of heat. Elders less so. It's all relative an needs to be on animal basis, what location basis, etc.

Buy a good, heavier tarp....Snow?....What are igloos made from? Internal temps can be contained within such situations, especially if more than one animal.

Mild climate, uses for shade, feeder covers, all good.

 

[Mini Horses]

OOOOPS...base? depends on the height and tension you want/need. There is no set rule but I have found 4-6 feet wide gives you room to walk under and enough curve & tension to hold well. If lower at top from wider spread, you do not have the curve to let snow melt off ..... AND if too low the goats want to jump on it. Destroys it.

 

[madelynmccabe]

That is really cool! @Baymule

 

[Baymule]

@Baymule @Mini Horses Those of you that have built these hoop houses can you give me some dimensions for the base? I need mine straight enough on the sides so that the goats don't try and climb it. My bucks will be using one for shelter this winter, tarp covered.

I place the sides 8' apart. The length is longer than needed, and braced, so I could drag it to another location if needed. The width of the cow panels is 50 inches. If you are going to build one for the goats, I suggest a solid wall 3 or 4 feet tall, attach the cow panels to that.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/hoop-coop.18291/

 

[madelynmccabe]

I thought this would be a funny story for the day! Earlier this week I went out with my goats to do my geometry homework. And of course they came to chew on my binder and backpack. As I flipped through the notes I had written, Maggie and Shea thought it would be fun to mess with the papers. It was fine, until Shea took my notes paper (of course the one I needed for today) and ripped about 1/4 of it off, words and all. She held it in her mouth for a while to taunt me with it, and before I could grab it back, she proceeded to EAT it!!!! So, the most important notes I needed for the day were now in my goat's stomach! I ended up having to text a friend to get the formulas I needed to complete the assignment. Maggie and Shea just love helping me with my schoolwork. It was quite the story to tell when my friends asked why my paper was all torn up. So now I have to make sure that there are no loose papers when I go out with them, or they will end up being Maggie and Shea's food and I will have to tell everyone at school that "my goat ate my homework".

 

[Baymule]

After thinking it over, is this going to be a permanent build or a very temporary shelter that will be taken down? If very temporary, stab some T-posts in the ground to anchor the cow panel, then wrap fence wire around the sides to keep the goats off.

 

[babsbag]

After thinking it over, is this going to be a permanent build or a very temporary shelter that will be taken down? If very temporary, stab some T-posts in the ground to anchor the cow panel, then wrap fence wire around the sides to keep the goats off.

It "should" only have to get me through one winter. I don't 'do' tarps for very long...I hate little pieces of tarp everywhere.

I will be using the t-posts for sure and maybe a bottom board to fasten the tarp to so its not flapping in the wind and no goats are pulling at loose ends. Wire around the sides might be a good plan and it I put it close enough to my fence I can run a hot wire around it too...goats love to rub and scratch on everything so that would keep them off it entirely. But I need to make sure they aren't afraid of it or they won't get close enough to go in it. They can be so difficult.

If winter is slow in coming this year I might get a real shelter built for them. Right now we are taking a break from dairy construction to build a front extension on the barn for hay and for rain protection. Then I need to get back to work on the dairy so the bucks may just get a hoop house this year. I also need to make them shelter for their feeder. It never ends.

 

[DianeKB]

I lucked out. My family owned, exhibited, bred (since the mid 1960s) and I judge Irish Wolfhounds. Our kennel building was made with Irish Wolfhound sized stalls and doors. The building transformed perfectly for sheep. I will gather up some photos and post later today.

 

[DianeKB]

I lucked out. My family owned, exhibited, bred (since the mid 1960s) and I judge Irish Wolfhounds. Our kennel building was made with Irish Wolfhound sized stalls and doors. The building transformed perfectly for sheep. I will gather up some photos and post later today.

Here are a few photos of my kennel and the remodeling done for the sheep and ducks. My dogs are now house dogs. Chain link fencing removed between runs, feed bunk built, and duck run covered with wire and shade cloth to protect them from predators and provide shade. LOVE my little Call ducks. Indian Runners and Rouens - not so much.