How to Build a Goat Barn

Barns for goats can benefit them in many ways, particularly in inclimate weather.

Are you planning on building a goat barn? Develop barn plans carefully for the needs of your goats and your property. Goats provide milk, meat and hair and are easy to care for. All goats require clean, draft-free barns that will keep them safe.



Goats prefer to stay close to one another at night or when gathered in a barn. The goat shelter illustrated here provides a simple, open floor plan. You can keep the door open during the day to allow goats access to the shelter in case of inclement weather, but close and latch the door at night.

Things You'll Need

• 2-by-10 lumber; about 15 or 16 for a small shed suitable for up to 3 goats.
• Sheets of plywood to cover walls and roof
• Roofing tin or metal
• Paint
• Three hinges for door
• Drill
• Hammer
• Nails
• Screws
• Saw
• Springhooks and eye hooks to hang water bucket and latch the door

Instructions

Building a Goat Barn

1. After you map out your barn plans, select a pasture for your goat barn. Look for a flat area so your shelter stands squarely. You will need a sturdy fence around the area. Goats love to climb, so situate the barn away from rocks, stumps or other objects the goats can use to climb onto the roof.

2. Clear the site of thick grass, weeds or debris. Trim grass down to the lowest level possible. You can leave the footing as dirt or grass.

3. Create a rectangular frame, screwing or nailing 2-by-10 boards together to form the frame base. It's actually healthier for goats and livestock to stand on dirt, and you will bed them down on straw or another suitable material anyway.

4. Construct frames using the other 2-by-10 once the base is done. Frame the sides and slant the roof. Leave an opening approximately 3 feet wide and 5or 6feet high for the door. Leave the floor open to the grass below.

5. Nail sheets of plywood over the framing to create the walls and roof. Lay roofing tin onto the roof and secure it to the roof. Make sure the roof is slanted enough so that rain and snow can run off it.

6. Screw in the hinges and affix the door. You will also want an eye hook and spring latch to close the goats in at night. Once the door is on, paint the goat barn, add a spring hook inside from which to hang a water bucket for your goats, place bedding and you're done.

Tips & Warnings

• When building barns for goats, keep in mind that goats will chew on just about anything. Tin or metal roofs last longer, since goats cannot chew through them.

• Premade kits for more elaborate barns are available. Many metal barns are attractive and last longer.

• Your local cooperative extension often has building plans and instructions for more elaborate shelters, including milking barns.

• Goats should not get wet or cold. They do not like sudden temperature changes.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Penn State University Extension: Free Plans for Goat Barns