How can you quickly build a goat's house with your own hands?
The goat is a cloven-hoofed pet, domesticated by man several millennia ago. The first domesticated individuals were from eastern countries. The popularity of goats among farmers is explained by the high profitability of their breeding: being a valuable source of meat, milk and wool, the animal is rather unpretentious in terms of life and climatic conditions. Goats are usually kept in a herd, so they need a spacious dwelling. The article describes how to build a goat's house with your own hands.
Do-it-yourself goat's rue
Keeping goats
As mentioned above, these artiodactyls have the ability to easily adapt to their environment. There will be no problems with food either: in the summer they nibble the grass, in the winter they eat hay and branches. Many owners feed waste to their pets. Neither cold nor heat will frighten this animal. However, there are some requirements that must be met when preparing housing for her. Goat's rue - what is it? And what should it be? Let's list the minimum requirements:
- cleanliness and dryness in the room where artiodactyls live, the presence of ventilation in it;
- calculation of the area of 1.5 square meters for a goat, 0.8 square meters for a kid up to 1 year old;
- you cannot keep a goat and a bird in the same room;
- if there are no more than three individuals in the goat's house, the ventilation device can be replaced with an ordinary window;
- the window should be located on the south side, at a height of 1.5 meters above the floor and occupy 1/20 of the total area;
- ensure the average temperature in the room is not lower than 9 degrees in winter, in summer - ventilate well;
- if you are thoroughly engaged in breeding, divide the building into sections, provide each with a feeder and a drinker, platforms for sleeping;
- outside, place a walking area with a fence at least 2 meters high (since the goat likes to jump);
- it is advisable to equip stalls for goats with young animals, as well as for individual pugnacious individuals and sick animals.
Attention! Animals of both sexes should not be kept in the same room, since the smell of the male can pass on to the female and her milk.
Choosing a place to build
When calculating the size of the future do-it-yourself goat's rue, consider how many copies you plan to keep and whether you will be engaged in further breeding of offspring. How to make the goat's rue yourself correctly - read below.
Indifferent to temperature extremes, goats, nevertheless, do not tolerate dampness, humidity more than 75%. Consequently, their dwelling should be located in a dry, elevated place protected from drafts, "facing" the sun. At the same time, lighting in the goat's house for goats must also be installed inside. The animal has a specific smell, so it is better to settle it at some distance from residential buildings.
The walls in the goat's house
Wooden goat houses are relevant
This part of the building serves as protection for its residents, therefore, its design should be approached with all responsibility. So, here is a list of the main criteria for the selection of walls when arranging a goat's house:
- almost any material is suitable, the main thing is high strength;
- if your choice is wood, then it will be advisable to install additional walls, especially for the winter period;
- height - about 2.5 m;
- fill the wall gaps with sawdust or peat;
- in order to avoid the appearance of cracks, it is recommended to treat the walls in a special way.
Floor covering
The floor in the goat's house is the foundation of the building. For reasons of hygiene and for better thermal insulation, it is recommended to make the covering made of wood. Make sure it is thick enough to keep out moisture. Ideally, it is recommended to use earth or clay as a building material. If your choice is concrete, place wood on top to neutralize the cold. Cover with straw. Be prepared that the tree will have to be replaced periodically - it tends to rot.
What are the stages of floor cultivation?
- The foundation is laid in one shovel bayonet.
- It is poured with concrete and dries for several days.
- An oblique shape is given so that the fetid liquid can drain into a special basin.
Stall for goats
Building a goat's house with your own hands is a fairly simple task. Without special need (as mentioned above), you do not need to drive a goat into a stall. This animal has a developed herd instinct, so in isolation it will simply become sad. So, the stall should not be cramped - about 2 square meters for each individual.
The best option for the floor is metal, fences are boards, a mesh door. Naturally, each stall is equipped with a pair of feeders - comfortable for both goats and owners. Hang it half a meter off the floor outside the goat's rue. Thus, pets can be fed without going into the room. Place the drinker opposite the trough.
Corral decoration
Goats need regular walks in the fresh air, so a walking area is an indispensable element of the building. It does not have to be large, as long as it is spacious enough. The territory of the corral is located near the house of the goat's rue and is enclosed by a one and a half meter fence - preferably a wooden one. Should not be flimsy and traumatic for the animal.
Lay hay on the ground. It will be useful to equip a canopy over the site so that the goats can hide from the rain or sun. Hang a lock on the door - the goats may try to escape. Place several feeders and drinkers along the outer walls of the building. Keep other animals and birds away from the goat pen. Now you know how to make a goat's rue with your own hands. When building your pen, use the project drawings and videos that walk you through the construction process step by step.