FACILITIES

for small-scale goat farms

SUSAN SCHOENIAN (Shāy-nē-ŭn) Sheep & Goat Specialist

University of Maryland Extensionsschoen@umd.edu – www.sheepandgoat.com

Facility needs on a goat farm• Containment• Shelter • Feeding• Watering• Kidding• Feed storage• Animal handling• Manure handling• Mortality disposal• Harvest• Hauling

Containment: fencing needsThere are many options, many materials.

Perimeter Interior / cross Pens and corrals

Perimeter fences“If it won’t hold water, it won’t hold goats.”High-tensile, electric• Multi-strand

5-7 strands, 40-46 inches high• 12.5 gauge smooth wire• Proper wire spacing

e.g. 6-5-5-8-10• Good charger (energizer)

Low impedanceMinimum of 5000 voltsMain, solar/battery

• Well-groundedMinimum 3 ground rods

• Well-braced• Strong corners• All hot or hot/cold• Need to keep fence lines clean

Perimeter fences“If it won’t hold water, it won’t hold goats.”

American (woven) wire $$$• Horizontal wires with

vertical stays• Openings small enough (2 x 6

in) to keep heads out or large enough (6 x 6 in) to allow horned goats to get heads out.

• Barbed wires at top and bottom of fence.

• Electric off-set wire to keep goats away from fence.

• Trip wire for predator control.

HT Electric vs. Woven WireHT Electric

• Less expensiveConstruction: $0.89/footOwnership: $0.12/foot/year(Iowa State University, 2012)

• Easier to install• Fewer fence posts• Physiological barrier

Animals need to be trainedElectric can go off

• Need to keep fence lines clean• 25 year life expectancy

Woven Wire

• More expensiveConstruction: $1.93/footOwnership: $0.33/foot/year(Iowa State University, 2012)

• Harder to install• More fence posts• Physical barrier

“Peace of mind”• Goats can get heads stuck• 20 year life expectancy

Perimeter fences“If it won’t hold water, it won’t hold goats.”

Other $• 10-12 strand barbed

wire fence with wire stays.

• Can add electric wires to barbed wire.

• Can add electric wires or wire mesh to board fences.

• More expensive fencing can be used for smaller enclosures $$$$.

Interior fencing – cross fencingTo subdivide pastures and have different pastures for different classes of animals

• Permanent subdivisionsMulti-strand, HT electricAmerican (woven) wire

• Temporary subdivisions or pasturesElectric HT wire Smooth wire PolywireRopeTapeElectric netting

Pens and corralsNeeds

• All producers• Quarantine pen• Sick pen• Handling area

• Other needs depend upon management system• Barn lots• Feeding areas• Kidding pens, individual and group• Buck housing

Materials

• Multi-strand, HT, non-electric• American (woven) wire• Board• Stock panels• Metal gates

Construction needs to be stronger and taller than fencing.

Containment: housing and shelterCLOSED OPEN SHELTER,

SHADE

Closed (or confinement) housingPROS

• Protection from inclement weather

• Cold weather housing for kidding.

• Housed animals have lower nutrient requirements.

• Easier to monitor animals.• Place to store feed and

equipment.• Comfort for people.• Reduced labor

CONS

• More expensive• Air quality

Ventilation• Manure build-up

Open housingPROS

• Less expensive• Better air quality• More exercise• Less manure build-up

CONS

• Less protection• Higher nutritional requirements• Less convenience for people• More labor

Many ways to provide shelter and/or shade for goatsEnough room for all goats to stand – consider dynamics of herd

• Barns• Sheds• Three sided shelters• Poly domes• Port-a-huts• Carport• Shade cloth• Homemade• Hay wagons• Natural

• Trees• Windbreaks

Space requirements for sheep and goats (Sq. feet)

Housing Dirt lot Open shed Confinement (dirt floor)

Confinement(slatted floors)

Bred doe 20 8-10 12-16 8-10Doe with kids 25 12 16-20 10-12Buck 20 8-10 20-30 14-20Kid 15-20 6 8-10 4-6Source: Midwest Plan Service

(sheep, 1994)

FeedersForage OtherConcentrates

Many options for feeder: considerations• Appropriate for type of feed• Appropriate for type and number of goats• Consideration for horns• Safe• Minimize feed wastage• Prohibit feed spoilage• Ample feed storage• Ample feeder space• Easy to clean• Labor considerations• Cost

Homemade vs. purchased

Feeder space requirements for goatsFeeders Buck Dry doe Does with

kidsKids

Limit-fed 12 in. 16-20 in. 16-20 in. 12 in.Self-fed 6 in. 8-12 in. 6-8 in. 2-4 in.Creep 2 inches per kid

Feed storage • Needs depend upon size of operation

and feeding program.• Feed storage gives flexibility in feeding

program. • Allows bulk purchases for lower prices.• Offers protection during emergencies.• Protects your investment: hay

deteriorates rapidly in quality if it is not stored properly.

• Feed needs protected from animals: birds, rodents, and cats.

• Doesn’t take many animals to justify some investment in feed storage.

Watering systems for goats• 1-4 gallons per goat per day• Needs vary• Size of operation• Availability of well and surface water• Proximity of barn and pastures to water• Grazing plan• Labor• Cost

• Many options and materials• Manual – buckets, troughs, hoses• Automatic –water lines, bowls, nipples,

pump, gravity fill, tanksCost share may be available from NRCS to

assist with development of watering systems for grazing systems.

Handling goatsHow (and where) will you perform these tasks?

• Ear tagging and micro-chipping• Weighing• Hoof trimming, soaking• Milking, shearing, slaughtering• Vaccinating• Treatments• Body condition scoring• FAMACHA© scoring

Deworming• Loading onto truck or trailer• Other?

Handling goatsFew animals

• Can handle animals individually with a collar or halter.

Bigger herd• Working system is

recommended.• Gathering pen• Chute• Restraining device• Scale• Loading ramp

• Can catch and handle animals in a small pen.

Small herd

Restraintmanual – halter – milk stand - work platform – head gate - tilt (turn) table

Manure management• Manure production varies with breed and

feeding levels • 5% of body weight• 50 lbs. of manure per day per 1000 lbs. of live goat

• Design facilities with manure removal in mind.• Don’t have to remove frequently as long as top

is dry; there is value to having a manure pack.• Proper storage (if stored)

• 0.8 cubic feet per day per 1000 lbs. of live goat• Control runoff, flies, and odor

• Be in compliance with any nutrient management regulations.

• In residential areas, handle manure properly to avoid problems with neighbors.

Dead animal disposal “Where there’s livestock, there’s dead stock!”

• Also need to dispose of afterbirth, slaughter wastes, and other waste products from goats.

• Need to be in compliance with any state, county and local regulations.

• Need to be concerned about:• Run-off: need to protect well and surface water• Odor and fly control• Disease prevention: prevent spread of diseases,

e.g. abortion, scrapie, sheep measles.• Wildlife: don’t want to attract wildlife, especially predators.

• Methods of disposal• On-site composting (preferred)• On-site burial• Incineration• Rendering• Landfill• Leaving it for nature to decompose

Hauling goats• All livestock producers need to have a way to

haul their animals.• To the vet• To the fair• To the livestock auction• To the slaughterhouse• To other farms/ranches

• Options• Racks for truck• Pull behind trailer• Friend with truck or trailer• Commercial hauler

• Dog crates and the back of SUVs are only useful for hauling an animal or two and smaller animals.

• Don’t need a 20-foot trailer for 2 goats.

Thank you for your attention. Questions? Comments?

SUSAN SCHOENIANSheep & Goat SpecialistUniversity of Maryland

Extensionsschoen@umd.edu

www.sheepandgoat.com

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