# Feeding system/barn design



## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Does anyone have good designs for barn storage area that can be accessed by humans to feed the goats without being swarmed upon? Right now, I think I have the worst possible system for feeding and feed storage. I have to take the goats on walks every day (like a bedouin) because their pen is small and the back pasture isn't fenced very well. Plus, I have to swim through a herd of goats carrying buckets of pellets and flakes of hay which I currently store in the back of my mini-van. We built our pole barn in such a way that it can be re-configured or taken down or whatever easily. So nothing I have is really permanent. My son-in-law said he would come help me do what needs to be done. The first thing is a new fence for the back pasture so I don't have to baby-sit the girls while they graze. But then what? Any designs y'all can show me? Any good suggestions?


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## MiaBella Farm (Jul 22, 2008)

If you lived closer to us, I'd say come out and visit and get some ideas...I would still suggest that you do that, go to other farms and just see how they do things.

For now, here are some photos of our barn set up. Don't mind the Boer Goats, they no longer live there...
http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d140/nitrors4/Goat Barn/

We have a separate room for feed and we do not swim through goats to get to their troughs  The troughs are on the outside of the pens.

We have put up electric fencing that looks like rope, it is pretty easy to install and the goats respect the fence. Not sure what it is called, but you can find it online and at some Tractor Supply stores.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

I feed my goats in a metal double carport that we attached to the side of a metal storage building. DH built a feed/hay trough across the middle and I feed from my side and never have to even set foot on their side. I have a little swinging gate to go through to get to their side and to the outside pen.


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## LLB101 (Sep 29, 2009)

My feeders are outside a stock panel fence so they have to stick their heads thru to eat and its easy for me to access, no gates or anything. I have 3 pens that can be all opened or separated and they converge kind of wagon wheel style so I can feed more than one pen from the same spot. 

I also can access the feed door on the outside of kidding stall shelter from that same spot and there's a small piece of stock panel inside that house that they stick their heads thru to eat also. That's probably hard to picture. The feed tub in that house is inbetween a piece of stock panel on the inside that they eat thru, and a door to the outside where I can put the feed (undisturbed, lol) from that same central access area that I can feed the other 3 pens.

If its not clear, I'll try to post a sketch. I think its one of my moments of brilliance :rofl


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## Faithful Crown Nubians (Dec 5, 2007)

Pretty much everything is on the outside of the fence so it's easy to feed/water. Their water bucket, baking soda, mineral, and feed pans are all on the outside of the panel. After they freshen, I wont have the feed pans out. Those are only out right now while they are heavily bred. The hay feeders (2) are on the inside of the pen. I have to go in there to put their hay in. The 3rd feeder is a corner feeder so I can throw a couple flakes in before having to go in the pen. I never have any issues with my does barging through the gate or getting in my way. 

My buck pens are the same way...Their grain buckets and everything is on the outside except the hay feeder which is in their run-in shelter...but I give them their grain outside (provided isn't not raining) and they are busy eating grain while I put their hay in. Plus they aren't mean or obnoxious.  

The only pen that has everything in it is the junior does. But there's only two, Misty & Honey, and they don't try to get out or anything. They follow me to the grain/hay feeder and that's it.


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## laughter777 (Jun 16, 2008)

Troy and Michelle's barn is AWESOME!!! I have seen 3 of the local barns in my area and all are great for certain reasons. I highly recommend visiting as many herds in your area to see their setup...makes for wonderful ideas, even if you can't afford to do everything you see, you might see something that is cheap that you hadn't thought of and make some friends in the process! That was my case!

Oh and Michelle...who is the splashy Boer in the pics of your barn....I got jipped! lol


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## Ziggy (Nov 13, 2009)

I have not finished off the interior of my barn yet but basically I have hay and feed storage at one end and then 2 12 foot feeders (based on the Premier one design and a gate which separate that half of from the area that the animals are in.

I can then just feed from that half without having to for into where the animals. It also eases handling of hay.

I still need to build out my milking parlor -- but the I think the key is to design it so you dont have to go into the pen areas to feed. The pictures posted in the previous link have some good ideas.

Another great site for seeing the design of feeding like this is Black Mesa -- see http://www.blackmesaranch.com/projects/project-doebarn.htm and scroll down to near the bottom.

OF course I do still spend a lot of time in the "animal area" playing with and checking on the does - I just dont have to go int here with feed and get mobbed


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Troy and Michelle, y'alls barn is awesome! 
Lacia, I would love a sketch. I need the words translated into pictures
The only other place I have seen is Sondra's and she has a great covered feeding area.
I am getting excited about fixing it all up. Been gathering materials and tools the last couple of months.
Thanks for all the links and y'all keep the ideas coming... 
Ziggy i love to sit out in the pen with the goats too. It is great therapy!


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

> I can then just feed from that half without having to for into where the animals.


Ok, can you translate that please? :rofl


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## Ziggy (Nov 13, 2009)

Sorry - I meant I can just feed from the half where the hay and feed is stored and not have to go into the half where the animals are.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

I figured that you had been editing what you were typing and left some words in that needed to go out or vice versa. I do that all the time!


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## Wendy Tinney (Jul 15, 2008)

One of the many ideas that I love about Troy and Michelle's barn is their feeders. You can kind of see it in the third picture to the right of the ladder. They built it just the right size for a TSC feed scoop to run down it flat and clean it out. When we went to see their barn, the trough was so clean and free of junk. 

Because my hubby was getting tired of building, I bought the rectangular buckets (TSC) and hung them on the 2X4 that we ran horizontally. I can then feed from outside. Nice because you can clean them out. Bad because the goats find it fun to knock or fling them all over the place once they are empty. 
Wendy


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## LLB101 (Sep 29, 2009)

where is this pic you are referring to?


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## Wendy Tinney (Jul 15, 2008)

Sorry, the link that MiaBella Farm posted. When you click on the link, it's the third pic over.


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## MiaBella Farm (Jul 22, 2008)

laughter777 said:


> Oh and Michelle...who is the splashy Boer in the pics of your barn....I got jipped! lol


HA HA...That was June, she was a polled Spanish/Boer cross and wild as a March hair! You would not have had any fun with her unless you enjoy chasing a goat around FOREVER. She was already at a new home when we decided to find homes for Penny and Bonnie and Sunny. How are they doing, by the way?


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## LLB101 (Sep 29, 2009)

ok, someone asked for the sketch of the "keyhole" access concept.

Here's a sketch of mine, with basic explanation.

[attachment deleted by admin]


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Thanks for posting this!


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## laughter777 (Jun 16, 2008)

MiaBella Farm said:


> HA HA...That was June, she was a polled Spanish/Boer cross and wild as a March hair! You would not have had any fun with her unless you enjoy chasing a goat around FOREVER. She was already at a new home when we decided to find homes for Penny and Bonnie and Sunny. How are they doing, by the way?


They are great! Sunnie is still wild as a March hare!! I am thinking when I get the new momma and her kids out of the barn, I may put her in with the two Ewes we have (in a pen she can't leap over!!!) to help her adjust to people! Bonnie is coming around great! Pennie is warming up to the LGD, she lays next to her now...when she first got put in the pen she would butt her and run to hide behind Bonnie!


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