Our Farm Layout
Home Our Goals Small Farm Mag. Recent Changes
Contact Info Our Farm Directions to Farm Breeding Bucks Breeding Does Breeding Schedule Bucks for Sale Does for Sale Show Winners Ennoblements Breeders Listing Video Series Industry Management Health Sched. Sales Cooking Goat Meat Goat Related Sites Our Articles

Click on pictures to enlarge

Video of our barn, pens, pastures for managing our herd.

Barn and Pens
 

General view

  • feed shed holds pelleted feed sacks and general storage.
  • Office has medical supplies, business computer and rest room.
  • Port A Hut pens for individual and small group shelter and separation.

Barn Front

  • barn and front barn area divided into two areas by pipe fence.
  • goats use the left side of barn
  • right side of barn used for storing hay, storage, temporary pens and working pens
  • pipe fence and gates allow the barn front area to be closed and allow access of tractor inside for cleaning.

Outside Catch/Work Lane

  • On the left side of the barn, there is a lane between two rows of pens with Port A Huts.

  • The lane has gates on both ends and allows it to be used for catching and working animals.

 

Lane Behind Back of Barn

  • There is a lane behind the back of the barn between the barn and another row of Port A Hut pens.

Creep Gate

  • This is a creep gate on one of the Port A Hut pens behind the barn. The creep gate is designed to only allow smaller animals to enter the pen

  • This allows feed to be put out for the smaller animals so they don't have to fight the bigger animals.

 

Lane Entrance

  • The right side of the barn has  a double set of gates that is the entrance to a lane that goes to three of our sub pastures and our hay fields where we raise our own Hay Grazer hay.

Hay Storage

  • We store hay on the right side of the barn.
  • There is a sliding door on the right side of the barn that allows access to the barn area for stacking and removing hay.
  • Hay can be fed to the goats over the barn divider so we don't have to get in the same area with the goats while feeding.

Barn Divider

  • The pipe fence dividing the inside of the barn allows us to be able to put out feed from the other side of the fence so we don't have to fight the goats while putting out the feed.
  • There are three other ways for us to put out feed without getting in the area with the goats.

Rear Lane Closure

  •  There is a way to close off the lane behind the barn before it runs into the main lane going to the sub pastures.
  • This allows another option of isolating the goats if we want to feed in the main lane and not have to fight the goats while putting out the feed.

Inside working pens

  • This shows a gate in the pipe barn divider at the back.
  • This gate opens into some inside pens on the hay storage side.
  • We can use these connected pens to run the goats through while doing our monthly health checks, vaccines, worming activities.

Inside working pens

  • This is looking from the back of the working pen area toward the front.
  • There are two 10x10 pens with gates between them that lead into a row that is 4x10 with two gates and then leads into another 10x10 pen that can open to the outside of the barn on the right side.

Inside working pens

  • This is a view of the working pens from the front side of the barn. This shows the lane of 4x10 panels.
  • Goats are herded into this area, easily caught and doctored.
  • These pens are also used for kidding during bad weather.

Port A Huts Area

  • The main area for Port A Huts is to the left of the barn.
  • There are two rows of pens with Port A Huts that create a catch and work lane
  • The pens to the left of the lane have 5 individual pens  with interconnection gates between the pens, into the lane and entering Pasture #1 behind them.

Group Port A Huts Area

  • The bucks stay in one or more of the pens on the left side. These are larger huts that allow multiple animals to share a hut and be fed in them in bad weather.

  • These huts are also used for holding some of our does with kids that are under 2-3 months old.

  • As young bucks are weaned at 3 months old, they are added to this side and more of the huts are dedicated to the bucks at this time.

  • Any of the animals in this area will also be turned into the pasture in the back at different times.

Outside Working/Catching Lane

  • This lane between the two rows of Port A Hut pens is used for catching and working animals. There is a front and back gate to the lane so animals can be driven into the lane making it easier to catch them and doctor as required if the inside working pens are not used.

Individual Port A Hut Pens

  • The row of pens on the right are for holding does with newborn kids, a sick animal or for individual breedings.
  • A buck can be easily moved from the left side to the right side with a doe for individual breeding.
  • These pens are 10x20 with the side of the barn being the back of the pens.
  • The pen nearest in the picture is easily seen from our kitchen window. This allows us to put a doe about to kid in that pen and watch for her labor to start from the kitchen.

Igloos for our new kids

  • We use the doghouse igloos for our newborn kids.
  • After they are born, had their first milk and naval cord doctored, we put them in the igloo for warmth and protection from the mother laying on them during their first few days.
  • The young kids love staying in the igloos and sometimes we will find 5-6 kids all in the igloo sleeping together for warmth.

Entrance to Pasture #2

  • At the end of the left Port A Hut row and behind the barn, there is a gate that allows our animals to go into our Pasture #2.
  • We have five sub pastures that allow us to rotate our animals to different pastures at different times of the year.

Pasture #2

  • This pasture is directly behind the barn and the barn lane.
  • It is also used for holding a group of animals such as does with older kids that have not been weaned yet.
  • It can also be used as a weaning pasture.
  • It has several Port A Huts in the pasture to allow us to leave animals there for an extended time.
  • It is also used for rotational grazing.

Lane

  • Behind the barn and to the right is the starting of our lane that goes to the other three sub pastures and our field where we grow Hay Grazer hay.
  • This is a 20 foot wide lane that goes for around 400 yards.
  • The lane is a grazing area by its self or we can keep animals in the lane for feeding if the pastures are wet or the other pastures have too fresh of growth. This allows us to minimize the chance of bloat and less chance with parasites

Lane Divider

  • Half way down the lane, we have some gates we can close.
  • This allows us to have the animals only graze in one half of the lane at a time and allow more growth to occur in the other half.

Pasture #3

  • Pasture #3 has a small pond and a nice group of shade trees on it.

Pasture #3

  • During the hotter months, we will use this to give the animals more shade.
  • Also during the fall, the goats love this pasture because of all of the leaves that are falling.
 

Pasture #4

  • Pasture 4 and 5 are our larger pastures

  • They each go down to our large pond.
 

Pasture #5

  • Pasture 4 and 5 are our larger pastures

  • They each go down to our large pond.

Hay Field

  • We have grown summer and fall crops of hay.

  • In the summer, we raise Hay Grazer. It is a great hay for goats. It is a cross between Sudan and Sorgum.

  • We hope to start selling some of it in 2008.

  • In the fall of 2006, we planted rye/vetch and baled it in the spring. This picture is of the rye/vetch.

 

Drawing of Barn/Pens Flow

  • Not drawn to scale
  • Not drawn to shape