Building the Goat Pen

 

Today we pretty much finished the goat pen. After researching tons of fencing options I ended up ordering a 10'x10' kennel and 2 extra 10' panels to make a 10'x20' pen. The panels are sturdy woven wire and are 6' high, which is one of the reasons we went with it. We have LOTS of wildlife and potential predators around so we wanted something high enough so the goats would stay in and unwanted friends would (hopefully) stay out. We attached 2x4s to the top bars with u-hooks and then screwed roof panels to the frame over half of the pen so they have a 10'x10' covered area to help keep them drier when it rains and give them a shady area during the summer. From everything I've read it sounds like they will mostly stay outside to sleep, but we also got a jumbo-sized dog house so they have a protected area during the winter. It is sized for 2 large dogs so I am hoping it will be big enough. I'll put a layer of straw inside and have straw bedding outside in the pen, too. I don't have the straw or any "activities" or toys inside yet, but here is the pen with the roof:

I'm hoping that the 10x20 space will be large enough since my plan is for them to be inside it only at night and part of the day. There are about 4 acres of mixed land- wooded, grass, and a small overgrown pasture- that I plan to let them explore during the day. I figure I'll spend time in their pen, we'll go for walks, I'll let them graze, and I'm thinking that I'll try to train them to do parts of an agility course. My daughter built one years ago and trained our dog Murphy to do it. It hasn't been used in years and has been laying in parts in our garage, so I figure it's worth a try.

I've started to get other supplies that I need, like the mineral tray and stuff like that. I found a farm that is selling hay and I will head over the mountain to pick it up on Tuesday. One of their toys is going to be a tether ball that I plan to make out of a volleyball I found at the local thrift shop. I'll probably do that on Wednesday. I have a few more balls for them and I've been combing Craigslist and other sites trying to find a toddler slide for the pen. I assume I'll put in some sort of platform or bench for them to jump on, too. I probably won't put too much more in there, at least for now, so I have room to bring in a chair for myself and to see how much room they need to run and play. Hopefully I'll know about my second goat by the end of the week or beginning of next week and they'll like their new home!