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You are here: Home / GottaGoat Farm / Building the Goat Barn

Aug 29 2015

Building the Goat Barn

Building the Goat BarnThere are a LOT of designs out there for both small and large barns – some are VERY elaborate (and VERY expensive); while others, although simple and functional, are not very attractive. This made it somewhat challenging to come up with a design that we could be happy with – we wanted a functional barn that looked good, and also fit into our budget.

Since our goats were all going to be miniature breeds, we chose to make a smaller-sized barn. This allowed us to stay within our area’s building size limits, and we did not have to apply for a building permit (which were taking several weeks to even be considered). It also lets us test out our design ideas, and make any necessary improvements as our herd grows. So, we came up with a fun design for our (first) little goat barn and started to get to work making it a reality.

Features of the Goat Barn

  • 2 stalls (one used for hay storage when not needed for “kidding”)
  • Covered front porch (for additional shade and “goat lounging”)
  • Double dutch doors (just because they look so cute!)
  • Pole barn construction (for additional strength during our windy and snowy weather)

Barn Dimensions

GottaGoat Goat Barn Plan

 

  • 8 ft. x 12 ft. main building
  • 6 ft. x 12 ft. covered front porch
  • 2 – 4 ft. x 6 ft. stalls
  • 8 ft. x 6 ft. main feeding area

Building the Barn: Start to Finish

The entire project took us just over a month to build, doing most of the work on weekends and evenings (as weather permitted). Part of that time was also spent finding the supplies (such as lumber, fencing materials, hardware, roofing, etc.).

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images…

Setting the Posts
Framing the Barn
Framing the Barn
Cutting off the Post Tops
Installing the Rafters
Bringing a Truck Load of Siding
Installing the Siding
The Girls Hard at Work Installing the Siding
Kids Working on the Barn
Siding on the Front of Barn
Siding on the Front of Barn
Siding on the Front of Barn and Starting the Roof
Extra Pony Wall Siding Inside Barn
Extra Pony Wall Siding Inside Barn
Porch Rafters
Installing Metal Roofing
Barn Roofing Finished
Roofing - View from Inside Barn
Building the Double Dutch Doors
Building the Double Dutch Doors
Building the Stalls
Stall Gate
Stall Gate
Hay Manger in Stall
Hay Manger in Main Feeding Area
Finishing Porch Roof
Installing Porch Railing
Installing Porch Floor
Installing Porch Floor
Finished Porch Railing
Finished Porch Railing
Finished Front Porch
Bringing in the Hay
Hay Storage in Extra Stall
Finished Inside of Barn - Ready for the Goats
Finished Inside of Barn - Ready for the Goats
Finished Inside of Barn - Ready for the Goats
The Finished Goat Barn

Fencing the Goat Pasture

We wanted the goats to have some room to run around, so we fenced in just over 1/4 acre. We needed to have a couple of access points, both for us, and for the tractor to drive through the pasture, so we included 2 – 4 ft. gates, and 2 – 10 ft. gates.

We had bought a used hydraulic post-pounder last year, so we had to figure out how it worked for this project! It was a little temperamental, so some of the posts didn’t go in “perfectly straight”, but we managed to build a pretty secure fence.

We used 5 ft. rolls of 2″x4″ no-climb fencing around the perimeter. The only problem we have had (so far) with the fencing was around the gates – the first day we brought the goats home one of them managed to squeeze out, so we had to quickly install some additional fence boards in the gaps between the gates and the fence posts. We’ll keep those in place until the goats have grown a bit larger. If we do end up removing them, we’ll have to remember to put them back up once we have a few kids running around!

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images…

Planning the Goat Area
Fencing Materials
4 ft. Gates
10 ft. Gates
Post Pounder on Tractor
Installing the Fence Posts
Installing the Fence Posts
Installing the Fence Wire
Installing the Fence Wire
Gate Installed
Gate Installed
Final Gate Installed

The Finishing Touches

  • We found a few tree stumps around our property, so we put them in for the goats to play on (which the kids (human) named “Stumpville“). We also used some pallets to construct a small multi-level structure for them to jump on (which was named “Pallet Town“).
  • We made the hay mangers out of re-purposed crib ends (we paid $5 for both of these solid maple pieces), and some scrap lumber.
  • The bench in the front of the barn was another used furniture find, which we spray painted a wonderful purple colour.
  • The balusters for the porch were made out of the same “free firewood” lumber that we had used for our garden fence. They have a lot of bark on them, which the goats just love to chew on!
  • The siding for the entire barn was also a great find from our local “free firewood” source. The pieces are quite thin though, so we expect to have to replace a few of them from time-to-time (but we were pretty amazed about this find).

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images…

Crib Ends Used for Hay Manger
Hay Mangers
Hay Mangers - Side View
Pallet Town
Stumpville
Checking Things Out Before Goats Arrive
The Purple Bench

Bringing Home the Kids

It didn’t take long for the goats to settle right in to their new home. We all have a ton of fun running around the pasture on a regular basis. The girls get “tucked-in” to the barn every night, and let out each morning. Our little barn has been working out very well for them!

We’ve had a few things that had to be fixed or modified (as we quickly learned how “rough” goats can be when they jump on EVERYTHING!), but I’ll leave the discussion of these “improvements” for another post.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images…

Leeloo and Primrose Arrive at Their New Home
Leeloo and Primrose Arrive at Their New Home
Exploring the Yard
Resting on the Purple Bench
Apricot Arrives
Getting to Know Each Other
Everyone Wants To Be On The Bench

Written by Cindy Campbell · Categorized: GottaGoat Farm, Our Goats · Tagged: Barn, Building, Design, Farm, Fencing, Goats, Hobby Farm, Plan, Shelter

Cindy Campbell

About Cindy Campbell

Cindy is the owner of Green Mountain Creative and GottaGoat Farm. She is a professional instructor, course developer, graphic designer, and hobby farmer who loves all of her 2- and 4-legged family members!

Comments

  1. Jerry Barnhardt says

    March 28, 2016 at 4:21 pm

    Love the shed. Do you have list of wood used.
    Thanks
    Jerry

    Reply
    • Cindy CampbellCindy Campbell says

      March 28, 2016 at 11:00 pm

      Thanks! I’m working on putting together a building plan for this little barn that will include more details. I’ll post that on this site when it is completed.

      Reply
      • Kody Thompson says

        May 15, 2016 at 4:56 pm

        Do you have a detailed materials list?

        Reply
        • admin says

          May 17, 2016 at 1:50 pm

          Hi! We’ve created a new (currently FREE) eBook to describe our building process and materials used for this barn.
          Check it out:
          http://www.gottagoat.com/gottagoat-goats/new-ebook-for-our-goat-barn/
          Hope you enjoy!
          Cindy@gottagoat.com

          Reply
    • admin says

      May 17, 2016 at 1:57 pm

      Hi! We’ve created a new (currently FREE) eBook to describe our building process and materials used for this barn.
      Check it out:
      http://www.gottagoat.com/gottagoat-goats/new-ebook-for-our-goat-barn/
      Hope you enjoy!
      Cindy@gottagoat.com

      Reply
  2. Bob Harding says

    April 11, 2016 at 11:27 am

    We fell in love with this barn and have decided to replicate it for our future (2 weeks) baby goats. Thank you so much for the plans! Bob

    Reply
    • admin says

      April 13, 2016 at 9:03 pm

      That’s awesome! We had a look at your photos on Facebook – your barn is looking great. I’m sure your goats will love it!

      Reply
    • admin says

      May 17, 2016 at 1:54 pm

      Hi! Although you’ve completed your barn, we’ve created a new (currently FREE) eBook to describe our building process and materials used for this barn.
      Check it out:
      http://www.gottagoat.com/gottagoat-goats/new-ebook-for-our-goat-barn/
      Hope you enjoy!
      Cindy@gottagoat.com

      Reply
  3. Scott says

    April 18, 2016 at 3:11 pm

    Such great information. Thank you. Did you have a chance to post the building instructions/details yet? Did you do anything with the flooring in the stalls and feeding areas?

    Reply
    • admin says

      April 25, 2016 at 11:49 pm

      Thanks! Still working on the building details – I will get to it soon now, as we have just completed our latest project (we were building a similar small barn for our newest flock of chickens). For the flooring, we have left it as dirt, and covered it with wood shavings (pine/spruce).

      Reply
    • admin says

      May 17, 2016 at 1:54 pm

      Hi! We’ve created a new (currently FREE) eBook to describe our building process and materials used for this barn.
      Check it out:
      http://www.gottagoat.com/gottagoat-goats/new-ebook-for-our-goat-barn/
      Hope you enjoy!
      Cindy@gottagoat.com

      Reply
  4. LaCrisha says

    April 22, 2016 at 11:50 am

    I would love to know more details, like what wood, sizes, etc! I love this.

    Reply
    • admin says

      April 25, 2016 at 11:51 pm

      Thanks so much! I am working on putting together the details of our barn plan, but so many other things keep coming up 🙂 It is coming soon though!

      Reply
    • admin says

      May 17, 2016 at 1:53 pm

      Hi! We’ve created a new (currently FREE) eBook to describe our building process and materials used for this barn.
      Check it out:
      http://www.gottagoat.com/gottagoat-goats/new-ebook-for-our-goat-barn/
      Hope you enjoy!
      Cindy@gottagoat.com

      Reply
  5. Lindsey says

    April 25, 2016 at 9:27 am

    Hi, just wondering if you could give details about the cost to build the barn?
    Love the barn I want to do one exactly like this for our new goats!

    Reply
    • admin says

      April 25, 2016 at 11:54 pm

      Hi! Thanks so much – glad you like it! Our little barn has now survived a tough Canadian winter, and is still in great shape. I’ve had lots of requests for the plan details, and should have something available very soon. I’ll include as much as I can on costs too.

      Reply
    • admin says

      May 17, 2016 at 1:53 pm

      Hi! It is difficult to determine our costs for this structure, as we re-purposed a lot of the materials used. A lot would depend on current lumber prices in your area, and whether or not you can find “bargain” materials as we did. However, we’ve created a new (currently FREE) eBook to describe our building process and materials used for this barn.
      Check it out:
      http://www.gottagoat.com/gottagoat-goats/new-ebook-for-our-goat-barn/
      Hope you enjoy!
      Cindy@gottagoat.com

      Reply
  6. admin says

    May 17, 2016 at 1:47 pm

    Hi Folks!
    We’ve created a new (currently FREE) eBook to describe our building process and materials used for this barn.
    Check it out:
    http://www.gottagoat.com/gottagoat-goats/new-ebook-for-our-goat-barn/
    Hope you enjoy!
    Cindy@gottagoat.com

    Reply
  7. Toni says

    March 9, 2017 at 4:41 pm

    Hello. I clicked on your links but didn’t see anywhere the approximate cost? Do you know by any chance how much you spent on materials (tools not included)?

    Reply
    • admin says

      March 11, 2017 at 9:08 pm

      Hi Toni – I didn’t include the cost for items in my list of materials (in the eBook), as it varies so much; and we did get a bunch of our materials for free (all of our siding, and much of the non-dimensional lumber) or at discounted pricing (our posts and most of our pressure treated 2″x4″ lumber was purchased as “cull” lumber). However, I would estimate we spent about $900-$1000 for our materials for this barn as we did have to buy almost all of our dimensional lumber, roofing materials, and all hardware.

      Reply
  8. Sarah Campbell says

    May 5, 2017 at 6:31 pm

    How many goats will this barn design house? We are interested in getting Nigerian Dwarf goats. We may possibly consider sheep too, later down the road.

    Reply
    • admin says

      June 26, 2017 at 12:09 pm

      Hi Sarah! The barn should be sufficient for housing 4-6 miniature goats comfortably. We had 6 does (Nigerian Dwarf and our 2 Miniature Silkies) and Leo (a wether) together there for a long time and they did great (although Leo didn’t sleep in the barn, he preferred his “dog house” outside). However, when we added 2 more does, it was getting pretty crowded, so we have moved all our does to a much larger barn!

      Reply
    • Ruthie says

      March 16, 2020 at 11:50 am

      This was exactly the question I had while reading this! I’m planning on 4 goats, so this barn would be perfect since I’ll have room since I’m sure my goat math is off!

      Reply
  9. mike says

    July 27, 2017 at 9:22 am

    how much did this whole barn cost to build( not counting the covered porch/or the fencing)
    this goat barn helps me out a lot it is a really nice idea. i would love to have my goats in a wonderful home like this.

    Reply
    • admin says

      September 21, 2017 at 11:06 pm

      Hi Mike – I didn’t include the cost for items in my list of materials (in the eBook), as it varies so much; and we did get a bunch of our materials for free (all of our siding, and much of the non-dimensional lumber) or at discounted pricing (our posts and most of our pressure treated 2″x4″ lumber was purchased as “cull” lumber). However, I would estimate we spent about $900-$1000 total for our materials for this barn as we did have to buy almost all of our dimensional lumber, roofing materials, and all hardware. The porch area was probably $200-300 of this total amount.

      Reply
  10. Rachel says

    September 30, 2017 at 8:11 am

    Hi!
    So I’ve finished the framing portion of your barn from the e-book. So far so good! My only comment or suggestion so far would be to be slightly more detailed in the portion describing the roofing of the porch. I was super confused until I checked the blog page and saw a picture that showed it. I think including that in the instructions would help along with a more thorough description.
    That being said. Everything else is going super smoothly! Thanks so much for the barn plans!!

    Reply
    • admin says

      October 5, 2017 at 8:30 am

      Thanks so much for the feedback. We’d love to see pictures of your finished barn too.

      Reply
  11. Kristin Faus says

    December 4, 2019 at 6:52 am

    Hi! I just built this barn pretty much all by myself and it turned out great. Did you use any type of sealant on the finished exterior? Thanks so much for this beautiful idea and excellent, informative pictures.

    Reply
    • admin says

      February 19, 2020 at 9:47 pm

      That’s wonderful! Sorry for the late reply – we’d love to see pictures… We did not use any sealant on the siding for the barn. It has stood up really well to the elements (most of the “free siding” we used was cedar, so naturally does well without sealing). However, we have since moved our does to a much larger barn (the herd grew to over 30 now), and have put the bucks into that barn. They are much more destructive (especially the boys with the big horns), and have ripped off a lot of the siding, so we have been spending a lot of time repairing our poor little barn.

      Reply
  12. Rosalie Porcella says

    July 29, 2020 at 11:38 am

    If you feel condensation on the walls or ceiling of a barn in the wintertime, it must be immediately ventilated as it is far too moist for safe goat habitation! An oversized indoor living space is not ideal in the winter as they will have a harder time keeping warm in it. If absolutely necessary, you can use ceramic bulb heat lamps, but you must make sure to keep electrical cords out of reach from curious residents and make triple sure to keep heating elements clean and dust free! Barn fires are tragically common occurrences. Ceramic heating panels are a safer option, or if you have ample funding, radiant floor heating covered in dirt is the most ideal and safe heating solution for animals in barns. If you look into installing radiant floor heating, be aware that this system could cause an environment that is too humid depending on the type of enclosure you have. Typically, wood structures will breathe better than concrete block or metal sided buildings, which are more likely to sweat and contribute to high humidity levels. Additional ventilation may be necessary when using radiant floor heating.

    Reply
  13. admin says

    July 25, 2017 at 7:20 pm

    Sounds like a good idea!

    Reply
  14. admin says

    September 21, 2017 at 11:09 pm

    Thanks for the reference in your post!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Goat Barns – My Homesteading Life says:
    July 16, 2017 at 3:24 am

    […] looking for a two stall barn and I like this one from GottaGoat but in the finished barn just looks a bit dark. I think I would add a window in the feeding area […]

    Reply
  2. 23 Inspiring Goat Sheds & Shelters That Will Fit Your Homestead says:
    August 20, 2017 at 1:50 pm

    […] Check out this goat shelter […]

    Reply

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