Goat Farming

HOUSING DESIGN & LAYOUT FOR IDEAL COMMERCIAL GOAT FARM FOR INDIAN SUB CONTINENTS

February 24, 2022

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Housing Requirements for Goat Farming

Goat housing is one of the most important part of goat farming business. before purchasing goats from the market, there should be an arrangement for his proper living.

usually goats housing/shelter is for protection from inclement weather such as rains, excessive heat during summer and cold during winter in addition to protection from predator attacks.

Separate goat housing arrangements for different categories of animal-like growers, adult females, breeding males, etc. are required in order to ensure proper care and management as per requirement.

the first investment of goat farming spent on shed or shelter for goats. the size of shed or house totally depends on how much goats are you rear in your farm.

invest wisely on the goat housing system because it is the one-time initial investment, I have seen many beginners goat farmers or entrepreneurs invest too much money on Goat housing design.

In India in village condition goat does not need any special shelter and are usually kept in katcha house with thatched roof. Goats however need to be protected from drastic weather during pick summer, rainy and winter. Goats are susceptible to cold hence should be kept in warm places.

Houses should be well ventilated with free access of sunlight particularly during winter. Proper ventilation and good drainage is another important criteria for housing of goats. The purpose of ventilation is to provide the desired amount of fresh air, without drafts, to all parts of the shelter; to maintain temperatures within desired limits; and to maintain ammonia levels below specified levels. Ventilation is of utmost importance to maintain a desirable interior temperature of 28 to 30°C. If the animals cannot get rid of heat because the surrounding temperature is too high (above 30°C), they eat less and therefore produce less. It is, therefore, necessary to make the shed sufficiently high and make sure, there are openings for ventilation in the roof or walls. Hence height of roof of the goat shed should be 3 m at the periphery and 3.5 m at the center for proper ventilation.

The orientation of the shed is another important factor depending on the climate. In dry arid region one can prevent the entry of sunlight inside the shed for preventing heating up of stall too much by placing the longitudinal axis of the goat shed east – west. On the contrary in humid and high rainfall area, if one wants to keep floor of the shed dry and disease free, he would construct goat shed with long axis in north – south direction for allowing of sunlight to enter inside the shed sufficiently to keep the house warm and dry.

The roof provides protection from sun and rain and can be of a shed, gable or modified gable style. Slope is important in removing rain and thatched roofs need a greater slope than iron sheeting. A greater slope is also beneficial in areas with high rainfall. The roof should be light, waterproof with sufficient overhang to prevent rain from blowing in. A high roof encourages air movement but is more likely to be damaged by strong winds. A roof vent can assist in proper ventilation. Roofs can be constructed by GI sheet, asbestos, tiles, grass/bushes, wood depending on production system, material availability and climate.

The floor could either be packed earth, concrete or slatted. Packed earth or concrete floors should have a slope of about 5 % for good drainage. Raised platforms where goats can lie above the floor and away from manure and urine are beneficial. Slatted floors should be raised about 1-1.5 meters above ground level to facilitate easy cleaning and collecting of dung and urine. The gap between the slats should be 1.4 to 1.6 cm to allow easy passage of fecal material and guarantee safe footing for the animals. Newborn and young should not be put on slatted floors. A raised, slatted floor in tropical and subtropical areas has the following advantages:

No need of bedding
A llows manure, urine and debris to drop through the slatted floor, thus removing a major source of disease and parasite infestation
Requires less labor to clean and maintain
Remains relatively dry and clean
Reduced space requirements
Manure is easily collected for fertilizer use or for sale
Allows air to pass through the slats increasing ventilation and comfort in hot weather.

The main disadvantage of raised, slatted floors is the high expense of construction. Other concerns with slatted floors are leg and foot problems from too wide a gap or poor maintenance of existing slatted floors.

Regular disposal of dung and urine is very essential to keep animal house hygienic. Preference of floor type and material was studied due to the reason, it determines the conductive heat loss from the animal which is very important factor to keep animal warm during winter season, simultaneously it would help to disseminate heat load during summer. So idea on floor type and floor material is of immense helpful during construction of goat shed in different agro climatic condition as well as in different seasons. The study revealed that Sirohi goat would prefer most slatted wooden floor followed by slatted plastic floor (Das, 2003).

Goats like to see each other, even if penned separately, so provision needs to be made for this in the type of partitions / gates used. Pen and door heights vary according to breed and 1 to 1.25 m. height is recommended for most of the breeds of goats.

The buck should be housed separately. A single stall measuring 2•5 m x 2•0 m with the usual fittings for food and water would be suitable for the bucks. Two bucks should not be kept together, particularly during the breeding season, because they might fight.

Pregnant goats should be maintained individually to avoid fighting between themselves, as it may lead to abortion. So, a pen of 2.5 x 2 m is sufficient to house a pregnant doe.

Kids should be kept in warm houses, especially in chilly and wet weather. There should have proper drainage facility. Generally goats are allowed for grazing during daytime and stall fed during night.

Adequate space should be given to each goat if maintained individually or group of two or three in pen for proper growth and production. Floor space requirement for breeding buck / pregnant doe, breeding doe, adult buck / doe, finisher and grower is 5 m 2 / head, 4 m 2 / head, 3 m 2 / head, 2 m 2 / head and 1 m 2 / head respectively. Overcrowding should be avoided for proper growth and production. If the goats are housed in a group in the same area a minimum of 2 m 2 / goat needs to be provided. Although more than this minimum is recommended if fighting is to be avoided.

Das et al (1999) reported a floor space requirement of 2.14 m 2 / head was most suitable for optimum growth and feed conversion efficiency for grower to finisher Black Bengal goats on deep litter system of management.

In the tropics because of high temperature, heavy rainfall and the susceptibility of goats to parasitism, the most practical goat houses are those which are raised above the ground level, are well ventilated, and have long eaves to prevent heavy rain showers to splash in from the sides. The floor must be strong (wooden strips with small slits in between) and the roof material should provide effective insulation from the solar radiation. The roofing material would be made of bamboo or tree leaves or earthen tiles which are cheap and practical. Provision must be made for collection of dung and urine periodically.

In a study of Das et al (2006) it was reported that while Black Bengal goats were housed on deep litter for a period of two years under humid tropics with Para grass and concentrate feed block, the growth and feed efficiency was optimum. Different physiological responses and disease occurrences were studied. No apparent adverse effect on health of the goats was noticed. Hematological observations were within normal limit. Goats reproduced throughout the year indicating unaltered reproductive pattern in confinement on deep litter.

An enclosure measuring 20 m x 10 m is adequate as paddock for stall fed goats of 100 numbers for roaming and exercise. Such an enclosure or exercise paddock should be well fenced with strong woven wires. The exercise paddocks should be made bigger than the enclosures and should have some shade trees if the stock is to be maintained constantly in confinement. Barbed wire should not be used so as to avoid injury to the udder and teats.

In housing, bedding must be available to animals at all times. Bedding must be clean, dry, mold-free and replenished as needed. Bedding must not cause discomfort or harm to the animals. Bedding with straw or sawdust preferred. There must be enough bedding to ensure the comfort of all animals. In cold temperatures heat must be provided as necessary to keep animals comfortable.

Goat housing in India

Goat housing is important in intensive system of production infact one must ensure proper comfort of animals to gain maximum profits. It should be bear in mind that goats are living thing just like humans and their physiological requirements are also similar to us for growth and production.

Figure 1:- Heating of shed is depend on air movement inside shed

The main aim of housing is to protect animals from harsh, uneven climate as well as environmental stress. Physical surroundings of the animals form their environment. It could be micro environment which immediately surrounds the animal or macro environment which is broader area in which animal inhabits. Similarly climate is the unique combination of various metrological components which includes temperature, humidity, precipitation, winds and sunlight. Proper combination of all these components is necessary to provide needed comfort to animals.

In the era of changing climate and weird pattern of rainfall brought new diseases into the animal’s production system. Control housing could be the solution for these problems but its installation is expensive in present situation. Very less systematic study is being conducted on goat housing in India. So the basic idea is to adjust different meteorological components and bring them in the range in which goats feel pleasant and fine. For example in month of January farmer should provide heat convector or heaters inside the farms to increase the temperature and arrange coolers in summers.

Figure 1:- Factors influencing animal production

Basic requirements for housing

Where to locate animal housing/sheds

On a well-drained area
On a floor 1-1.5 ft above the ground should the area be waterlogged or prone to flooding
keep in mind the possibility of expansion
An appropriate flock development plan has to be made to anticipate future construction needs

Figure 3a East West orientation recommended for tropical countries

Orientation

One can prevent the sun from heating up the stall too much by placing the longitudinal axis of the stall east – west. It is recommended in north Indian conditions.

Figure 2b North South recommended for rainy areas

Ventilation

Ventilation is of utmost importance to maintain a desirable interior temperature of 28 to 30°C. If the animals cannot get rid of heat because the surrounding temperature is too high (above 30°C), they eat less and therefore produce less.

Majority of pneumonia cases can be traced to excessively warm and humid interior and sudden changes in temperature. It is, therefore, necessary to make the shed sufficiently high and make sure there are openings for ventilation in the roof or walls.

Materials for building an animal barn

Solid brick wall along with galvanized wire net is most desirable in India conditions. Although it is expensive to make such durable building but its need is undeniable due to various reasons

Figure 4a Movement of air in well ventilated barns

Figure 3b Air circulation in different seasons

Asbestos roofing is essential in low height sheds and fiber shed could be used in high height sheds. Always avoid metal roofing because they easily heat up and cool down in summer and winter respectively. It is difficult to provide ideal environment inside the goat house in such conditions.

Figure 4a Brick wall and Wire mesh in farm

Walls of the goat house:Providing openings or short side walls of about 1 – 1.5 ft height will provide sufficient ventilation. A hedge can also fulfill this function. Outer walls are designed to protect animals from external influences and inner walls aid in animal management, such as controlling breeding. At a minimum, inner walls should create pens for:

Males
Females with young
Females without young

Other pens to consider building are those for weaned young, young males of breeding age, young females of breeding age, and an isolation pen for sick animals. A paddock or yard alongside the shed where animals can exercise and be fed and watered can also be built.

Figure 5b Asbestos roofing for goat house

If the herd is large and space is available, additional pens should be constructed for:

Weaned male lambs/kids of the same size should be kept together and not mixed with other animals to avoid competition for feed;
Pregnant females close to parturition should be kept separately from nursing females, young females not bred yet and adult males;
Whereas small barns may not need an aisle between pens, particularly in large barns, a center aisle makes many management practices easer; such as sorting animals, feeding, monitoring breeding, etc. It also facilitates movement of workers in the barn.

Floor of the goat house: The floor could either be packed earth, concrete or slatted.Packed earth or concrete floors should have a slope of about 5% (1:20) for good drainage. Raised platforms where goats can lie above the floor and away from manure and urine are also beneficial. These can be placed along the longest wall of the barn.

Slatted floor is good from hygienic point of view and disease occurrences are least in this case but its expensiveness limits its use for large farms. It could be used successfully in breeding farms to maintain elite flocks.

Slatted floors should be raised about 1-1.5 meters above ground level to facilitate easy cleaning and collecting of dung and urine. The gap between the slats should be 1.4 to 1.6 cm to allow easy passage of fecal material and guarantee safe footing for the animals. Newborn and young lambs should not be put on slatted floors.

A raised, slatted floor in tropical and subtropical areas has the following advantages:

No need of bedding
Allows manure, urine and debris to drop through the slatted floor, thus removing a major source of disease and parasite infestation
Requires less labor to clean and maintain
Remains relatively dry and clean
Reduced space requirements
Manure is easily collected for fertilizer use or for sale
Allows air to pass through the slats increasing ventilation and comfort in hot weather.

Disadvantages of slatted floor for goats

The main disadvantage of raised, slatted floors is the high expense of construction. Some materials, such as bamboo, may be cheaper than wood but may provide less secure footing. For all but the smallest barns, commercial wood is preferred to bamboo as it stronger and more long-lasting. Cost, ease of installation and safety must all be considered when selecting flooring material for a slatted floor. Other concerns with slatted floors are leg and foot problems from too wide a gap or poor maintenance of existing slatted floors.

Pucca floor: It is most recommended from hygienic point of view. Breeding and dry stock can be maintained with some bedding material on pucca floor. Daily or weekly cleaning with disinfectant is advisable. However hoof problems are encounter with this type of flooring.

How to make a Goat House?

Goat house should be constructed in a well-drained elevated plain area with easy access to transport, electricity, and water.

Orientation – for our tropical Indian conditions, the long axis of the shed should be in East-west direction.

Floor: under Indian condition, the soil floor is generally recommended for goats. however, the floor made bamboo, wooden slats, or plastics are being used in elevated goat house constructed in high rainfall, high humid as well as areas prone for floods.

Roof: roof of the goat house may be made of thatch, tiles, cemented sheets, thermally insulated GI sheets depending upon availability as well as durability required.

Walls: side walls along with the length of the shed should be 4 feet with remaining height kept open for fixing iron mesh for free air circulation. The walls across the width of the house on both sides need to be closed up to roof height.

Shelter surroundings: maintain the green vegetation and greenery all around the shed adjacent to the goat shelter.

A separate provision of water and feeders of fixed or movable type should be provided in each paddock

keep the animals as much as possible under the thermal comfort zone so that productivity will be optimum.

Run area should be Double the width of covered area.

Start with minimal housing requirements and as the farm grows in size, add the sheds according to requirements.
Design the facility so that there is a less distance involved while carrying and removing manure or other sources of contamination such as soiled bedding from the sick area.

Solar radiation for kids during winter

Exposure of kids to solar radiation is an important part of livestock management, especially in winter. It helps in maintaining the body temperature and conserve body heat. Provision should be made to provide direct solar radiation for four hours ( 10 am to 2 pm) to kids during winter that is quite helpful for proper growth.

Ventilation space in goat House design

Air is very much needed for oxygen requirement of the animals and for removal of moisture, humidity, other gases, etc. from the shed. maximum ventilation should be provided during the summer and rainy season throughout the day and night.

Space requirement for the goats

Space requires for goats depend on the size or age of goat.

Overcrowding in farm call the diseases. From overcrowding Viral bacterial diseases spread from one to another and cycle goes on. Therefore space requirement is necessary for a commercial goat farm.

the space required are same in sheep and Goat housing

Age of goats	Covered area	Open paddock
0 to 3 Months	0.2-0.25	0.4-0.5
3 to 6 Months	0.5-0.75	1.0-1.5
6 to 12 Months	0.75-1.0	1.5-2.0
Adult Goats	1.5	3.0
Pregnant and lactating goats	1.5-2.0	3.0-4.0
Bucks	1.5-2.0	3.0-4.0

These covered area and open paddock are in square meter

Floor Management

Remove the topsoil once in three months
Use of lime powder once in ten days to reduce the moisture content
Provide bedding to the kids up to 3 months of age to prevent soil licking

Cleanliness

Shed cleaning should be 3 times in a day.
Shed washing should be 2 times in a week.
Spraying shed with dewormer and lime powder every month.
Coloring boundaries with whitewash,
Burning shed for every 3 months to kill bacteria.

Goat farming housings designs & plans

Ground floor shed Plan

These are the basic type of shed seen in north and west region of India or no flooded area.

These type of sheds needed low investment for the beginners. These sheds should be clean 2-3 times in a day to maintain hygiene environment for the goat. this is the ground floor goat housing plan which is largely used in the world.

Ground floor shed

Elevated Goat housing Plan

These type of goat housing design particularly important in high rainfall and flooded area. this is elevated goat housing plan

This type of shed remains clean and hygiene because the manure of goat goes down from the floor and shed remains dry every time & the nature of the goats doesn’t like the wet floor so this type of shed is goat friendly.

Elevated goat housing Plan

Plastic Slatted for Goats

The plastic slatted floor has been considered good for the goats because floor is elevated from the ground. Less labor and management required in it. all the litter of goats goes down the ground and floor remain hygiene 24 Hours. the Goat remains healthy and disease free in the Plastic slatted floor.

Goat slatted floor is much required for the Pregnant goat and male breeder of the flock. it helps much in growth and weight gain.

You can easily purchase plastic slatted floor from Amazon and there is 50% off in it through the link below.

High altitude cold climate shed Plan

These are closed type sheds and only for cold climate Goat breeds, these sheds are much expensive than normal sheds.

Cold climate shed

Floor materials

plastic slatted floor

The plastic slatted floor can be available anywhere. it is specially designed for goat farming. it is used in the elevated sheds at 4 to 6 ft height above from the ground. all the manure and urine goes down from the space in this type of floor and floor remain dry and hygiene 24 hours. generally, goats like to live in a dry area and this type of floor liked by goats.

Plastic slatted floor

Wooden slatted floor

This type of wooden slatted floor also used in elevated sheds at 4 to 6 ft above from the ground. it is specially designed for low weight animals like goats and sheep. long wooden strips used in sheds fitted at half-inch space showing in the image all the manure and urine of goats go down which is used for composting fertilizer.

Wooden floor design

Feeders in Goat Housing

feeders are used to feed the goats daily two to three times a day. always enough feeders should available in the shed, goats should not overlap each other during feeding time, otherwise, some goats will be left hungry. and some will be overeating. both things are not good for farms.

Drinkers in goat Housing

Drinkers are used for drinking water for goats in the house or in the open paddock area. the drinkers should be clean and hygiene. it should be washed every day for better results. clean eating and drinking by goats give better health. goats don’t like the wet area so for better results drinkers may be outside the house of goats.

Other Equipment’s needed for Housing of goats

Side Walls: Brick, concrete, chain-link fence, bamboo, wood, etc.

Floor: Brick on edge, hard soil, cemented, wooden strips, plastic floors, etc.

Roof: Asbestos cement sheets, tiles, Thatch, GI sheets, etc.

Housing for 100 females + 5 Males with followers kids

By taking into assumptions of the following points and space requirements of different categories of goats, the housing requirement for goat house is calculated.

For starting 100 female goat unit, at least 5 adult males required for breeding purpose. (20 females: 1 male). However, due to unforeseen reasons like the poor reproductive performance of male, it is better to rear 7 adult males.
In the organized farm, usually 85% of females give birth to young ones every year, so out of 100 female adult goats, we expect 85 females giving birth every year.
Suppose, 50 % of female goats giving twins birth out of 85 females that we get 84 kids. And therefore 50 % of female goats giving single birth out of 85 females that we get 43 kids.

The total kid’s strength is 84+43 = 127. Suppose 63 will be male and 64 will be female kids

The replacement rate of adult animals is expected at 10 percent in the organized farm.
The kids are reared up to 9 to 12 months of age sold to farmers for breeding or for meat purposes.
the goat housing requirement increases according to their age and size.

S.NO	Categories of animals	Space per Animal	Total space Required
1.	Adult females (100 nos)	1.5 sq m	150 sq m
2.	Adult Males (5 nos)	2.0 sq m	10 sq m
3.	Young Female (64 nos)	0.75 sq m	48 sq m
4.	Young Males (63 nos)	0.75 sq m	47 sq m
5.	Office + Store room	40 sq.m	40 sq m
	Total space required		295 sq m

This is only for shed or housing area. The open paddock area for goats depends on how much land you have. generally, the open Paddock area should be double of your shed area.

the open paddock area is too much important for the exercise and refreshment of the goats.

What is the cost of making a goat shed?

well it totally depend on number of goat you are planning for. for example if you make a shed of 100 female goats than should also plan for their upcoming kids.

if you are plaiing for 100 female goat than you also have to plan for their 150 upcomingkids.

the cost of making 100 goat farm shed plus their 150 kids is around 5 lakh rupees. because i am doing goat farm successfully i want to tell you a suggestion that don’t over spend your valuable money on goat shed.

What is the difference between Sheep And Goat Housing?

There is no difference between sheep and goat house. the structure of the shed is the same the only difference is that sheep required more space than goats because sheep are larger in size compared to goats.

The space required for one matured goat is 10 square feet per goat while the space required per matured sheep is 12 square feet per sheep.

the space required per 100 Goats is 1000 square feet while the space required per 100 sheep is 1200 square feet.

Sheep and Goat housing PDF

well, sheep and goat housing are of equal value, they have the same gestation period and all things are the same. the size of sheep and goats also similar, some sheep breeds are heavier than normal goat size. but the housing requirement is the same for both sheep and goats.

FAQ Section of Goat Housing Plans

Q.1) what is a goat house called?

The goat house also called Shed or shelter. Goat require house to save from excessive weather condition. if the Goat is more than housing requirement is also more. Don’t be over crown goats in the shed.

Q.2) how much space does goat need?

The goat need space accordingto their age. The one year matured goat that weighs around 30 kg approx require 10 square feet area. when the age is more the goat size increase and it require more area.

Q.3) what is the best shelter for goats?

i am doing goat farming from the last five years and as per my experience i can say that ground floor goat housing plan is most economic and best for the goats.

Q.4) how tall should a fence be for goats?

Normally, The height of the fence shoud be minimum 5 to 6 ft approximately. so the goat couldn’t go outside and other wild animals don’t come inside the house.

5 powerful tips for the beginner goat farmer

Start with minimal housing requirements and as the farm grows in size, add the sheds according to requirement.
separate the animals according to their age in the house.
before purchasing goats from the market do the proper arrangement of their house and green, dry, and concentrated feed.
always keep a quarantine shed on the farm.
construct the shed or Goat Housing according to the orientation or climate condition.