He power washes the floors and stairs every six months to eliminate manure buildup. They are able to withstand the constant abuse from our rowdy goats. Her work has appeared in publications of the Nature Conservancy, the World Bank Group, National Geographic Society, Duke University and others. Connect them together using bridges or ramps; 5/8-inch decking board works particularly well. But in reality, if you have goats, you often do feel like their parent. Channel your inner MacGyver skills and you will be amazed at what you can make out of nothing and find how well a few homemade goat toys can entertain your herd. Instead of parents constantly feeling the need to entertain, educate, or stimulate their children, the kids are left to their own devices to fill their time the way they see fit.
Thank you for your input and article. Johnson built a brick “goat castle” for his small herd of Sanaan milk goats. In the absence of sheer cliffs and rocky ledges, goats will look for the next best thing to scale, and often that includes the barn roof or the hood of your car. I like to have a bucket of water close by for this reason.I find the quicker they learn to like water the easier it is to ween them when the time comes.It just amazes me how kids only a few weeks old have such fearless balance!We have since added a smaller area for our really young kids. Projects like this DIY goat playground are just all a part of being a homesteader so it is only natural that a free obstacle course just for goats will be at the top of our list. My gals still fight over who will get to stand on that thing! Furniture doesn't need to be limited to the outdoors.
Your area may have different rules so you will need to check first.To find out simply call a local contractor and ask or you can call the local extension of your electric company. Hubs dug out a piece of leftover hemlock and cut it into two 6 foot pieces.
For our setup, we placed the larger spools in sort of a half circle and the smaller spool I put in the middle of the playground. If you have goats, you know one thing. Every single one of my goats will climb up on their “mountain” to survey all that there is below them. Channel your inner MacGyver skills and you will be amazed at what you can make out of nothing and find how well a few homemade goat toys can entertain your herd.
We can't predict how this is actually going to work. In Long Island, New York, Catapano Farm’s goats enjoy a nautical themed playground, complete with a multistory ship. Johnson used a steeply pitched copper roof to discourage bird roosting. Nearly everything is built using recycled materials -- from the nearly 40 cable spools obtained from his local electric company, to the bridges and ramps made from scrap lumber.
This post may contain affiliate links. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania farm -- and its resident mountain climbers -- have proven to be a popular tourist attraction.Put the “wow” in your goat playground with a signature theme. You can even use things like old cars or furniture. This allowed the goats to more easily travel from one section to the other. The results were unmistakable: Goats in the enriched pens were healthier. As they play they get thirsty and if mom is not ready to nurse they are forced to find other ways to drink.
Goats and Soda To get ME up on that contraption walking and parading to my neighbor’s delight.The young ones explored it the most, but eventually, my older does were up having a grand old time.I know quite a few people will purchase play sets at yard sales to use and this is a great idea. I positioned them so there was about a foot on each spool and screwed it securely in place.I was happy to finally display my mad construction skills! If you click on one of my affiliate links and make a purchase, I may receive a commission for referring you. 4.Barbara Cozzens has been writing for more than 20 years. The perfect combination for any homesteading DIY goat playground. I, however, was looking for a more rustic look.
On our little farm, we have them sprinkled throughout our barn and pasture.They are not only sturdy and heavy duty but surprisingly easy to move…even for me. Savage writes that toys and furniture not only provide exercise, but they can reduce bullying within a herd. In her publication on goat enrichment, research veterinarian Dr. Sara Savage suggests, “somewhere in the evolutionary development of (domestic goats), curiosity and play drive emerged as positive forces for survival.”Like their wild relatives, goats are sure-footed climbers and use multiple levels and heights, not only to explore their environment, but to establish hierarchy. With names like the "Golden Goat Bridge," "the Goaterhorn" and "Mount Goatarest," Lubkemann's structures provide ample opportunities for his small herd of pygmy goats to run, jump and play. The Goats are friendly, but may not be cooperative. For some reason Hubs tends to hide all power tools from me.Just know that once you add those planks moving your playground setup will be next to impossible without first removing the planks. On steep surfaces mount small strips of wood to help goats grip. Something cheap and easy to make. Lubkemann places different sized spools on top of one another, screws them together for stability and connects them to other spools with ramps and bridges. I’ll have to keep my eyes open for some empty spools. What are you waiting for! If you’re not feeling particularly creative, borrow some ideas from companies that build custom and theme playgrounds for nongoat kids.
Goats just love to climb!