I need a proper goat shelter...

We now have four goats, have had goats a whole year, and still don't have proper housing for them. In the rain and cold they either go in our chicken coop, or a 5x3 pen we originally built for the two pigs we used to have. I don't like them going in our coop because they tend to eat the hay out of the nesting boxes, and a chicken coop is no place for a goat (we have an small automatic door - that only goat kids can fit through - as well as a big door but it is broken right now). The pig-pen for one thing is way too small for four goats, and it doesn't have a floor either. We also have a dog kennel, but it is not a good shelter from wind and rain at all.

So my brother is probably going to build a house for them, but we need some ideas (pictures too!). Also how big does it need to be for four+ goats? Two of them are medium-sized Fainting goats, and the other two are mini Lamancha's.

Thank you!

This is a picture of our coop (just to show you how big it is):

Since you're in Louisiana, it doesn't get that cold or for that long a period, so you'd probably be fine with a 3 sided structure with the back facing the direction your primary bad weather comes from. If you wanted, you could partially enclose the front, like 1/2 way across. You don't have large animals (but do you intend to get some?) and you only have 4 (plan to get more/additional animals?), so you don't really need that much space inside.

IMO a walk in shed ~ 8' (deep) x 10-12' (wide) would be more than adequate. If you leave the front completely open, you can build a raised "bedding self" at the back about 2' off the ground about 3-4 feet deep. You really don't need a raised floor throughout... If you decide to enclose 1/2 the front, you can build the bedding shelf behind that wall running front to back. The roof can be a single pitch "lean to" type roof. Just some thoughts Good luck with the build!

We probably won't be get any full-sized goats, and we might keep a few of their doelings in the future. Thanks!

Serendipitously, the following article popped up when I was on today

http://www.backyardherds.com/threads/nigerian-goat-barn-and-milk-stand.28337/#post-359005

There's no milk stand but a picture (kinda-sorta) of what I suggested.

Ok thanks, that's what we will probably do, or something like it.

I used to have 3 of these built. Only cost $150 with new material and I could build one in a day. Could do everything by myself, but needed help holding the siding in place.

Roof only had about a 2:12 pitch but I didn't have to worry about snow load, and I guess if you are in Louisiana you don't either.

How tall is it, and how many goats is it for?

It's 4 ft tall
Those are 4 x 8 sheets of T111 siding laying on their side
So it's 8 ft x 8 ft
I had one for my bucks I had 4 in there
I had another in my nursery pen
I'd put a couple of moms and babies in there or would have babies in there when weaning
You could keep 4 goats in one easy

Ok, thanks!

I had something similar to One Fine Acre's shelter, except the roof was flat. Same, it was 8x8x4. I had two ewes, two ewe lambs, and one ram in it to begin with and occupants eventually grew to four ewes, three lambs, and a ram before we grew it to 8x16 where it had six ewes, one ram, and nine (?) lambs. They now have a 20x32 carport barn that has 8' walls