Our Kidding Facility

This is the entry way to our kidding facility.

Our kidding pens consist of 8 individual pens. This is where all of our kidding is done with the help of cameras.

Each pen measures approximately 5 feet X 6 feet and can comfortably house does and their offspring for several days. The walls and the tops of the bucket holders are constructed of 1/4 inch plastic which makes these pens easy to be pressure washed when they are done being used. The white and gray sheets of plastic were purchased for around $16 for a truck load on a sealed bid. We decided to put the gray plastic on the bottom half of the walls so the white boer does would show up better on the camera system.

There are hay racks made of livestock pannel welded to the goat pannel which is on a 2X4 frame door. This makes feeding a snap without ever having to enter the pen.

There are doors in each end of the aisle way to make cleaning the pens easier. They are easily cleaned by using a four-wheeled wagon style cart that can be pulled through the aisle, parked in front of the pen you are cleaning and loaded and move to let you out of the pen, and taken out the closest door for unloading. Since goats do not like a direct draft or air blowing directly on them, windows and fans were installed above the pens to allow air movement up high without bothering the goats.

There are ceiling fans to allow air movement without creating a direct draft on the animals. Each pen has its own heat bulb for cold climate kidding. The heat bulbs are on a pulley system to allow you to raise and lower the heat bulb and set it to different hieghts for boers or pygmies. There are also Country Vet brand insect foggers to control flying insects during warmer months.

And the end result, allowing the new mother time to bond with her kids. A special "thank you" to Daisy (the doe seen here) for allowing me to photograph her hours after giving birth to twins.

The Pygmy Barn

This is our pygmy barn where all our brood does and pygmy kids are housed.

Portable Temporary Barn

This is a portable temporary barn which seen here is being used for a breeding pen for some first time doelings and a buckling. There is a hook in the center of the roof to be able to move this unit with the tractor if it is needed in different pastures.  

The Boer Brood Doe Barn

This barn is where our dry does are held for breeding and then they spend the first 3 1/2 of months of pregnancy in this barn.

Our Lactating Boer Doe Barn

We breed year-round in groups. Here is where the does are moved to in their last trimester of pregnancy and feed rations are increased in ensure healthy kids and does with adequate milk supply to raise healthy kids. The kids are raised here until they are sold at 8 weeks old.

Boer Does With Horns Barn

The boer does with horns are all housed and pastured together. All of our barns use a manger style system for feeding the goats to make feeding faster and easier. Typically feeding can be completed by one person in less than an hour by using the manger to seperate the animals from the aisle. Grain is first put into the manger in the morning and by the time all goats have been grained, we start back over at the first barn and fill the manger with enough hay to last until the next feeding, this is repeated again in the evening.

The Buck Barn

Here is where our breeding bucks are housed. The steel tube manger where the bucks are fed seperates them from the aisle way where people walk to protect us and our visitors from them.

Holding / Training Pen

This pen seen here is being used to hold young doelings until they  reach breeding age. It is also used to train goats on electric fence because a goats first experience with electric fence will normally cause them to run through the fence. There is electric fence on the inside parameter and livestock panel fence on the outside so if a goat is shocked they can not go through the fence but instead will learn what it is and respect it in a few days.

Working Corral

This corral is located in between the buck barn, dry doe barn, and does with horns barn. It is used to run the goats in from these different barns while we are hoof trimming or vaccinating.

Behind The Barns View

Where the goats exit the barn to head to pasture, there is an oak board fencing and a water tub is placed between the fencing so two pastures can be watered with only one water tub. The water is located where the goats have to walk to drink to help keep it cleaner longer. Then there are gates which can be opend to block the goats out on pasture while a compact tractor is being used to clean the barns. Or the gates can be used to allow the goats to graze on different pastures.

Rotational Grazing

This is a field of brassica's just after germination.

Pictured here are a special blend of New Zealand brassica's at 30 days. Brassica's are great to plant for rotational grazing and can produce up to 10 tons of forage per acre. They are an anual plant and the goats will not eat them until the plant is well established and reaches at least a foot tall because young brassica plants are bitter tasting until the leaves mature and become broad enough to withstand grazing. These plants are ideal for grazing and can also be planted with clovers and wheat.

Working The Goats

Babe, the border collie seen here, is herding the goats and putting them into the barn so we can vaccinate.

Babe continues to hold the goats in the barn by starring at them and barking or growling if one gets too close to her.

Babe is resting after a job well done now that the goats are where they should be.

End Of Tour

Thanks for stopping by, Hope to see you next time at Triple I.