Has anyone used Hoop shelters for their goats?

[nappint]

If you did - how did it work?

We need some temporary shelter for our goats - something that can be moved around as we rotate pastures and I thought about hoop housing.

It's made out of 16' cattle panel bent into an arch and attached to lumber at the bottom then covered with a tarp. You can leave it open or enclose the back end with the panel and the front with a door. Most people use them for poultry or greenhouses...what do you think about goats?

I would make the bottom lumber 4x4's and the doorway out of 3x5 landscape timbers with 2x4 reinforcement.

Any thoughts?

TIA

[DQ]

I use one for shelter. I have decide to try the same basic idea with corrugated metal. for these reasons....

the tarp one has blown "flat" twice. but it can get real windy here. I don't know where you are at and if you would have the same problem.

the goats can climb it. the tarp is just flexible enough that they can push it down and get purchase on the wire of the cattle panel. they are goats after all they have squashed it down and used it to jump the fence. brats. not teo mention major wear on the tarp.

I used a cheap tarp (the blue kind) because I didn't want to spend alot of money when I wasn't sure would like it. it really didn't last the entire winter. it leaks and is barely holding on at all because it is so torn. for the same cost of a good heavy duty tarp I can buy the sheet metal that I think will be even more durable. the cheap tarp acted like a green house on warm days in late fall getting way too hot inside. a heavier tarp would shade better but...so would sheet metal.

I just have treated 2x4 for the bottom and it seems sufficient. it is plenty heavy and awkward too as it is. I would like some wheels on one side too (just haven't salvaged them yet)

[nappint]

Thanks for your thoughts and experience. I'm in N. Texas so I would probably have the same problems with wind, ripped tarps and heat that you have.

Ugh! I was hoping the sides would be steep enough that they couldn't climb...guess I was wrong LOL!

I hadn't even thought about metal. We have a lot of salvaged corrugated metal stored on the side of the barn - were you planning on attaching the metal to the cattle panel or did you have another idea?

Thanks again!

[rranch]

I raise pygmys and have 3 of them. My goaties love them. But it rains steadily and evenly here keeping the earth moist. No my goats do not climb them. I have two cattle panels on each for more strength making them 8ft in lenghth and a heavy tarp. The brown tarps not only look nicer but last the wind storms. They are very easy to clean in wet climates too.

[chris30523]

I use them I have the tarps with silver on one side and I put it to the outside for the summer sun. My young goats climb them and use it like a trampoline.When they are bigger they don't though.

[LomahAcres]

We've been using one for our chickens this past winter. We made it two panels deep, so it comes out about 9' x 8' x 6' tall on the hight point. I bought a 12 ml tarp 15' x 20' on ebay for $35 including shipping (same ones in the store were $60 +), put it on nice a tight last summer. Just started to tare in this spring's windstorms, but its all along the back of the CP where it rubs. I'm planning on getting some of that foam pipe insulation, cutting it in half length wise, and covering it over the back end of the CP, and I'm pretty sure I can get 1 tarp to last 2 years, maybe more.

We did put two wheels (lawn mower) on the back so you could pick it up and move it. Works nice for moving it, but needs a *Lot* of anchoring in this wind. Had it blow/roll a good 50' in last falls wind storms.

I think it will work well for my goats, I'm wanting to use it as a worming pen/kid pen/breeding possibly sick pen. So most likely the goats won't be on the outside of it. I don't know if my goats will climb it or not, I don't think my older ones will try, but if they do I may try to work up something so that the actual pen is outside of their pasture area, so they won't be able to climb on the outside . . .

[Freeholder]

I have one that I've been using for the last four years. I've used it for a buck shelter; a dog kennel (my two dogs are in it right now); and a goose pen. The tarps I've used have never lasted more than a year, but that was largely because the goats chew on everything (and so do geese). I've been considering using corrugated roofing on mine -- glad to see that someone else has the same idea. I don't move mine around (although I am going to move it to a different location shortly, but then it will stay there); it has a cattle-panel pen attached to it.

I have had goats get out of the pen and climb on top of the hoop house, which of course then smashed somewhat, and the tarp tore. One of my dogs that are in it now has to be on a cable because he can get out of the pen, and climbs on top of the hoop house -- he has also torn the tarp, which was in pretty good condition before he started acting like a monkey, sigh.

When I move this cattle panel hoop house (two cattle panels), I'm planning to either cover it with sturdy plastic, or with clear fiberglass panels, and use it for a greenhouse. My main animal shelters are portable carport shelters (the tarps on those don't last long, either). I've also added a larger ag shelter, which is 12' wide by 24' long, and about 10' high at the center. The goats are in that -- I'm hoping the tarp on that will last a couple more years, as it's pretty heavy duty. The two carport shelters, each 10' X 20', I'm going to put together end-to-end, add a new tarp, and store hay in one end, using the other end for the poultry and rabbits. I haven't figured out a good way to attach metal siding to those, or I'd try it (with the cattle panel hoop houses, I think it will work to make holes in the metal or fiberglass siding, and use wire to tie the siding to the cattle panels). One trick I do plan to try is growing vines over the shelters to shade the tarps, because the main reason the tarps don't last is because the sun breaks them down. The other, long-term possibility is to cover the shelter frames with several layers of chicken wire, and smear with cement -- ferrocement. I don't know how the cost would compare with metal siding, though.

Kathleen

[nappint]

Thank you for your replies and GREAT ideas! I've started a list of things I need to try

I think I'm going to throw one together tomorrow with just what I have laying around here - that way if it doesn't work then I'm not out any money LOL!

I love hoop houses and even just the panels bent into hoops ) you can use them for so many things and they don't really look too bad either (my neighbors are a pain so I have to make sure everything looks "cute" )

I was thinking a camo tarp would look really cool though LOL!

Thanks again!

[Freeholder]

I just got an idea from a thread on emergency cement shelters that I was reading on another forum: dip burlap in cement and drape it over your tarp. You couldn't do one big piece of burlap, so you'd have to maybe put them on shingle-style, and possibly fasten a layer of chicken-wire on first so the burlap didn't slide off before it dried. The finished product wouldn't be quite as durable as ferrocement, but it would be a lot more durable than the tarps, and probably no more expensive than the tarps. Paint it white on the outside, and it would keep the interior cooler in the summer than the tarps, also. I think I'm going to try this with at least one of my shelters as soon as the weather warms up enough to work with cement.

Kathleen

[nappint]

That is a great idea! I think adding chicken wire would keep it from sagging through the holes also.

I know my fabric store carries 60" wide burlap on a roll in the upholstery section. I wonder if that could be laid over the hoop, wetted down and then smooth on the cement? Maybe even put a couple of layers of burlap/cement That way it would have a nice even distribution of cement and since it's all one piece it might be a little bit stronger.

Yet another thing to add to my list of "need to try" )

[Rowdy]

make the base more narrow (thus making the shelter taller) that might fix any climbing problems. I say might instead of will, because though it worked for me, goats are goats.

[darbyfamily]

If you have a "harbor freight" near you, they have great prices on THICK tarps! check with them..

www.harborfreight.com

[DQ]

I was planning on just using corrugated metal attached to the base and bolted to each other. I was also going to use shorter lengths (less than the 16' cattle panels) to give it a little more strength. whether it will need additional bracing I dunno, I'm just going to experiment. I narrowed the hoop house to make the walls more vertical to try and keep the goats off but at somepoint you can't do it any more because it becomes too unstable in the wind. the nice thing is, it is not a total waste, although the panels are pretty warped they are still serviceable and I plan on using them to help fence more land off on an ugly vine infested fence line when I change to corrugated metal. as soon as I can scrape up the $ I'll build it and let you know how it works, if you try it before me let me know your experience!

Our hoop shelter is supported by heavy duty T-posts driven into the ground. The sides are vertical and there is no way for them to climb it. The tarp was a super-duty hay tarp and, after 4 E.WA winters, it's now due to be replaced. The hoop is 7 feet wide and stands up to wind just fine. Snow-load... not so well. We had a lot of snow come down in a very short time and had an early AM wake up when it collapsed. One minor injury. I was going to re-locate it in the spring anyway. To beef it up for next winter, I will set 2-3 posts down the middle and attach a beam to each side. Bring on the snow!

The first 2 winters it was up, there was less snow & it was spread out over a longer period of time. Last winter it sagged a bit, but sprang back up when the snow came off. 18" overnight was apparently the breaking point. No problem... just a minor modification.

[billooo2]

I put one up this fall. It is 7 feet wide, so that I could make the sides vetical enough to prevent the goats from climbing on it. Mine is anchored with "T" posts, so it is not easily moved. It has survived 50 mph winds so far.

[BobDFL]

I've got multiple ones, I use them for the goats, sheep, chickens, and a double for the turkeys (looks like a McDonalds Arch).

All but one survived Tropical Storm Faye this past year. I've found that if you place them with an open end next to the fence you can tie them to the fence and it prevents leaning to one side or the other. Then I use Rebar or Concrete blocks to keep the other end from sliding out.

I've also started putting electric fence along the 2 sides to keep the baby goats from climbing the sides (only 1 of last years babies tried to climb right before he was sold but this year they are all doing it).

I made a door with a partial cattle panel with a blanket to block the cold winds from half the house last night (we had a freeze last night).

For goats and sheep, I prefer a 2 or 3 panel (makes either an 8'x8' or a 8'x12' shelter) with 4x4's as the base and I found that a heavy duty tarp lasts about a year then needs to be replaced (a 12'x16' tarp is best).

I move them around as I move the animals from one pasture to another this way I don't need to build permanant shelters all over the property. It takes 2-3 of use to move them manually but I also have tied them to the lawn tractor and dragged them to were I need them.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Be sure you have some sort of framing inside.

[Qvrfullmidwife]

We routinely use them for our shelters. We have used them for chickens, alpaca, goats and rabbits. We dont use wood, just pound the t-posts in and attach panels to that. If your goats end up climbing it then you didnt make the sides straight enough...the sides should be straight up and down, with the arch or hoop only at the top. Once you cover that point then they wont be able to be up on it to collapse it. The only collapse we have had was when a tornado pulled up a large oak tree and sent it on top of the hoophouse (that one was being used for chickens...we lost 2) We dont get snow, though. The expensive heavy duty canvas tarps hold up well. Whether the blue ones will will depend on if your goats like to eat them or not. We never had any issues until the 2008 kids came along...those does can blitz one in no time flat--their current tarp has a perfect 18 inch by 24 inch square torn in it, looks like a window! We recently learned about attaching the ends of the panels to panels already up like fencing enabling you to make a much larger shelter, we currently have 8 panels making a 12ftX30ft shelter. We had them last through Hurricane Ike though they tossed and shook something fierce! (The goats werent in them at the time )

About the worst things I can say about them...well, free range chickens like to roost on them. Some do not like the way that they look. When we have the really large ones my dc will climb up, grab a center part and bounce up and down 10 feet in the air...