Stilted barns and slatted floors?

[wolffeathers]

I recall reading a blog about how goats are managed in other countries. There was a picture of a prized imported alpine buck and then a couple pictures of the goat barn.

It was on 4-6 foot stilts and had slatted floors to allow the droppings and urine to fall through. Which I thought was an excellent idea.

I've seen chicken tractors made out of old farm trailers where the floor was all metal and slatted to allow droppings to fall through. Granted it wasn't a stationary barn, it was a trailer/chicken tractor they moved from area to area around the farm as needed for rotational practices.

Anyone use anything similar or have input about this?

If one had enough acreage and crossfencing, what do you think about a mobile goat tractor?

A bit random, but not feeling well today and stuck in bed. These are the things that take up my time and thought. LOL

[delphinium]

<bump>
I was really hoping for some input here, too. It is something I have been considering for my chickens and also wondered if it could work for goats.

[Patrick]

It's a great idea for chickens, who sleep up on a perch anyway, or broilers which are not around for long periods of time, but for dairy goats IMO it sounds too much like confinement housing for hogs. If have the acreage and cross fencing, why do you need it? Rotational grazing with a moveable shelter should be enough.

[Natural Beauty Farm]

Originally Posted by Patrick

Rotational grazing with a moveable shelter should be enough.

Think that is what they are talking about, shelter on trailer.....


We export some stock to the Philippines. They have to have the goats above ground because it floods for months.... something that hit home this winter for us. It also helps with worm prevention, if the worms drop, less chance of reinfecting. Works great there.
Problems here would be year round your goats would get cold in the winter. But I like the moveable shelter idea..... off to workshop to talk to the guys.

Molly

[Hollowdweller]

I knew a goat dairy that had slatted floors like that. Very little problems with worms, coccidia and mastitis.