Easy and Affordable DIY Goat Shelter

 

This is Virgil.

Despite being in the desert, the winters here in Cochise County are harsh. The winds are violent; what precipitation we get is generally snow; and temperatures regularly drop into the teens. Last year, I watched the thermometer drop to 13 at one point. This may be scorn-worthy to those of you in the northeast or even in Arizona's mountains, but this was all new to this lifelong desert rat. I needed shelter, and quick, for my two goats. They'd destroyed the little shingled lean-to I'd made them when moving here, so they needed something much sturdier to withstand their silly fits of goat rage. And ... it needed to be affordable. A friend who is a professional carpenter was kind enough to give me an estimate on a solidly-built permanent shelter that would have been a Goat Mahal; there's no way I could afford the price tag. I'm not skilled enough to build it myself, so I had to improvise. 

A few things about goats: They love to climb. Their shelter, depending on breed and individual animal personality, must take this into account. You can either give in to their goaty ways and design something that also serves as a climbing platform, or you can foil them with height and location. I didn't want them using the top of their shelter as a diving board for escape, so I made it high enough they can't get on top.

They love ramming things. More on that later; keep it in mind when selecting your own building materials, anchors, and foundation / platform.

They poop indiscriminately. 

In addition to goat peccadillos, I had to account for our high wind and desert sun. I needed something heavy enough that I wouldn't have floaty goats during our windy season (from January to December). I wanted the floor to be off the ground somewhat to minimize wood rot and to prevent high water / snow from building up inside. That layer of air also helps prevent cold, damp interiors. I wanted it small enough that they were cozy during the cold season, with a fairly low ceiling. It had to be durable enough for goat idiocy, and it had to be portable enough that I could move it by myself.

So I brainstormed for a while and looked at endless pics and plans of goat shelters online and in my library of DIY and husbandry / homestead books. Nothing seemed to meet my specific wishes. I drew plans out repeatedly; I would never have been able to build the site-built shelter I desired. Finally, it dawned on me: shipping crates. Eureka! I decided on a 48" x 48" cube of a shipping crate. It was available through U-Line, but first, I wanted to see if I could spend locally. I contacted Tucson Container Corp., 90 miles from me, and asked for an estimate. It came in at under $600 for a heavy-duty plywood container. I was off to the races! Within a week they had my shipping crate custom-built and ready for pick-up.

Future goat shelter, loaded and on its way home.

As luck (and a little foresight) would have it, the 48" dimensions fit perfectly inside my 3/4 ton truck bed. Pro-tip: Keep your transportation needs in mind if you opt to use this method of goat-sheltering. I saved a couple hundred dollars on shipping by picking it up myself. Of course, I could have relied on a stock trailer or flat-bed trailer for pick-up, but this was the most convenient method, and the size made it possible.

One huge benefit of the shipping crate concept is the crates have slots at bottom for forklift / tractor use. I cannot rave about this enough if you, like myself, rely on your tractor for heavy lifting. Once I arrived at home, I slapped the forks on my tractor and easily removed the crate from the truck. In addition, the palette-style base means the floor is already elevated from the ground as I'd desired.

Note the fork slots at bottom. 

I set the crate on a palette so I could easily paint it from top to bottom. Now I was ready to paint and customize it.

I primed it first with a good-quality primer (Kilz). I followed that with a Behr exterior paint in a pale yellow shade. 

Once I had the exterior painted, I removed the end-panel from the crate. I primed and painted the interior. 

Now it was time to fashion a weather-proof steel roof to attach on top of the existing wood roof. I had some leftover corrugate roofing panels. Again, the tractor came to the rescue: I used the forks as a sawhorse so I could cut them to size. I bought a handy-dandy metal cutter attachment for my drill from Amazon (seen in the first of the photos below). It was great on the flat portion of the panels, and probably would have been a breeze if the ridges had been rounded rather than squared off, but it was a challenge on the sharp corners of these panels. I opted for aviation snips to handle the ridges, and relied on the metal cutter in between. Here's a link to the metal cutter attachment (affiliate link: I may receive a commission for purchases made through this link, and I thank you!) DeWalt Metal Shear Attachment (affiliate link) These cutters, by the way, are a godsend for cutting wire mesh such as chicken wire and hardware cloth. I wish I'd discovered them many years ago.

I used self-tapping screws - the kind with pre-attached rubber washers - to affix the metal panels to the wood. This would minimize the moisture that would seep through the screwholes. Note that there is slight overhang on each end of the roof. I added a horizontal 1x2 on one end to cant the metal panels slightly so rain would run off to the outside of the goat pen and not pool.  

Now, with the roof installed, I set the end-panel I'd removed aside and used a piece of 3/4" composite board to cut a half panel for the open end. I happened to have a piece already available; the 48" dimensions made that easy. I then installed the newly-primed and painted new 24" x 48" panel on the left-hand side of the opening using drywall screws. You can configure your door in a variety of ways, or simply leave the end open, but I wanted the goats to have as much protection from cold wind and blowing rain and snow as possible. I will repurpose the heavy-duty 48x48 panel I removed for another project. Note the brace I installed on the bottom left-hand side for extra strength against goat idiocy. The panel is slightly larger than the entry way for extra coverage.

 

With the half-door in place, I added a piece of interlocking thick rubber stall mat to the bottom for a little extra comfort for the beasties. It didn't cover the entire floor but it was handy and required no cutting or modification. 

You can find a variety of these mats at Tractor Supply Company or you can use Amazon. Here's an link for your convenience (again, I may receive compensation for purchases through this link). Rubber Stall Mat (affiliate link)

Now my little project was largely completed. I was running out of time before inclement weather was expected, so I used several bags of rock-hard Quikset that had been, sadly, exposed to rain as blocks for a foundation. I then used the tractor forks to move the completed shelter from my construction area to the goat pen. 

With the goat hut in place, I bedded the floor with straw for the little ingrates. You may wish to extend the horizontal brace at bottom left all the way across to keep shavings or bedding in; having it open, though, allows you to more easily rake or sweep the hut out.

I was really pleased when the snows hit knowing my two goats, Lily and Virgil, were sheltered from the elements. They love their little hut and hang out in it throughout the summer as well. Best of all, it isn't made from used palettes. I know, I know: You People LOVE building things with palettes, but I hate them. The best thing I can make from used palettes? A bonfire.

Other ideas and potential mods: I originally planned on cutting a window into one side and attaching a drop-down closable shutter for inclement weather, but simply ran out of time before the storms. If I were to do so, I would make a 12" hole opposite the door end (for best ventilation) at the appropriate height for the goats to look out. They enjoy sticking their silly heads through things, so I wouldn't enclose it with mesh, but if you want their silly heads kept in, use 1/2" hardware cloth stapled on the inside. 

I'd also planned on adding decorations of some sort to their little house, but I never did find the "right" ornament. I suspect I'll eventually run across something, or may paint flowers on the side. If you decorate your goat house, remember they'll eat just about anything - so avoid the silk flowers. It *would* look cute with a window and window box (which could be used as a feeder), though - perhaps with flowers painted onto the wood above the feeder box. Something like these crates could be used, also, although the rapscallions would be likely to bash them with their silly heads. Reminder: I may receive commissions from purchases of these and other items through this link. Wooden crates (affiliate link)

If you want your shelter to be suitable for your goats to climb on, I'd suggest leaving the metal roof off and attaching the front panel as a ramp of sorts. You might want to reinforce the roof with another layer of plywood that allows rain to run off rather than pool between the 1x3 braces. You could, if you are enterprising and have skills, even attach a second shipping crate on top, which would be adorable. It'd be like little goat cubbies. 

Other uses for shipping-crate shelters: Had I had this brainstorm long ago, I would have purchased shipping crates for hen houses and other animal shelters. The heavy-duty crates are far more sturdy than the Chinese-made crap that is sold for backyard chicken coops. You could easily install roosts, nest boxes, and vents. Hinge the front door and the hen house will be predator-proof. I recently bought one of the adorable, crappy, Chinese-made hen houses and assembled it; the work involved was far more tedious and laborious than what it took to customize my goat house, and the end-product was far, FAR less sturdy and appealing. 

Got calves? Hogs? Capybaras? You can substitute this for calf-huts or other shelters. It'd even make an awesome doghouse for your big livestock guardians. Feral cats? One of these, with separate cubbies or shelves inside, would keep them out of the cold and rain. 

I can also visualize a shipping-crate playhouse for kids, or even a shipping-crate tree-house. With some more engineering, it could become a cold-frame or, with a larger crate, a greenhouse or potting shed. When I picked up the crate, my contact at Tucson Containers told me he could have customized some of it in advance since all of their crates are custom-built. Keep that in mind if you buy one from a local vendor. 

So there you have it: a cozy, sturdy, customizable goat shelter that was actually a pleasure to put together. I like the looks of it more than the poly / plastic ready-made calf huts that are available, and it would seem to me much more comfortable inside. Because it's wood, it won't be as uncomfortable for them in the hot weather, either. Being portable, you can move it as needed, or sell it when you've tired of those pain-in-the-butt goats, or re-purpose it for the hen house I mentioned. You may also avoid requiring a building permit for it, if you are in an area or HOA that is strict on such matters.  

Got questions? I'll see if I can help you out. 

Copyright (c) 2024 by Marcy J. Miller * No part of this content, including photographs, may be reproduced without the express permission of the author * Links to this page, however, may be freely shared, and thank you for doing so. * Most of all, thanks for stopping by!