What's a farm without a barn?

Our barn was supposed to go up in 2018. That was the plan, after we successfully put our fence up.

But then we got a pool.

So the barn plan got pushed back.

It's supposed to happen this year - well, at least started this year.

All this time has allowed us to research what kind of barn would suit our needs.

My initial research indicated that I only needed to provide a 3 sided shelter for the goats, to keep them out of the wind, rain, and/or extreme weather.

They need about 15-20 sq ft of indoor space, per goat.

They need about 150-200 sq ft of outdoor space, per goat.

Of course this also depends on the breed of goat. Nigerians or Pygmys are small and don't need as much space. Larger breeds like Nubians (I love their big, flat ears!) would require what I state above.

If anyone knows me IRL, knows that this minimum is unacceptable. 

And, if you've been following me, you will likely know by now that my husband is incapable of building anything on a "small scale".

See my posts on the how he built the mudroom and the chicken coop to see how he is an overachiever.

Since a goat needs a friend (they do not do well as solitary animals - they get lonely) we will need to accommodate more than one. My goal is to have two goats, a donkey and a mini horse. So I will need roughly 1,000 sq ft of pasture (assuming donkeys and mini horses require the same amount of space - will need to do more research on that).

Luckily for us, our pasture is around 4,500 sq. ft.

My pets will get the best that I can afford. So they will get a barn with stalls that can be enclosed all the way in case of bad weather. They will have a comfy place to lay down and sleep. I will make sure to clean out their areas as much as necessary.

A concrete floor would make sense for the storage area, so things don't get mucky and gross. But it's not good for goats to lay or jump on (so hard they could potentially break a leg by jumping on concrete).

Wood isn't a terrible option, but can absorb bacteria and get gross after a while.

Dirt with a layer of straw on top is likely the way to go.

We chose the location of the barn based on a couple of things - we wanted to make sure the area was not too wet. The middle portion of our yard can get very swampy in the spring and when it rains, and we didn't want to deal with that with goats and other livestock.

We cleared a huge area that was once covered in trees, shrubs, miscellaneous plant life.

You can just barely see the shed through all the brush here. The trampoline was also moved.

Still clearing

Making progress!

Finally cleared!

And it's done! We fenced in an area that is 50ft x 90ft. 

Here is the finished product, later that same year. 

The Barn will go directly opposite the chicken coop, on the other (left) side of the pasture.

I love that we didn't eat into our yard at all to have this pasture. We have enough land on that side of our property, that were able to clear away so much stuff and have land just for our livestock. The amount of green grass yard we have is the same as we always have had (roughly 5 acres).

My new garden will need to go somewhere over here as well. That will likely eat up some yard space, but not too much.

Our hope is to start the barn in June/July, after finishing up the pool deck. Let's hope things go smoothly so that I have a barn up by the end of the year!