Where pet goats should live
Goats need an area with shelters where they can exercise and browse, plus a main goat house. Make sure they have plenty of space to exercise, climb, investigate, explore, browse and play in safety. Their environment needs to be clean, comfortable and well ventilated, and they need protection from heat, wind and rain. Add items that make their home interesting and help them behave as they would in the wild. There’s more on this, below.
Remember that goats are curious animals and their exploration can result in accidents and injury. You’ll need to think about how to keep them safe when you’re designing their buildings, doors, gates and fences.
Read on for more information about giving your goats an environment that meets all their needs, and a warning about the dangers of tethering them.
Outdoor area
Goats need exercise and access to an outdoor area, free from hazards such as poisonous plants and areas likely to flood. You'll need to fence the field or paddock securely, as goats are very good at escaping. Fences should be:
- well maintained and provide protection against dogs
- very strong, safe and durable
- high and secure enough to prevent the goats from escaping
made of material that ensures goats cannot become trapped or injured.
All housing must provide goats with free access to shelters for shade and protection from rain, as well as clean drinking water and food/browsing opportunities.
Pasture
You can meet your goats' welfare needs by providing them with a securely fenced paddock with plenty of foliage to browse (and to a lesser extent, graze). The field needs to be large enough that the pasture doesn't become soiled with faeces and there is enough dry ground for the goats in winter, when the land tends to get churned up.
Another option is to rotate goats between paddocks to make sure there's plenty of greenery available – each paddock should have at least one-quarter of an acre per goat.
Housing
Goats can't tolerate wet conditions and will always try to look for dry shelter in bad weather. They need access to housing 24 hours a day, whatever the season. You’ll also need to provide a main ‘goat house’ to keep them overnight or in bad weather, whether they have free access to it from their browsing area or not.
Please note that you may need planning permission if the building is near to other human dwellings.
Your goat house should:
- be warm, dry, draught-free and well-ventilated, with some natural light
- be made from wood, stone, concrete or a mixture (but not metal – it heats quickly in warm weather, so isn't a suitable material)
- be big and sturdy enough for them
- allow all goats to rest and feed comfortably
allow you to inspect, handle and manage your goats easily.
Allow at least 2 to 2.5 square metres of space per goat. You'll need to clean and disinfect the shelter and everything inside it often to remove parasites and bacteria. Floors can have a gentle slope so that water runs off during cleaning. A washable surface such as concrete (topped with bedding) is ideal.
Straw or wood shavings can be used as bedding. Muck out regularly to keep your goats' bed dry and fresh.
A note on tethering goats
You should never tether your goats. There's a danger that tethered goats might become tangled up or strangled, as well as being unable to escape from bad weather, dogs, children and other things that scare them. When you need to inspect or treat them, move them to a securely fenced area such as a pen.
