25 Cheap Easy Goat Shelter Ideas Using DIY Pallets
When you start raising goats for the first time on your small farm, homestead. or backyard, a goat shelter is a necessity, especially a cheap easy goat shelter. Even though goats are equipped to live outdoors, they still need protection from rain, snow, wind and extreme temperatures.
Exposing Your Goats to the Weather
Goats hate to get wet. They can handle hot weather pretty well, as long as they have some shade. They can also live in extremely cold conditions (no heaters necessary), as long as they have protection from rain, snow and wind, and they have a deep pile of hay or straw they can snuggle into with other goats to share body heat. A cheap easy goat shelter can provide plenty of protection, regardless of the season.
Keep Your Goat Shelter Simple
Many new goat keepers make the mistake of thinking their new goat shelter needs to be elaborate or expensive. Not true. In fact, some of the simplest and least expensive shelters turn out to actually be the best shelters for your goats. Don't overdo it. A cheap easy goat shelter is your best bet. Keeping your cheap easy goat shelter simple is a smart way to minimize the time and money you invest, so you can apply that instead to other things you may need on your homestead. Another advantage of a cheap easy goat shelter being simple is that you will often want to change it around.
Goat Shelters Must be Flexible and Changeable
On our farm, we adjust goat shelters and move them around to fit changing circumstances. This includes changing needs for separating goats, breeding different goats, isolating new goats, pasture rotation, and lots of other reasons that require different shelters in different locations. One of the most popular, easiest and least expensive do-it-yourself goat shelters used by new goat keepers is a shelter made from free or cheap wooden pallets. It's the most popular type of cheap easy goat shelter around.
Making Goat Shelters with DIY Wooden Pallets
Throughout this article, I'm NOT going to focus on expensive, professional-looking barns or goat shelters that seem like something from a Home Depot commercial. Instead, this will focus on some real-life cheap easy goat shelters built by actual homesteaders, small farm operators and do-it-yourselfers, mostly from free or cheap materials they already had laying around.
VIDEO - Goat Shelter Using Free Pallets
Video Credit: The Tactical Homesteader
25 Easy Goat Shelters Made With Pallets
Let's take a look at 25 different cheap easy goat shelters and sheds, made with pallets, that will help you understand why “simple is best”. I'll start with the most basic, and work up to a few that are a little more involved.
1. The “Slap-It-Together-Quick-and-Cheap” A-Frame Goat Shelter
Credit: starvingthemonkeys.com
Quick Triangular Goat Shelter Made With Pallets
This is an example of one of the simplest types of cheap easy goat shelters. It may not be pretty. But sometimes you may find yourself needing to put up a shelter quickly for your goats, with very little time or money available at the moment, especially if you're a beginner at raising goats. This cheap easy goat shelter started with just 3 pallets screwed together in a triangular shape, to form an A-Frame shelter. Then, it was finished-out with pieces of wood taken off of some additional pallets. It's extremely simple, but is perfectly suitable to provide one or two goats some protection from the elements. There are a couple of aspects that are important to notice about this cheap easy goat shelter. First, this goat shelter actually includes a pallet underneath as a floor. This is good because goats love to sit up on top of any kind of platform off of the ground, so they can stay warm and dry. With shelters that have no floor, you typically need to add a pile of hay or straw underneath so your goats can stay warm and it will absorb their pee and poop. Second, notice that the ends of the shelter are not fully enclosed. Too much humidity can make your goats sick. So it's important that any goat shelter have plenty of ventilation. In fact, the ideal setup is a 3-sided shelter that has at least one side open to the outside to let air flow in. One issue I have with this design is that goats prefer to feel like they are somewhat in the open, rather than being totally enclosed. This shelter could probably be improved by having it a little more open, so the goats could easily come and go as they please. On the other hand, it can sometimes be beneficial to lock your goats up at night if there are large predators around like bears or mountain lions. To check out pictures of the various stages of construction used to build this cheap easy goat shelter, just click on the link below. When you get there, be sure to click the link at the end of each page to go to the next page, and you'll see the full progression of the project.
2. The Two-Sided Goat Shelter
Credit: bootsandhooveshomestead.com
Two-Sided Goat Shelter
This is another example of simplicity. This particular cheap easy goat shelter only has 2 walls and a roof. And there's no floor, only ground underneath. According to Mary at Boots and Hooves Homestead, it only took about an hour to put this cheap easy goat shelter together. They used some scrap plastic silage cover pieces around the sides to protect against wind. As you can see, goat keepers often use whatever materials they already have laying around their homestead. It doesn't have to be fancy with goats. Note that this cheap easy goat shelter is being used in Nebraska where it gets pretty cold and snows. With no floor, you would definitely want to add deep hay or straw. Usually, that's enough for goats to stay warm. Typically you will want to have more than one goat (they hate to be alone), and your goats will naturally cuddle-up together in the straw to share their body warmth. If it gets really cold (well below zero with high wind) you might want to even add a third wall to this kind of shelter for extra wind protection. Be really careful with newborn kids or sick or elderly goats, as they have a tougher time regulating their body temperatures. Otherwise, most goats are built to handle some pretty extreme temperatures as long as they have a basic shelter and some deep hay or straw to cuddle into.
3. An Easy 3-Sided Goat Shelter
Credit: foreverandalwayshomestead.com
Three-Sided Pallet Goat Shelter
This cheap easy goat shelter/shed is a good example of a typical 3-sided goat shelter, which is extremely popular and easy to make with pallets. This was created at Forever and Always Homestead in North Carolina, where they get some snow but it doesn't get extremely cold like in some states further North. As you can see, with only 3 walls, the goats feel like they're outdoors, but they still have a wind barrier and some protection to get out of the rain and sun. The roof on this cheap easy goat shelter is flat, but a slanted roof can be even more ideal so the rain water will run off away from the shed. If you click on the link below to get more detail and pictures, you will see how this family started with this simple shelter and then upgraded to a new pallet shelter to give their goats a little extra protection in the Winter months.
4. Goat Shelter With Slanted Roof
Credit: pristinefarmexperience.wordpress .com
Pallet Goat Shelter With Slanted Roof
There are a couple of important things to note about this easy-to-make goat shelter, which also uses pallets. First, notice the slanted roof. And notice that it is slanted toward the rear of the goat shelter. This is important so any rain water will run off behind the shed and your goats can stay dry. Also, you can see that the pallets on the sides were left somewhat open, rather than being totally sealed. This is actually optimal for a good cheap easy goat shelter. Goats do best when they have good ventilation that keeps moisture and humidity from building up. Excessive moisture can lead to more parasites and illness for your goats. In this picture you can also see the straw piled up on the floor of the shed. This is the best kind of insulation for a goat to dig into and stay warm at night. Hay or straw will also tend to soak up any pee or poop, and air flow keeps the ammonia fumes from collecting, which could be harmful to your goats. One thing you may have noticed is that this goat looks kind of lonely. This is another reminder that goats are “herd” animals. That means that they get anxious if they aren't with at least one or more other goats, regardless of which breed of goats you're raising. If you start raising goats, plan to have at least two or more to avoid serious goat behavior problems.
5. Unique A-Frame Goat Shed
Credit: 1001Pallets.com
A-Frame Pallet Goat Shelter
Here's another great, but simple, A-frame design for a cheap easy goat shelter using pallets. As I mentioned before, this demonstrates that, with goats, simple is best. As you can see, this goat shelter leaves one side open for good ventilation. The steep A-frame roof on this goat shed is not just a unique design. It actually serves a very practical purpose. Goats are notorious escape artists. They are well-known for climbing on top of sheds and using that as a jump-off point to hop over a nearby fence and escape. With a steep roof, any goats would be discouraged from jumping up on top of the shelter. I suspect that's one of the concerns for this shed's owner because, as you will notice in the picture, they've erected some pretty tall fencing around this shelter. I get the impression they've had some problems with escaping goats. Either that, or they had some problems with predators trying to get in. The steep roof can also avoid the accumulation of rain water or snow in the Winter. An advantage of having a tall roof is also that it allows you to step inside the shed easier when you need to rake out old dirty straw, clean the floor and put in fresh straw for your goats to sleep on. Click below if you want to learn a little more about how the owner put this shelter together.
6. Nice 2-Room Goat Duplex Shelter
Credit: Green Urban Living
Two-Room Pallet Goat Shelter
The goat shed shown here is a little more involved, but still easily constructed with pallets. This is a good example of a cheap easy goat shelter that allows for multiple goats, but gives them a little separation. Even though goats like company, they can also sometimes get competitive. If a couple of your goats butt heads a lot, you may need to give them a little separation from each other sometimes so they can have their own space, but not be lonely. This shed fits the bill perfectly, with two rooms and a dividing wall down the middle. As you can see, the builder added extra boards to the sides to cover up some of the openings in the pallets. But that's probably not necessary since goats love open, airy spaces. This cheap easy goat shelter is found in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, according to the descriptions at the link below, and Winters there are extremely mild. This shelter looks like it still gets plenty of ventilation because the top of each wall is open to let air in just under the roof. The metal roof is a nice touch. It won't rot and will have less chance of leaking. If you wanted to make this setup even better, you could slant the roof to help rainwater run off to the back of the shed and away from the goats.
7. Large Enclosed Goat “Mansion” With Add-On
Credit: Goodgame Bees, Homestead and Outdoors
"Goat Mansion" Shelter With Extra Room Attached
As we work our way up to larger goat shelters, here's one that can house a few more goats, but is still pretty simple and mostly constructed with pallets. The owner calls it a “goat mansion,” but as you can see it's still a cheap easy goat shelter. The link below takes you to a video which is several minutes, but it's worth watching, after you skip past any ad at the start. The builder shows close-up details of the steps he followed in building the shelter. This shed is more enclosed, with a doorway for entry and exit. But that's offset by the fact that the spaces in each pallet were left open to allow plenty of good air circulation. Also, the nice metal roof will make the shed last a lot longer without leaking. In case you're wondering why the little extra dog house is added on the right side, the owner explains in the video that he wanted the goats to be able to jump on top of the shed, so he put that there as a step to help them get up. In reality, goats are surprising jumpers and would probably have no trouble getting on top of the shed without that. This is a good reminder that goats should be given interesting toys to play with in their living area, such as shelters and other objects they can climb on. They are natural climbers. And if they have entertaining objects in their own yard, there's less chance they will be tempted to escape and go somewhere else for their entertainment. Also, notice that the builder didn't put this shed too close to any fences. So the goats won't be able to use this shed as a launching point to escape over a nearby barrier.
8. Quick and Easy T-Post and Pallet Goat Shelter
Credit: Midwest Goat Producers
T-Post and Pallet Goat Shelter
This cheap easy goat shelter may not be pretty at first glance. But the description says it lasted for 3 years and was made from pallets without using any nails, which is safer for your goats. I love this goat shed because it's a perfect example of what you can do if you need something quick and easy, using only materials that you already have laying around at your homestead. In this case, metal T-posts were hammered into the ground at the corners. And the pallets were attached simply using baling cord. Lastly, a board and tarp were thrown on top as a roof. Something simple like this, which provides some protection from the rain, is usually all your goats need if you live in an area with a mild climate, and no severe Winter snows. A nice touch is the pallet on the floor. Goats seem to like platforms which get them off the ground. And it would be easy to slide the pallet out when you need to clean up pee and poop every-so-often. Check out the step-by-step instructions from the owner at the link below. You'll have to scroll past a couple of other projects until you see this one.
9. 3-Sided Goat Playhouse With Climbing Ramp
Credit: The Little Frugal House
Goat Shelter Playhouse With Climbing Ramp
As I've mentioned before, goats love to have things they can climb on, since that's what they're designed to do in their natural habitat. That's why the goats in this picture love their shelter. Amanda at The Little Frugal House built this goat playhouse with a ramp, so the goats can easily walk up onto the roof of the shelter. She even leaves some hay on top as a surprise. Goats always love to eat hay. This setup is perfect for multiple goats because some can be playing on top while others can be taking advantage of shade at the same time on the lower level. Notice that the construction of this cheap easy goat shelter started with 3 wooden pallets. If you follow the link here, you can check out the description, with pictures, of the different steps involved in putting this shed together. When you build a shelter for your own goats, try to think of some simple ideas like this that can create a fun play area for your goats, while also providing a shelter to protect them from the elements.
10. Backyard Goat Shelter by the House
Credit: Running Moose Farm
Backyard Goat Shelter By The House
This goat shelter idea comes to us from Running Moose Farm. It's a perfect example of something that's easy to put together for someone who simply wants to raise a few goats in their backyard. Here, the folks at Running Moose Farm built the shelter up against the back wall of their house. This is smart for a few reasons. First, it saves some time and building materials since you're using the back of your house as one side to the shelter. Second, the house provides excellent protection from wind and sun, and the roof overhang is extra protection from rain at the back of the shed. If you watch the video, you'll notice that they started making the shelter about 10 feet tall. But then they decided that was'nt necessary for goats, and made it much shorter, which is all you need. Remember, simple is best when it comes to goats. For the roof, they made it easy by just using tarps on top. This shelter is 10 x 12 which is enough to house muliple goats. In the video, you'll notice that their livestock guardian dog also loves to sleep inside the shelter with the goats. You will also notice a really creative add-on. They rigged-up a swinging door on hinges using a wooden pallet. What a great idea! One word of caution. In one part of the video it looks like the shelter may include a heat lamp. It's best NOT to use one of those. Many people have lost goats and shelters to fires caused by heat lamps. And besides, goats can usually keep each other warm and can handle pretty cold temperatures without any heat lamps. Just make sure your goats have a deep pile of hay they can get into when it's cold. If you still feel a heat lamp is critical due to extreme cold, be certain it has extra supports to make sure it cannot possibly fall down and the goats cannot touch it. You will also want to supervise it very closely. Again, my recommendation is to not use heat lamps at all in a goat shelter.
11. Two Goat Shelters in One
Credit: Vivian's DIY Projects
Two Goat Shelters Side-By-Side
These goat shelters are really creative. If you watch this video, you'll see that Vivian created two goat shelters in one, by connecting them with a piece of metal goat fencing. This is a great idea. It can be used to separate different goats into two different areas. And, as Vivian mentions in the video, the fence between them can also be used to support goat feeders on both sides. Notice the pallet construction, and the open, airy style that allows for plenty of ventilation. As Vivian describes, they kept this shelter simple because they'll be moving soon. For the roof they simply used some re-purposed panels that were previously used to separate some bathroom stalls at a grocery store. That's a great, unique way to save some money.
12. Multi-Level Goat Hut
Credit: Rocky Hollow Gardens
Multi-Level Goat Hut Shelter
If you need to keep goats on a hillside, this is the shelter for you. At Rocky Hollow Gardens they solved the problem by erecting this goat hut on stilts. By doing this, they were able to build level floors, even though the ground isn't level, and the shelter is high-and-dry in case of rain. The shelter is made primarily with wooden pallets and some metal roofing is added on top to keep things dry. They also did the smart thing and added a slanted roof to help rain water run off. With the goat shed being on stilts, this also allows extra room underneath where you can keep goat feeders and food for feeding your goats without the food getting wet. They even added some extra stair steps the goats can use to get up into the shelter, which doubles as an entertaining climbing activity for the goats.
13. Hillside Goat Shelter with Porch
Credit: Chickens In The Road
Hill-Side Goat Shelter With Porch
This goat shed is a good case study in how to build a shelter on the side of a hill. As you will see, the shed is supported by posts and angled to fit the sloping hillside. In this way, the goats have a nice, level shed which overlooks the hill. It's also a unique, creative touch that the owner added a front porch where the goats can step just outside of their cozy, warm shed if they want to enjoy the fresh air and look at the view. The porch is fenced in so there's no danger of the goats running off at times when you might want to keep them contained. This will also keep predators from getting in at night. You may notice in the background of some of the pictures that the builder also created a series of steps coming down from the house to the goat shed for convenience. This would make it very easy to walk down the hill from the house when you have to feed and water the goats, or to clean out the shed. In the descriptions, notice that pallets were used, but the extra wood used to build the sides of the goat shed was also reclaimed from other places so most of it was free. This is another great illustration of how you can make a perfectly fine shelter for your goats while keeping it free or inexpensive.
14. Truck Camper Top Doubles as a Goat Shelter Roof
Credit: summerville-novascotia.com
Pallet Goat Shelter With Camper Top Roof
I love this creative idea for a goat shed. Rather than creating a new roof, this builder repurposed an old truck camper top as a roof for the shelter. I smiled when I saw this, because we also have a truck camper top as the roof on one of our goat shelters we use for our bucks. I thought we were the only ones doing that. This would be perfect for letting light in, and providing a nice waterproof roof over the shed which is designed to deflect rain water. The main structure of this goat shelter was constructed using free wooden pallets. And the owner repurposed some siding he got for free which he added to the outside. Keep in mind that it's healthier for goats to have an open and airy shelter with good air circulation. It might be even better with a shelter like this to leave off the siding so the openings in the wood pallets can let the air through. An alternative would be to at least make sure there are openings somewhere along the tops of the walls to allow air to circulated, especially so ammonia fumes wont' build-up from pee and poop, which can make your goats sick and cause various goat health problems and diseases. By the way, if you follow the link to see more detail about this shelter, you will need to scroll past the other projects until you find this goat shelter further down the page.
15. Tall Walk-In Goat Shed With Shelf
Credit: The Off Grid Project
Tall Goat Shelter With Shelf
Here's a homesteader building his first goat shelter. He's bringing home two goats for the first time. He got 10 pallets free from a local store which he's using to build the structure. The video at the link below shows the steps in construction. He plans to add a covering on top, although the video ends before that step is finished. As you will see, this shed is overkill for a couple of goats. He constructed it to be tall enough for a person to walk into it, and it has a shelf included up near the roof. Those kinds of things might be convenient for people, but they aren't a necessity if you're trying to keep things simple. Also, this type of shed would be a lot harder to move if you need to change things around. Another important thing to note is the fence around the shed area, which is also constructed of wooden pallets. I've seen a lot of homesteaders use pallet fencing like this. Keep in mind, however, that goats are excellent jumpers and climbers. Most goats can easily escape over this type of fence. If you use wooden pallet fencing, you will probably also want to add an electric fence wire across the top and sides to discourage goats from jumping over. One last thing...goats do best in open, dry areas where there are plenty of trees and plants so they can eat the leaves, shoots and bark (“browse”). This particular yard appears to be what is referred to as a “dry lot” (mostly dirt with no plants or grass) and it appears to be a very wet, rainy area. If you have an area like this, you will want to arrange for your goats to be let out to another pasture nearby occasionally to get fresh air and graze or browse on the natural plants. If goats are kept in enclosed, damp spaces and forced to eat near the ground, the risk of them getting ill with parasites will increase. Even so, this particular goat shed design, although taller than needed, is a good idea if you want to be able to walk into it and store various items on shelves up high.
16. Hay Barn Converted to Goat Shelter
Credit: Love Creek Farm
Hay Barn Converted to Goat Shelter
This goat shelter is an inspiring example of how you can re-purpose other things around your own homestead. For the roof, the builder started with an existing hay barn that was already on his property from a previous owner who operated a feed store. Then, he built the goat shed under that, using wooden pallets which he got for free from an ACE Hardware store. The floor was built with lumber recycled from a former deck. The pallets were used for the sides of the shelter. My personal opinion on this shelter is that the builder could have stopped at the halfway point and that would have been fine for goats. They need basic protection from wind and rain, but also like to feel like they are out in the open. But the owner added complete walls with windows around the shelter, and the final product looks more like a cabin than a goat shelter. Even so, I like the interior where it looks like the goats have different platforms where they can stand and eat. Goats love to climb up on things like that. Overall, this looks like a great example of a goat shelter made with repurposed materials. But if you ever make something like this, just make sure your goats have access to plenty of fresh air outside and their living area is well-ventilated. Also, if you want something temporary that you can move around later, this project is probably not your best choice.
17. Goat Shelter Changes From Summer to Winter
Credit: Little Avalon Farm
Pallet Goat Shelter Changes from Summer to Winter
If you follow the link to this shelter, you will need to scroll past some other projects first before you see it further down. This page also has some good examples of pallet fencing and pallet feeders. The interesting thing to note with this shelter is the owner's description about how it can be left open to allow the breeze in during Summer, or can be enclosed during Winter to keep things warm and dry. That's a great idea, and a good reason to design your own goat shelters to be versatile and easily changeable. The picture of this particular shelter shows it during construction. Even so, you could stop at this phase of construction, and it would be perfect for Summer. It has a nice roof to protect from rain, but the pallets allow enough air flow to prevent build-up of moisture and heat. At the same time it wouldn't take much effort to nail on some additional walls at the ends, and some additional siding on the pallets, if needed to provide more insulation against the Winter cold when it arrives.
18. Simple Goat Shelter With Giant Pallets
Credit: The Tactical Homesteader
This shelter is unique because it uses pallets that are 10 feet long. Only 3 pallets were needed to make the whole thing.
I love this shelter because the person who built it made it straight, clean and simple. One amazing aspect is that it shows you how you can even use larger pallets if these are all you have to work with. The pallets in this shelter were each 10 feet long and 5 feet wide. Each wall of the shelter only required ONE of these giant pallets, and the shelter is still 10 x 10. The builder hammered metal T-posts into the ground to support the pallets, and a couple of free, re-purposed posts (4x4) for extra roof support. I imagine a real benefit of these giant pallets is that they would most likely be a lot studier than a larger number of smaller pallets connected together. As you can see, keeping things simple works just fine. A flat “Ondura” roof was added to this, and no floor whatsoever – just the ground. In Winter, you can add a pile of deep hay or straw inside and that's enough for goats to stay warm in most areas. If you live in an exremely cold climate where Winter weather dips dangerously low, you can always add some extra temporary siding to this structure for more wind protection, and then remove it during the Summer months.
19. Dual-Purpose Summer/Winter Goat Shelter
Credit: SSL Family Dad
This pallet goat shelter is dual-purpose because you can complete it half-way for Summer use, or finish it out for Winter use.
The video at the link below for this shelter project is excellent. This guy shows a great step-by-step of how he put the shelter together. I especially love the part where he rigs up his tractor front-end loader to lift the roof onto the shelter. Really great idea! If you watch the first video, the builder gets the basic shed initially constructed half-way, and if the project stopped right there, the result could be a nice breezy Summer shelter for rain protection. But if you click his link at the end of the video to go to the second video, it shows how he later added stained siding and waterproof “Ondura” roofing to the top, to make a more solid Winter shelter that has better protection agains cold winds blowing through. I refer to this project as a Dual-Purpose Summer/Winter Goat Shelter because you could either complete it halfway for a Summer goat shed, or finish it out fully for a Winter shelter. As the builder mentions in the video, most of the project cost him nothing, except for a few additional things he purchased like the roofing material, which was still fairly inexpensive.
20. Pallet Goat Shelter With Curved Cattle Panel Roof
Credit: It's a Boy's Life
Pallet Goat Shelter with Cattle Panel Roof
This is an example of one of the quickest goat shelters you can put up when you're short on time. As you will see when you follow the link below to the project, this family had to get a shelter up fast, due to new baby goats on the way. The reason this type of shelter can be put up quickly is that it includes cattle panels for the roof, as opposed to a wood roof that has to be constructed. You will see a lot of people using this style of shelter for this very reason. Free wooden pallets are attached together to form the walls. Then, several metal cattle panels are joined together and curved from the top of one wall to the other, to form a curved dome roof over the shed. The cattle panels were just stapled to the pallets, so the roof could be put up in just a matter of minutes. To finish the roof out, all you have to do is to place an inexpensive plastic canopy over the top. I've built this type of shelter myself on our own farm, and I can mention a couple of additional helpful tips. One tip is that you will want to overlap the cattle panels and wire them together so they line-up properly. The builder of the project here mentions that same thing. Another tip is that cattle panels are kind of bouncy and can blow around and fall over in high winds. They're not quite as stable as a wooden roof. For this reason, many people run some extra wood or metal supports under the cattle panels like a frame to help hold them up.
21. Pallet and Cattle Panel Shelter Gets Blown Away
Credit: The Grass-Fed Homestead
A strong wind collapsed the roof on this goat shelter. a reinforcing frame is one solution to help prevent this.
This shelter is intended as a milking parlor for a cow, but it's very similar to that last shed we just looked at and would be an ideal goat shelter too. Like the previous shelter above, this one also makes use of cattle panels for the roof. I like the video at the link below because it shows clear details of each step in the construction. One tip you will see here is something I myself experienced when we built a similar goat shelter. It's pretty tough for one person alone to maneuver the cattle panels into place. Watch the video here and you'll see what I'm talking about. The builder struggles to get the roof on by himself. I also discovered that it's easiest to have at least two people available to handle this step. One additional tip you'll see in this project is the addition of some foam pipe insulation to prevent the sharp edges of the cattle panels and T-posts from puncturing the plastic tarp over the roof. What a great, creative solution. They also used tennis balls to cover the metal tips of the T-posts sticking up above the structure. After you watch the first video here, if you click through to their second video, you'll see the owner start to build a wooden frame to help support the roof better. Unfortunately, a sudden storm hits and collapses the roof before he can complete the frame. This is a good case study that can help you learn some of the challenges with this type of shelter roof so you can plan to avoid these same kinds of problems with a stronger roof frame.
22. Pallet and Cattle Panel Goat Shelter Built to Withstand Wind
Credit: 1000's of Roots
This pallet goat shelter also has a cattle panel roof. But here the roof sits on the ground rather than on top of the walls, so it will resist wind much better.
This shelter is another one with pallets for walls and cattle panels for the roof, but with an added twist. Rather than standing the cattle panels on TOP of the pallet wall, the builder of this shelter placed the bottom edge of the cattle panels on the ground, just inside of the pallet wall. This small difference clearly results in a much sturdier roof that should have no problem resisting more wind or snow, compared to the design we saw in previous examples. An extra piece of cattle panel, with U-shaped fencing nails acting as simple “hinges”, provides an easy and quick door into the shelter. Vinyl sheets were laid over the top of the cattle panel to complete the roof. The owner of this shelter says it's to be used for milking calves. But, as mentioned before, this can also be a perfect goat shelter. Another nice result is that, even though the cattle panel roof sits on the ground, it's still high enough to leave plenty of room for the average person to walk inside without having to bend over.
23. The Pallet Barn
Credit: Jetson Green
Pallet Barn With Extra Storage on Second Level
Up until now we've seen some easy, small goat shelter possibilities. But this next project is an example of one of the more involved structures that can be put together with pallets. Using pallets may reduce the cost. But this type of shed is obviously not quite as easy to build as some of the others we've seen. The main reason I include this example is to show you that, while it's best to keep things simple with goats, you can use free pallets to create almost limitless possibilities. This example could be considered a barn, as opposed to a simple goat shelter. But it certainly could be used as a nice goat shed, and could double as a tool shed or storage area as well. Of course, if you use a structure like this to house goats, the tools would need to be stored up on the second level.
24. Another Pallet Barn for Goats
Credit: It's a Boy's Life
This large pallet barn was designed specifically for goats
Here's another example of a barn that can be built with pallets, but this one actually is being used as a goat shelter. This pallet barn was built with walls that are 10 feet high. This is an example of a larger structure that can be created with pallets. But keep in mind that this is not a good choice for you if you're just starting out with your first goats. A smaller, easy-to-build shelter is a much better choice as a starter goat shelter. Later, as your small farm grows, a structure like the one shown here could be a great addition if you need a larger space for different reasons. One important building tip you can learn from this particular project involves building on a hill. As you will see if you follow the link below, this family used cinder blocks as part of a foundation under the cattle panels, to help level the walls despite the sloping hillside where this goat shelter was constructed. The builder here finished out this pallet barn with siding and a metal roof, so this shelter will offer great protection against wind, rain and snow.
25. Goat Shelter Combining Car Port with Pallets
Credit: Suburban Homesteading
This goat shelter was made with a re-purposed carport finished out with wood pallets.
This is an amazing example of how you can use free wooden pallets, and still produce a professional-looking structure. It's hard to believe this is a goat shelter. I love the creativity here. The builder used a carport, and then added pallets connected to the carport as the walls. To make it look really good they even added windows and doors. Once again, most of these add-ons are overkill for goats. I mainly include this example for inspiration. It shows how some pretty amazing things can be created with pallets. If you follow the link to read about this project, keep scrolling down past the other projects until you see this one further down.
VIDEO - Pallet Project - Goat Mansion
Video Credit: Goodgame Ham Radio & Outdoors
Key Points To Remember About Goat Shelters
I hope that quick tour of various goat shelter ideas was helpful for you, as you think about building your own DIY goat shelter with wooden pallets. Remember the key goat shelter tips you've learned from the examples above... 1. Keep it simple; you may want to change or move the shelter around; 2. Try to use existing structures and materials you already have to save money; 3. Goats prefer shelters that are NOT fully enclosed; three walls are better than four; 4. Support walls with T-posts rather than having to sink wooden posts in the ground; 5. Provide a good roof that doesn't leak; goats hate to get wet; 6. Make the roof with cattle panels to save time and money; 7. Allow plenty of ventilation; moisture build-up encourages parasites and will make your goats sick; 8. Give the goats something to sit on; they love a floor or platform, especially something they can climb on for entertainment; 9. In Winter, provide a deep pile of hay so your goats can huddle together in it and share their body heat; enclose the walls more in case of extreme wind and cold; 10. Don't use heaters in the goat shelter; many people have lost their goats to heater fires; 11. Avoid putting a shelter near a fence; goats can use it to jump over and escape; 12. Keep the shelter near your house so you don't have to walk far to feed your goats.
Questions?
Feel free to send us any questions you may have as you work on a shelter for your own goats.
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