We are also relatively new into goats. We started with 2 boers (wethers) for the kids for 4-H last year, then this past summer we bought 2 more wethers, a boer doe, and an Alpine doe. Obviously the wethers have all been sold at the fair, but we still have the 2 does. They are the craziest things, never did I imagine the type of personality they have. We are getting ready to get some more. 2 more wethers and another Alpine doe and another boer doe to "back-up" the wethers. Then this fall/early winter the first 2 does will be bread. Hoping to have the boer to produce around February and the Alphine to deliver around the end of May first of June right before the fair.
Anyway, since we have such a small heard we started out with 10x10 dog kennels. I think we have 14 of the panels. We have them all linked together. For shelters for the summers I started out with 2 4x4x4 little boxes that I had made and covered with tin from one of those metal car ports that had hail damage. Then since that wouldn't be good enough for winter shelter this fall we took our 8x16 shed and turned it into a barn. We've moved their food, hay, baking soda, and minerals in there. Then we keep the bottom of it covered in straw. I have a small loft in the back of it to keep their hay & straw up on. Since the shed had double doors on it, we've left the one closed and tied the other one back. Since it is now pretty cold here (you won't have to worry about that) I took a sheet of OSB and covered half of the open door. I also ordered some of that heavy thick plastic like you see once in awhile over a freezer at the grocery or on a big loading door. I'm going to let it hang down from the OSB while it is cold. If it looks like it will start droppiing below 10 degrees or so, I will probably add a heat lamp or two. I want to minimize that though. Don't want them too warm and not be able to take the cold and also want to make sure it is up out of the way so they can't get it and either chew on the cord or start a fire with the light and the straw. Since they are for show, I just want to make sure their ears don't get frost bit - besides that is cruel to make them suffer that way if I can prevent it. We try every day or so to clean any major wet or poop spots up, but inevitibly you miss some, but every couple weeks we will remove all (or most) of the straw, sprinkle some baking soda around the floor to absorb the oder, and then put down all new straw. So far it has worked well, but at some point would like to have a larger (and real) barn with a dirt floor and a larger pasture area, but for now we are making do.
Keep us posted and good luck.
