This is a three panel shelter for the goats. The Fat Ewe Farm has many hoop shelters. The latest is clad half with plywood and half with fiberglass panels for a permanent finish, rather than a tarp, which must be replaced yearly. The ram shed and the new goat house have industrial tarps are 4 or 5 times the price of standard blue tarps. After a year, I will assess the value of the tarps compared with the usual blues. If they stand up to the winter and winds, it might be worthwhile replacing them with the green industrial tarps as the blue ones get worn. There is the possibility of tin bent over the livestock wires as well. I have still to look into the sizes and gauges that tin comes in. 16 feet long by 3 feet wide would be most ideal in a thin gauge that can easily be bent over the shelter to eliminate the tarps as well.
The shelters are moved daily usually, except when it is very wet, because the little lawn tractor does not have the power to pull a shelter when the ground is soaked. It just spins out. It has been raining for three days and the duck shelter especially needs to be moved. If it continues to rain, I will have to move it with the truck. The chicken shelter has two nesting Muscovy ducks so it cannot be moved for a long time so they are not disturbed and the plywood clad shelter houses the Ameraucana chicks. It would have to be moved by hand when a friendly sort comes by to visit.
To build a hoop shelter, the most stable size is 8 feet wide and 10 feet more or less long. The bottom can be 2 x 4 s or 2 x 6 s, depending on the use of the shelter. For pigs, the bottom needs to be pallets or something very strong since they push against the sides and the shelter wires get bent. I have not made a pallet shelter for the pigs yet, but they should get one for winter since they are outgrowing their little shelter already. In the winter, some of the shelters were covered with straw bales and then tarped over them, which provided quite a good windbreak. If the front was also closed in, maybe with the plastic panels, then there would be some heat retained. Animals that do not require heat, such as the waterfowl or turkeys would do fine in such a shelter.
Cut the two long ends to create skids, screw the sides to the front and back, attach the livestock panels with fence staples and wire the panels together for stability. Attach corner braces and two upright boards for each end with a cross piece. Add the wire front, tarp and there you have it!
The shelters are moved daily usually, except when it is very wet, because the little lawn tractor does not have the power to pull a shelter when the ground is soaked. It just spins out. It has been raining for three days and the duck shelter especially needs to be moved. If it continues to rain, I will have to move it with the truck. The chicken shelter has two nesting Muscovy ducks so it cannot be moved for a long time so they are not disturbed and the plywood clad shelter houses the Ameraucana chicks. It would have to be moved by hand when a friendly sort comes by to visit.
To build a hoop shelter, the most stable size is 8 feet wide and 10 feet more or less long. The bottom can be 2 x 4 s or 2 x 6 s, depending on the use of the shelter. For pigs, the bottom needs to be pallets or something very strong since they push against the sides and the shelter wires get bent. I have not made a pallet shelter for the pigs yet, but they should get one for winter since they are outgrowing their little shelter already. In the winter, some of the shelters were covered with straw bales and then tarped over them, which provided quite a good windbreak. If the front was also closed in, maybe with the plastic panels, then there would be some heat retained. Animals that do not require heat, such as the waterfowl or turkeys would do fine in such a shelter.
Cut the two long ends to create skids, screw the sides to the front and back, attach the livestock panels with fence staples and wire the panels together for stability. Attach corner braces and two upright boards for each end with a cross piece. Add the wire front, tarp and there you have it!
The fancy half plywood clad shelter with 3 perches for chickens. There will be a poop hammock to collect droppings under the perches.
This shelter has 2 goats and a rabbit in it for part of the winter. There are straw bales inside for the animals to snuggle into.
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