Housing

Sheep Housing and Facilities Requirements

PennState Extension
(Previously published online with PennState Extension: August 28, 2025)

Well-designed sheep facilities should promote the health and welfare of sheep. They should provide a comfortable, stress-free environment for sheep to live. In addition, the facilities should allow producers to complete routine management tasks efficiently.

Sheep require a minimum pen size and a minimum size for feeders. Pen and feeder sizes both vary based on the size of the sheep. Well-designed facilities will also save labor and allow for more efficient management tasks throughout the year.

Housing Facilities
All sheep operations should include some type of housing facility. For example, Continue reading Sheep Housing and Facilities Requirements →

Considerations in Goat Barn Design

Katie Jackson, Morgan Hayes, and Joseph Taraba, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, University of Kentucky
(Previously published online with the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service: April, 2024)

(Image Source: LSU Ag Center)

Introduction
Farmers who raise goats for meat or milk need guidance in the interrelated tasks of choosing a barn design and managing temperatures for their herd. Barn orientation, ventilation design, and stocking density are all important considerations which impact goats socially and physiologically, potentially impacting production. While other species are relatively well studied in these areas, research on goats is somewhat limited. T he goal of this publication is to provide recommendations drawn from research in goats and sufficiently similar species.

Stocking Density and Internal Layout
Stocking density can be highly variable between operations, often driven by management styles, for example, if the goats spend time predominantly on pasture vs. in a barn. Many goat spacing studies were run to determine pasture spacing. Pasture studies are likely excessively conservative (providing high square footage per goat) when applied to barns, since stocking density in a pasture impacts not only lying space and social constraints, but also dry matter availability and the probability of ingesting parasite eggs. Sheep literature is also limited in its application to goats.

Continue reading…

Safe Use of Heat Lamps and Barn Monitoring System

Jason Hartschuh, Dairy Management and Precision Livestock, Field Specialist

During the winter lambing and kidding seasons, ensuring that lambs and kids get up and dry as fast as possible is critical for survivability and thus operation success. As producers, we can assist with this process by providing a warm area by offering supplemental heat and reducing barn draft while the young are still wet. For many operations, a heating system is part of their lamb and kid survival strategy with the lower critical temperature for lambs and kids being 50°F. Below this temperature lambs and kids are chilled and either need additional energy or supplemental heat. Unfortunately, heating systems add risk to our livestock barns. Any system has at least a minimal increase in fire risk. Especially the most common way of adding heat with heat lamps over deep bedded straw.

When using heat lamps there are some best management practices to keep in mind. Continue reading Safe Use of Heat Lamps and Barn Monitoring System →

Sheep and Goat Housing: Renovate or Build New?

Sarah McNaughton, Editor, Dakota Farmer
(Previously published online with Ohio Farmer: September 29, 2022)

When considering building or renovating housing for sheep or goats, producers should first examine their current level of production and management styles, while keeping future plans for potential growth or management changes in mind.

“We want to consider where we’re at,” said University of Minnesota Extension engineer Erin Cortus, during a recent webinar by University of Minnesota and North Dakota State University. “Where are we in terms of existing space or existing facilities?”

Cortus encourages producers to think about the number of head, a barn’s function, and how much time they have to commit to management, as well as future plans.

“We don’t want our current structures or plans to Continue reading Sheep and Goat Housing: Renovate or Build New? →

Lamb and Goat Production Seminar: Facility Design

Although a bit lengthy, this video highlighting concepts for improved feeding systems and converting existing structures to house small ruminants by Mike Caskey from Southern Arkansas University is worth the listen. If there is a topic that you are more interested in, feel free to select that section within the video using the Youtube app. Trust me, there are some note worth pieces shared here. Enjoy!