Sunday

The Goat's Pallet Barn

We have a couple of buildings in the plans here at our new homestead and first up was for our existing goats. Currently there are 5 and our 2 girls are *hopefully* expecting. Eventually this will belong to the boys of the farm- our Buck, Thor, and our 2 wethers Scooter and Scout. So here's what we did:

Step one- collect lots of pallets. We got most of these from Paul's work and also from around town from various businesses. Most places welcome people to take these off of their hands. 

 

We connected the pallets using lag bolts- here is Paul and Cale working on the lower level of pallets. The shed is approximately 10 x 10 and used 3 pallets on each side. 


Moving up. We connected the second level of pallets using boards from our knocked down barn and 4x4s in the corners.  We were working with a pretty big hill too, so a lot had to be done to get it level.


Because of the hill, the building ended up being a lot taller than the expected 8 ft. It is closer to 10 ft in most places. 


We used a lot of blocks and bricks to set the foundation aswell as using stakes to anchor the corner posts into the ground.


Getting ready for the roof...this is as far as we got before we moved. 


We used a tarp for the roof for the first 2 days, and then this past Friday it was sunny and 60 and the perfect day to quit unpacking the house and get to working outside. 


My dad and stepmother came over to lend a hand on the roof.


Annika spent lots of time with the goats. These 2 are small and really gentle- perfect for her.


Rylan especially liked being up high on the roof while Paul and my dad finished the supports. We got all but one roof panel hung before we had to call it a day.


We were blessed again on Saturday with another beautiful day. Rylan sat up on the tin roof to help with fastening the last panel. 


Then we moved on to siding. The boys were all eager to help with the drilling. 


But eventually they had to hand over the drill in order for the work to get done a little quicker. Though Rylan stayed and helped to fasten the siding the entire time.


Annika took an extra long nap, so my stepmother and I took over the sawing. And I realized that the saw wasn't so scary after all. 


We got 2 sides done before it was time to call it quits for the day. But here is the progress so far:


Bertie and Bella went right in to lay down as soon as we started the 2nd side. They hadn't really liked their new quarters before with the holes in the sides and the tarp roof. They are much happier now. 



And we finished it just in time to shelter them from the cold rain and possible snow that might come tonight.  

14 comments:

  1. Wow! That's amazing!!! We saw your pallet fence and are thinking about doing that. Where did you get the boards for the siding? HOpe you all are enjoying your new place!

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  2. What a great idea! Thank you for sharing it.

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  3. What a great idea! A fantastic way to repurpose old pallets!
    *New Follower*

    found you through The Barn Hop

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  4. This is extremely clever. I'm a huge believer in using pallets for all things around the homestead. Good job!

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  5. Looks like a great barn, and good for you for using that saw! :)

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  6. Wow!!! This is awesome! I love recycled!

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  7. Looks great. My goats don't sleep in the house we built them. They lounge all day in it and eat in it but at night they sleep on the seating we have out there for us to use when we sit with them. We have no idea why. It's such a cute place. I hope your goats are more appreciative. Best wishes in your new home.

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  8. I've seen this in Mary Jane's Farm mag before! So neat!

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  9. It looks fantastic and came together so quickly! I'm thinking of adding a couple of pigs to our little farm and I think a pallet fencing would be perfect for them, thanks for the idea. There are free pallets everywhere... Glad to see you're getting all settled in! :)

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  10. Sarah that is incredible! I love it! I wish I had seen this before we tried to make the chicken coop a year ago. It looks way better. lol!

    Blessings,

    Val

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  11. awaitingheaven@hotmail.comAugust 17, 2012 at 8:28 PM

    I love the pallet barns, but I must mention that leaving the inside bare is a baaaaad idea for goats. Goats love to climb and they could easily get a foot stuck in the pallets. Even cheep 1/4 inch plywood work on covering those pallets. You can also insulate those pallets before covering them with wood. GREAT for cold climates. Good luck to you and God Bless!

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  12. Great project! I agree with insulating it. Get some straw bales and stuff it inside the pallet openings, then cover the inside with either plywood or thick tarp (tack it to the pallets). Don't stuff to loose, but not too tightly either, as this decreases the insulation properties.

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