Where to build goat shed and pig pens???

[yourbadd]

Here is a crude aerial map of our property.

We have 2 acres. I am not sure where I should place the goat shed (or what size I need to accommodate 2 does and a milking area) plus a pen to raise 2 feeder pigs.

The blue lines are the property lines and the red rectangle represents a neighbor's barn. He's a stickler for rules and actually made us move the fire pit claiming it was too close to his property lines. Keep in mind the fire pit was put there by the previous owner 3 years prior!!

I also need to take into consideration the lack of water or electric lines. There is a pole and transformer right on the property line between the two houses so I could possibly tap into that in the future. The only water source right now is a spigot on the back of the house near the deck.

Obviously, the green circles are trees and the brown rectangles are gardens/flower beds. The surrounding land is wide open fields that either get corn or soybeans. We have NO windbreak either.

I would love suggestions and ideas on maximizing our space!!

 

[Wannabefree]

I think I would put the goats in a pen built off the back side of the coop and then put the pigs on the other side of the back of the property away from picky neighbor.

I couldn't help but notice you said he MADE you guys move the fire pit....I'm guessing the previous owners told him to take a hike, but now he has one over on you. Don't take too much from him. I think he may have been testing you to see if he could push your buttons. It could be a sign of trouble to come. Just sayin....don't mean to offend, but I wouldn't take any crap, it's your proerty

 

[patandchickens]

The key thing IMO is to find out what your local bylaws say about setbacks far animal pens and/or animal housing. How far from residences, how far from property lines, etc etc. And then pick somewheres within the legal area, given that you are pretty sure your neighbor will cause problems if you don't.

That said, in general I would suggest putting the animals on good high ground (nothing flat or sorta-in-a-dip), maybe 100-200' from the house if you have the choice of it, and not too near the pole and transformer if it has a utility ground rod at its base. And somewhere that runoff from the animals will drain AWAY from your well and AWAY from your house and the most-used part of your yard.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[yourbadd]

Thanks for the suggestions. I am mainly concerned about shade, well, really, our lack of!! There were 2 giant oaks on the neighbor's property that shaded a nice section of our yard but they came down when we had hurricane winds rip thru Ohio 2 years ago. I could put the goat pen next to the coop, which is close enough to the house to make hauling water not a huge chore. I also wanted to make sure I didn't put the pig pens in a spot where we'd smell them frequently. The right side of the diagram is the east so that may be the most logical. If we put the pens at the end of the property, it's the farthest away from our house and the neighbor's. The idea of hauling water out there is not fun but it wouldn't be all year round!!

He's really a nice man, just eccentric...doesn't know how to act around my kids, deathly afraid of being sued and loves rules. He doesn't live in the house, he comes to the property and works it like a job everyday. He leases the 180 tillable acres to local farmers but keeps 3 barns for his bees, wood crafting and storage. I will look into the regulations on animal pens and property lines. He's a good neighbor and I am in no way looking to sully that relationship.

 

[Wannabefree]

Good deal on the neighbor...yeah if he is a good one definately keep him that way I didn't mean to insinuate...just seemed awfully negative the way it was worded. Sorry I misread...darn monotone computer screens

Yeah i didn't think about regulations...we don't have any I could put the coop upside the neighbors house if I owned the land, not that i WOULD, but....well you know what I mean. So I tend to forget about those things.

For FAST growing shade...see if you can get a hold of some willow oak, they grow like CRAZY. I cut one down 5 times in 3 years that grew up beside the house...yeah the SAME tree FIVE times!!! Ya can't stop them! i FINALLY killed it, but it took chemicals TWICE before the stump would die out completely..so yeah, I think it would laugh at a hurricane.

 

[Denim Deb]

I'd go w/a poplar hybrid. They'll grow fast, provide shade and not have all the tannins the oaks have. We have a ton of pine and oak in this area, which makes our well water acidic. Add that to the iron content, and while the water is safe to drink, we don't.

 

[Up-the-Creek]

First I would say you need to invest into the book "Backyard Homestead" has a lot of great ideas for small acreage....... Next, I would say,...make sure the animals are downwind. This is from experience.

 

[ThisOldCabin]

Great ideas.Keep getting along with the neighbors.You can prove to them you not like the last problems he had there.I'd be over there trying to learn some wood working skills.LOL,thats just me,I like to learn from someone that knows.
Pigs need to be kept in a smaller pen.Keep it clean but don't let them run their extra weight off that you're paying for.Goats need more but 2 won't take up alot.Again they need a dry area.Pens and shelters have to be cleaned some.If it smells really really bad it needs moving or cleaning.Just part of the fun.Let the kids pick up fishing worms and go fishing.