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+--- Thread: Homemade goat trailer (/showthread.php?tid=4898)
Homemade goat trailer - Jtlynch.74 - 08-14-2022
This weekend I converted my plans into an actual thing.
In the future we will get an small horse dual axle trailer.
However for the time being this is what I came up with.
Overall it's a 10 by 4 flat deck trailer, I added 2x4 stake holders to the side. Built the panels up with 50 inch cattle panels and wood then put some corrugated metal siding on the sides and made a roof with it as well.
I'd really like any tips or recommendations for goats preferences in trailers. I'm going to try to make a front wind guard to take most of the wind off them.
Is a wood decking adequate for them? Should I get a rubber mat?
Do they need feed and water available on an hour plus drive?
This is for 2 whether alpine with horns about a year and a half old.
Going to try a maiden voyage soon and planning a trail magic camping trip in the next week and going to bring the 2 boys along.
Happy to get these goats out on more trails!
RE: Homemade goat trailer - Stringinit - 08-15-2022
I put the thick rubber stall mats down in my trailer. The wood can get a little slick when they urinate on the floor. I'd say your boys would be fine for at least a couple hours while in transit. 100 degree heat might be a different story.
I would add a full wood barrier on the front of the trailer above your tongue. Your truck will create a ton of dust going down a dusty road and that wood will deflect the dust up and around your boys. It still will get dusty in the trailer but this would help a lot.
Also if you are on bumby roads especially washboarded roads your trailer will rattle apart quickly. If you haven't yet, bolt the frame of the roof and the sides to the trailer and be sure to use locking washers.
Some people may tether their goats in the trailer but I let my boys move freely in the trailer. This way they can surf and lean into the turns. Don't be alarmed if your boys start beating each other up, mine do, the reason why some people tether their goats. The fighting will quickly stop when you start moving. Put your least dominant goat in first and your most dominant in last. It helps to prevent the worst of the fighting. Although you only have 2 boys in there so the fighting shouldn't be too bad.
RE: Homemade goat trailer - Jtlynch.74 - 08-15-2022
Thanks. Good point about the urine. I'll look into the mats.
Wind guard is a must! Thanks for your tips I'll use them!!
the thing is all modular so I can tear it down if needed. I used 6 turnbuckles to bind the roof to the siding. It's built pretty firm with those buckles but we'll see how the dirt roads rattle it apart!
RE: Homemade goat trailer - Jtlynch.74 - 08-29-2022
Our shakedown run worked great. Made a wind screen for the front. They peek over right at eye level it's a good height.
The turnbuckles need some fine tuning but they worked well to hold the roof on they get pretty shook on dirt roads
We went car camping and had the trailer hooked up and put them in there at night. One of them preferred it as a shelter. Overnight some coyotes yipped and spooked them but they were very safe inside the trailer.
Worked out well.
RE: Homemade goat trailer - blackie's maiden - 09-07-2022
One thing i see worries me. It looks like some of those wire panels are the 4x6 of 6x6 sauates. We made mistake of using 4x6 around our tree rings here on farm. We are forever having to cut their heads out of it. They seem to be uminhibitrd sticking their heads thru it but not much ability to pull their heads back out. It lead to the death of one under a farm sitter's watch. If panel wire is ag least 4x4 of smaller, we have never had one get stuck. JMO!