What’s a creep gate?
A creep gate provides a physical barrier that only allows smaller animals access. This allows smaller animals to enter and feed on precious and expensive minerals and feed while keeping adults out.
How did I make it?
I used some rough cut lumber and some metal tubes and threw it together… lol I think I still need a horizontal bar across the metal tubes, but I am not sure what I want to use yet.
These metal tubes were left over pieces from the installation of our staircase railing. The two centre openings are just under 6 inches wide. My research says that is about the right width, but if not, I designed it so I can remove a couple of screws and adjust the openings.
I built it 40 inches x 40 inches. I can attach it to another panel in a corner to enclose a feeding area for the kids when they are ready for creep feed. It can be moved inside the goat house, or out in their paddock.
Creep feeding
I have some goat kid grower feed that I will be providing to the kids, along with good quality hay and alfalfa cubes. They will also have access to goat minerals.
It is always a concern with young stock – be it horses, cows, sheep, pigs or goats – that the adults don’t hog all the food. Creep feeding ensures that the babies get the nutrition they need, especially as they are weaned off their mother’s milk.
For more info on feeding goats see my article on goat nutrition.
Still no goats
My Does are still happily pregnant, 5 hours north of me, at The Goat Patch. I am anxiously awaiting news of the birth of the Kiko Kids, but nothing yet.
I will be ready when the finally get here!
Last week’s project – A run area for the chickens.
Last week Melissa and I built 3 panels for the chicken run. They are 8 feet x 8 feet. One of the panels has a door for us to go in and out. Once we get them out to the chicken house, they can be fixed together to become a chicken run.
We will also add netting over the top, to protect from airborne predators and add some hardware cloth around the bottom to prevent small animals and diggers from gaining access to the chickens.
We plan to add more panels in time to enlarge the chicken run area. However, first we have to get them out into the pasture, where the chicken coop is and assemble them. We still haven’t figured out how to do that! They are kind of heavy and awkward!
Maybe we can stand them up on the forks of the tractor?
We are thinking of just using eye hooks and zip ties so that they are secure, but we can take them apart easily to make the run bigger or relocate the chicken coop.
Chickens have been ordered
We will be picking up baby chicks on May 7, 2021. They were ordered from the University of Alberta Heritage Chicken program.
The two breeds we have decided to start with are Light Sussex and Plymouth Rock
We wanted to start with heritage breeds and we chose these. They are both calm breeds, that can handle the Alberta weather, and provide a decent number of eggs. I think I might have a thing about black, white and red!
I think they are adorable!
