We needed to build a goat and chicken house that was hard for predators to enter. Since we have abundant water, it seemed natural to build a structure utilizing the pond as a protective barrier. This led to the idea of a “floating” goat house. The goat house appears to be floating, but it is actually anchored to the pond bottom.

Framing the nesting boxes

When the pond was dry, 18″ diameter concrete pipe was secured into the ground.  The redwood and cedar frame was attached to the top of the pipes. The flooring is reclaimed oak wood, the siding is redwood from an old barn, and the roof is corrugated metal from a demolished building.

Trusses up!

The house is well ventilated to allow a breeze during hot summers. This also suits the mild California winters. The 12′ x 12′ house has two rooms, one for goats and a smaller one with nesting boxes for chickens.

Walking the plank

The completed house is surrounded by water and is 20 feet from the nearest bank. We use a 2 x 6 as a gangplank but are looking for a lighter solution like carbon fiber. After a few hilarious spills, the goats learned to walk the plank successfully. Goats hate water. We have not seen any evidence of predator encroachment as Jackie and Jennie, our Livestock Guardian Dogs, are also faithfully at watch.

Our goat house!

Tags: "floating" goat house, chicken coop, chickens, Goat Chronicles, goats, upcycling