How to Build a Goat Grooming Stand

Goat do not enjoy clippers or vaccinations any more than other animals, and a nervous goat may cause injury or just frustration. For routine handling, goats should have a grooming stand and be trained to accept standing up on them. Stands also allow you to stand upright or sit, easing pressure on your back. "It can be used at other times, such as when you trim hooves or give shots. A keyhole stanchion holds the goat's head, and a dish of grain keeps her busy while you work," notes Gail Luttman in the book, Raising Milk Goats Successfully.

Things You'll Need

  • measuring tape
  • 2 x 4 lumber
  • chop saw
  • Wood nails
  • hammer
  • 1 x 10 lumber
  • metal hook and eye
  • Small feed dish
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure a height comfortable for you to work on your goat. About 15 to 18 in. is enough for an average height person, but if your goat are of the small variety or if you are tall, you might want to increase the height of the stand. Cut (using the chop saw) four legs of your desired height out of the 2 x 4 boards.

    • 2

      Cut four 2 x 4 boards to make the base the goat will stand on, measure 39.5 x18 in. for pygmys and 43.5 x20 in. for other goats. Nail one support to run down the center. Add an extra 16 x 16-in support bar to come off one side for a build-in seat, if desired. Cut and nail more 2 x 4s face down to make a platform, leaving about a half-inch of spacing in between for easier cleaning.

    • 3

      Cut the entire length of the headstall (from two 1 x 10 boards) to 48 in. for pygmys and 53 in. for other goats. Trim 1.75 in. down the length side of two 1 x 10s until it reaches 32 in. from the end and stop cutting. Trim an extra 1.75 in. off the cut you just made, 15 in.long for pygmys and 10 in. long for others, so when the two cut boards are placed together the top has a 7-in.opening which tapers to a 3.5-in. slit. Nail the headstall to the front of the stand.

    • 4

      Trace around the feed bowl on a 1 x 10 board and cut out the shape for the bowl so the bowl can rest in it. Cut two triangle supports and secure the bowl assembly to the headstall. Cut a 2 x 4 board to about 16 in. long, and nail one side to the right of the bottom of the 7-in. opening. Cut one wood stopper from the 2 x 4 and place it so when the latch closes it lays level. Add a hook to the latch, and screw in the eye to the headstall so it may be locked while you work on your goat.