After several years of planning, a hoop house has been erected in the central laneway of the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test. It is a 48 foot x 30 foot ClearSpan™ structure purchased from FarmTek.
The handling system has been set up in the hoop house. Having the handling system covered will greatly improve the welfare of the goats and handlers. Over the years, the test goats have been worked in some extreme environmental conditions: heat, humidity, rain, and hail.
The structure will also provide additional shelter for the goats. It will be interesting to see where the goats choose to shelter (most): under the hoop house or in their port-a-hut shelters (probably both). Perhaps, they will choose the hoop house when it is hot and the port-a-hut shelters when it rains.
The hoop house is large enough to provide a feeding area.
The handling system has been set up in the hoop house. Having the handling system covered will greatly improve the welfare of the goats and handlers. Over the years, the test goats have been worked in some extreme environmental conditions: heat, humidity, rain, and hail.
The structure will also provide additional shelter for the goats. It will be interesting to see where the goats choose to shelter (most): under the hoop house or in their port-a-hut shelters (probably both). Perhaps, they will choose the hoop house when it is hot and the port-a-hut shelters when it rains.
The hoop house is large enough to provide a feeding area.
