This is a quick post to share the hut we made that’s been a blessing. I know there are those who are hard core and don’t turn on the heat lamp unless it’s, like, below zero outside, but I’m a softie and I sleep much better knowing littles have the choice to go in, especially during the first week or two of life.
Materials You’ll Need
- A Prima Premier heat lamp (so your barn won’t burn down) and a 150 or 175 heat bulb
- A plastic 50 gallon water barrel
- A saber saw
- Some baling twine
- Some hay
How You Construct It
Start with the barrel. If yours is complete with top, start by cutting it out. (The barrel in this picture is upside down.) Notice that the original rim of this barrel is intact. Leave it this way for structural integrity.
On what was the bottom of the barrel (and is the top in this picture) get out your Premier heat lamp, take off the white grill, and draw around its rim. (While the grill is off, insert the bulb if you haven’t done so already.)
You’ll want to saw about a half inch inside the circle you draw, so that the lip of the lamp will rest on the barrel, and the white protective grill will set inside the barrel.
Finally cut the doorway for the kids to enter and exit. For Mini Nubians, ours is 12” tall and about 7” wide.
So, below is a picture of the kid warming hut assembled. It’s super easy. Use some baling twine to suspend the light from your barn rafters, as in the left picture below. We tie it up that way because we don’t want the barrel to ever get knocked over and let the light fall to the ground. I should NOT be supported solely by its cord, but we also tie up the cord so the goats aren’t tempted to nibble it.
Notice, too, that there’s a string of blue baling twine around the barrel (right picture above) to stabilize it further. It’s secured to an eye hook screwed into the wall behind, where we usually hang a water bucket.
Now, put some nice soft hay inside the barrel… a good 3” to 4” deep. (They will mash it down, and you don’t want them to get cold). You can pat it down some yourself in front to make sure it’s easy for them to get in and out.
And now, just for cuteness…
Three Sisters 
Brother and Sister
