While we love to expand the farm, we try to do it on a budget.  We have been focusing on recycling materials as much as possible.  Why buy new, when you can find it used?  Why buy used, if you can recycle something for free?  Anna watches freecycle and I watch craigslist.  Last weekend, I picked up 28 sheets of 1/2″ OSB for $100 from CL.  I have found sources for 55 gal plastic barrels that just need to be washed out.  There is a moving company that loves to give me a full truck load of pallets.  Using pallets as the base for projects allows me to use the tractor with forks to move things around the farm.  If you aren’t picky about paint colors, check the OOPS paint at Lowe’s or Home Depot for $5 gallons of exterior paint.

This 4×6 goat shelter cost me less than $10 which was the paint and 3 new 2x4s that I needed.  Everything else was free (except the nails that I already had). This took about 8 hours to build.  The entire series of pictures can be seen here:

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=16374

Here is the main shelter for our goats.  It is a 10’x10′ Shelter Logic garage.  I made a floor and walls out of recycled pallets.

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=14856

Finally, goats have to eat hay.  Here is a hay feeder that I built using left over pieces of fence panels and a free plastic barrel.

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=14855&p=2