One thing about homesteading or farming or ranching, there are always repairs needing to be done. Presently I am working on some long overdue goat gym repairs.
Wood rots in moist climates like the Ozarks. What doesn’t rot attracts termites and carpenter ants. The goat gym is twenty years old or so and some of the wood is rotten.
Some Repairs Are Important
These goat gym repairs are very important. The goats run up and down the ramp, leap onto the platform and jump up and down the stairs.
Rotten wood can collapse under a goat and break a leg. Although broken legs do heal, they are a nuisance and, in this case, would be my fault.
The main part of the gym got repairs done a couple of years ago. Now the platform and ramp are falling apart.
I saw the boards collapsing a year ago and did nothing. I’m not much of a carpenter and this was obviously a two person job. I am one person.
What Happened?
The goats came in from pasture the other day. The kids raced up to play on the goat gym. And the platform and ramp were gone.
A friend came over to help me get started and we demolished these. We also cut the long pieces needed to rebuild these. There is a pile of old oak pieces to take nails out of and cut to length for stove wood next winter.
New Goat Gym Taking Shape
The new pieces are cut. Now I’m putting the pieces together. I’m working on the platform first as one end of the ramp sits on it and it is flat, easy to work on.
With help, the long runners are together. It does take two people as seasoned oak requires drilling holes for carriage bolts and for nails.
Why am I using oak? Oak lasts a long time. Seasoned oak is tough enough to withstand goat assaults. And oak is available here, cut with a band saw sold several years ago.
How Long?
The goats want their playground back soon. I am slow as my carpentry knowledge is limited. And the goat gym repairs take care to be done right.
I finished the goat gym platform. The ramp? That depends on my figuring out how to cut the top and bottom angles.