# toy for the goats



## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

well, whilst at work one afternoon, I watched some workman installing cable and happen to admire a large wooden spool on which they had the cable. Mind you it was about a foot tall and three feet wide, and I thought it would make a nice toy for the pygmy goats, with a large board attached a nice see saw, so I gave them a card and asked them to give me a ring when they had an empty spool and I would come get it. Two weeks later they called, and demured when I offered to pick up the stool, happily told me they would bring it to me. Imagine my suprise when they arrived at my office with a large truck and happily unloaded a giant spool, three feet tall and six feet wide! they were so pleased with themselves, I hadn't the heart to do anything but thank them and admire this giant thing as I tried to figure out how to get it home. After a week and a firm warning from the building managers, I finally brought my goat trailer in, with the lid flipped back and the door removed I managed to wedge it half way on, secure it with rope, and drive home carefully praying the entire way I left it hooked to my hummer for obvious reasons, my husband being helpful unhooked my car and I found my trailer tipped backwards with the hitch nearly straight up in the air! what a comedy!! I finally had a day off to untie and unload it, rolled it down the hill to the farm (it only got away one time and nearly took out my raised gardens) and installed in the goat paddock it is a big hit, a carefully positioned stump makes it a climbing platform, it is a nice shady spot out of mud underneath the edges, and perfect for rubbing horns..


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

lucky goaties!!


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## FrogTacos (Oct 25, 2011)

I have read of someone using large wooden spools before - they said you have to be careful if there are holes in them, as one of their goats stuck a leg in the hole, another rammed it, breaking the goats leg. If ya got holes, might want to plug them up!

My girls have a picnic table, some wooden pallets (covered with scrap plywood so they were solid topped, and an old tractor tire filled in with summer grass scraps. They love them all. When it looks like they are getting bored, I rearrange it all and its new again to them.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

We use the wooden sppols too for all the goats. Different sizes stacked side by side or in different places. Some of ours dh even put wooden steps up to the top & they love the steps, especially the babies when they first start trying to get to the top.

Like FrogTacos said most of them do have holes in them. We cover ours with wood.


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## nehimama (Jun 18, 2005)

Now I have cable spool envy! I know my goats would love them, but have not been able to get my mitts on any. You know, we need pictures! Right?


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## bcadybug (Jul 2, 2009)

Cable spools are the BEST! Esp if you can find the really big ones.... and have the means to get them heavy suckers home... lol 

Here's some of my girls playing on their spools... 









Val


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

yeah, they do have the holes you have to cover for sure...they seem to love it though..huge!! need to get stain for it today.


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## BethW (May 3, 2007)

Nice spool! 

Our power company just gave us the address of their materials location and told us we were welcome to come and get whatever we wanted. So we hooked up the trailer and picked up a variety of sizes It's funny, everyone has since claimed their own spool, and I'll go out and see each spool topped by a goat basking in the sun.

We also nailed pieces of wood over the holes. Very important to do~


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## Oat Bucket Farm (Jul 28, 2006)

We have four wooden spools out in our goat pen. We have used them for years. We've never covered any holes but they learn pretty quick they are there and run back and forth across them without any problems.


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## houndlover (Feb 20, 2009)

I don't cover the holes, but in our wet climate, they get slick, so I throw sand on them. I have had them run, jump, slide and fall off, and then limp around for a few days. Worried someone's going to break a leg.


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## prairiedog (Jan 18, 2007)

in addition to the spools our girls play with a large ball


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