1. Location of structure. Follow the East-West orientation to avoid your livestock from direct exposure to extreme weather conditions like strong winds. Goats & Chicken are very sensitive to cold 
2. Discuss with your Fundi the cost of putting up the structure, then get a quotation from at least three other different Fundis - settle with not just the most affordable Fundi but inspect his/ previous works. I’ve had the same Fundi for ten years. Good chap this one.
3. Capital expenditures such as Chicken Coups, Cow or Goat Sheds et al should not cost you a Goat arm or Rib 😂 - it’s not a beauty contest you’re competing for: Use locally available materials. I’ve a ka-forest where I ‘harvest’ ‘mbitos’ (zinaitwa aje na kizungu? 😂) za kujenga
4. Never pay for labor of the structure on a daily basis. They’ll spend a month at your farm! Let him charge you labor for the entire project. This structure was completed in a record 4 days - it wouldn’t have made sense, and cents, for him to stay at my farm for long 😂
5. Buy the building materials with the Fundi - never Mpesa them while you’re in your office if you can avoid it. I saved 6k on Timber alone!!
Nails are also one place they can eat a ka-thao or two on a daily basis if you’re not careful.
Nails are also one place they can eat a ka-thao or two on a daily basis if you’re not careful.
6. If you can, it’s cheaper to buy mature trees, get a Chain saw & cut your own timber according to preference (I should have done that but didn’t know until I paid 30K for timber alone🤦🏾♂️)
7. For iron sheets, buy ‘reject’ ones from Shauri Moyo next to City Stadium - they’re cheaper by a few hundreds per sheet - Shit! I did exactly that 👏
My ‘reject’ iron sheets have lasted me TEN years!
My ‘reject’ iron sheets have lasted me TEN years!
8. Oversee your project. You may not be experienced in construction but there are some ‘executive’ decisions to be made on the spot - Plus you’ll enjoy great stories told by the Fundis (My Fundi told me in his hey days he was such a Casanova, wasted his wages on women 😂)
9. Recycle. I failed miserably in Dairy Cow farming a few years ago - the iron sheets & posts That had built the Cow shed came in handy whilst putting up this Goat shed. No shame in recycling - it is what it is, ama? 😁
10. Cost to put up a structure that will hold 30 Goats:
a.) Labor - 17K
b.) Timber - 30k (I could have saved a lot 🤦🏾♂️)
c.) Nails - 2,350
d.) Posts, ‘Fito’ for roofing - 15k
e.) Iron sheets & Drums - FREE
Grand Total 64,350
The End.
CC. @WendyFarmsLtd @WeGOaTMilk
a.) Labor - 17K
b.) Timber - 30k (I could have saved a lot 🤦🏾♂️)
c.) Nails - 2,350
d.) Posts, ‘Fito’ for roofing - 15k
e.) Iron sheets & Drums - FREE
Grand Total 64,350
The End.
CC. @WendyFarmsLtd @WeGOaTMilk
