Most of the meat goats in the U.S. are raised extensively; however, usually dairy goats are kept in paddocks and barns, near the farm homestead. When confined, each goat should be provided at least 8 to 10 square feet of area, and the floor of the building should be constructed in a manner that it can be effectively cleaned or disinfected on a regular basis. If the floor is made of regular dirt, bedding must be provided and changed routinely to prevent dampness and parasite infestation.

Concrete floors are ideal for routine cleaning; however, some sort of bedding is required and may be capital intensive. Ideal permanent indoor housing for goats has strong elevated floors that can allow fecal matter to pass through the mesh and feces are flushed away with water from the animal housing and accumulated in a lagoon. These facilities should have solid goat proof walls up to 4 feet high with the remaining wall to the ceiling made of woven wire. This type of facility is ideal for the more moderate environments of the Southeastern and Western states. However, providing rolling curtains similar to those in commercial chicken houses will provide more comfort in the colder Midwest climate, or in the northern states. Blowing
fans or exhaust fans, for air movement in summer, with heaters for the winter may be required in the colder environments. However, this system of housing is expensive to construct and may only be feasible under commercial settings and large feedlots.

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