Preparing your goats for winter.

churchx3

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This will be my first winter owning goats. I currently have a Pygmy and a Nigi. Need suggestions on what I need to do to prepare my girls for cold weather. I live in GA so our winters are not too bad compared to the North. My girls home is a large wooden 4x4x6 oversized dog house without a floor. I have straw down for their floor which I can change out as needed. Please share your words of wisdom with those of us who are new to raising goats.
 

ksalvagno

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I would think as long as they can get out of any type of weather such as wind, rain or snow they should be fine. Maybe put down a thicker bedding of straw if it gets cold.
 

freemotion

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Here in New England we have long, snowy, and cold winters, and I leave the door to the communal stall open all year 'round. I also just add new bedding when needed (the hay they waste is often enough) on top of the old, dirty bedding and let it build up all winter. This keeps them warm and dry and well off the frozen ground. I suppose that composting might create some warmth, but I don't think it ever gets deep enough to actually compost. Cleaning this out in the spring is a big job, but it is very easy all winter. I occasionally will spot clean it where it gets very wet, like in front of the door. They tend to go pee there a lot, too. So that area gets cleaned and re-bedded with shavings, then straw, several times throughout the winter.
 

cmjust0

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churchx3 said:
This will be my first winter owning goats. I currently have a Pygmy and a Nigi. Need suggestions on what I need to do to prepare my girls for cold weather. I live in GA so our winters are not too bad compared to the North. My girls home is a large wooden 4x4x6 oversized dog house without a floor. I have straw down for their floor which I can change out as needed. Please share your words of wisdom with those of us who are new to raising goats.
How do you keep the floor dry?

Might not be such a problem now, but mud and muck tends to start hanging around a little longer when the sun isn't out for quite so long at a stretch...
 

churchx3

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How do I keep the floor dry?? First I pick a higher spot then I lay down 1x1 concrete pavers leaving some space in between each one. Then I put an entire bale of straw on top of the pavers to make it thick and comfy. Pee is able to percolate down to the concrete pavers and into the ground...this way they are never in contact with the ground. I also sprinkle DE on top of the pavers when I replace the straw as well as sprinkle DE into the straw. And with all this said, usually they prefer to sleep out in the open under the stars on their benches. Their house is mainly used by them when it rains. Of course I did notice some of my chickens hanging out in there earlier this week....and NO my goats do not have access to chicken food but my chickens do like the goat food!
 

cmjust0

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churchx3 said:
How do I keep the floor dry?? First I pick a higher spot then I lay down 1x1 concrete pavers leaving some space in between each one. Then I put an entire bale of straw on top of the pavers to make it thick and comfy. Pee is able to percolate down to the concrete pavers and into the ground...this way they are never in contact with the ground. I also sprinkle DE on top of the pavers when I replace the straw as well as sprinkle DE into the straw. And with all this said, usually they prefer to sleep out in the open under the stars on their benches. Their house is mainly used by them when it rains. Of course I did notice some of my chickens hanging out in there earlier this week....and NO my goats do not have access to chicken food but my chickens do like the goat food!
That sounds really familiar for some reason...I think we've already had this conversation. Or am I crazy?

On second thought, don't answer that... :gig

That's usually my concern with small housing, though...keeping the floor day. A goat without a dry place to lay down is going to have trouble. So long as you can provide them with a dry place to lay down out of the wind and weather over the coming winter, they should be fine.

:)
 

()relics

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How do I prepare my goat for winter? I go out to the pasture and tell them, " Girls its going to be getting a little cold in a month or 2" ....They stare at me with obvious disbelief as I close the gate headed back to the house....but it really doesn't get that cold here anyway....
 

aggieterpkatie

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()relics said:
How do I prepare my goat for winter? I go out to the pasture and tell them, " Girls its going to be getting a little cold in a month or 2" ....They stare at me with obvious disbelief as I close the gate headed back to the house....but it really doesn't get that cold here anyway....
:lol:


And about bedding....I keep bedding on top of the old bedding and form a pack. Many do this up north, and the bedding stays warm and keeps the animals warm. Come spring, clean out the pack and add it to the compost pile!
 

cmjust0

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aggieterpkatie said:
And about bedding....I keep bedding on top of the old bedding and form a pack. Many do this up north, and the bedding stays warm and keeps the animals warm. Come spring, clean out the pack and add it to the compost pile!
We do that, too.

Except the "Come spring" part, anyway. Here, it's more like the "come whenever we have a chance, which hasn't happened for a really long time" part.

:lol:

( :hide )
 

churchx3

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cmjust0,

That sounds really familiar for some reason...I think we've already had this conversation. Or am I crazy?

Give yourself some credit! Actually when I was preparing to get my first goats I had conversation with you about this very subject. You gave me good tips which I integrated in the design/build of their goat house.
 
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