Do goats need water overnight?

[Tatswell]

I have a pair of pygmy goats (brother -wether, and sister) I've adopted earlier this year, happily frolicking on my property. They drink from the stream and eat off the land free ranging throughout the day. They've done this since I've had them. Id like to close them in the barn at night as it is getting below freezing here in new England but doing so means no water for at least 9 hrs.
I've stacked hay in the barn but without water in the barn, will they be okay for this amount of time while eating?

 

[luvmypets]

I would give them water. They wouldn't need a huge amount, a few gallon bucket should do.

 

[NH homesteader]

They need water to help with digestion. I also live in New England. My goats get water at night, it freezes overnight but they have it until it does. Can't stay ahead of it without a heated bucket, which I'm hoping to get this year.

 

[Goat Whisperer]

They absolutely need water overnight.

I change/re-fill/clean buckets 2-3 times daily. It is always done in the morning and evening. They almost always drink water through the night.

My goats always drink a bunch of water after eating hay/feed. It would not be wise to let them go without water.

Go to TSC or any other feed store and get a few water buckets

 

[babsbag]

Mine drink a lot of water at night too.

 

[Bruce]

I have a pair of pygmy goats (brother -wether, and sister) I've adopted earlier this year, happily frolicking on my property. They drink from the stream and eat off the land free ranging throughout the day. They've done this since I've had them. Id like to close them in the barn at night as it is getting below freezing here in new England but doing so means no water for at least 9 hrs.
I've stacked hay in the barn but without water in the barn, will they be okay for this amount of time while eating?

Do you HAVE electricity in the barn? If yes, you can use a heated water bucket. When I looked that up on Google, I came across:
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?242385-Forget-the-heated-water-buckets!-This-works!!

Which led to this:
http://store.wildangelcozy.com/water-bucket-cozy-small/

Someone down a few posts in that forum made an insulated water bucket by putting a bucket inside a larger bucket with spray foam between them.

Plenty of options

 

[NH homesteader]

I don't know about spray foam and goats...

 

[Green Acres Farm]

I use this from TSC:

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/little-giant-trough-o-matic-metal-float-valve

I just scrub out algae in water once a week and dump it out every day or two if it's dirty. It's not expensive and saves a lot of time.

I haven't had water freezing problems, though.

 

[Bruce]

Really? No water freezing problems in FLORIDA? I am SO amazed!

I don't know about spray foam and goats...

He made a wooden ring to cover the top edges of both buckets, and rounded the edges. Now maybe a goat would chew on the wood, I don't know. I DO know that my chickens aren't safe around rigid insulation, they love to peck it. Wouldn't trust them with access to spray foam either.

 

[NH homesteader]

I have one goat that is a wicked chewer. It's a cool idea though. Might try for the chickens.