Getting Ready For Winter

[JustKiddin]

This will be our first winter with our goats.. I have purchased a large new calf hutch(4x8) for my 4 young pygmies to winter over in.... My plans are to set cinder blocks down.. place heavy duty wooden palettes up on the blocks.. then place plywood over the palettes ..put the hutch on the platform and cover the floor with pine shaving and hay... Now..will they be ok for the winter or do I have to make plans to climb over the fence to keep the hutch mucked out? My dogs use insulated dog houses to rest in while they are out to play if they get too cold...but they don't poop in them. The goats will have a fenced in area to come out and walk around in the snow if they want to.. I am just not sure how messy they will be in their hutch. The hutch is well vented besides the open front door. Will they be ok???

 

[20kidsonhill]

Where do you live?

 

[elevan]

Knowing how extreme your winters are will help. If winter is extreme then the goats aren't likely to venture out and you're gonna have to clean it out weekly. If winter is mild then you might get away with cleaning it 1-3 times during the season as hopefully they'll venture out a lot.

 

[JustKiddin]

well... central New Hampshire. It gets cold here for sure. Ok so I need to muck it out. I planned to make a square corral using 4 (4 x 16 ft) combo cattle panels. There would be no gate. My problem is... I am trying to keep the kids from chewing my trees to death. The only other thing I can think of... is to cut a section of the fence off of the top on the long side... and connect it back with chain links then fasten both top sides back to the pane with slide hooks. I could unhook it... drop that panel.. climb over and hook it back without ever worrying about a gate being frozen shut down in the snow. Yep that would work Did I mention my middle name is Make Do? lol I can use an old sled to move the muck away.

 

[freemotion]

Lifting that hutch up could keep the floor colder, so I'd definitely go with a deep litter method. Depending on how much the goats go outside, you may not need to muck, just add dry bedding on top. You'll probably have to put a board across the doorway to keep the bedding in as it builds up, and maybe a block outside the door as a step for the little ones. Does it have a door that closes? You'll want to keep them out of drafts, too. I keep my barn door open 24/7/365 (except the hurricane since I didn't know which direction the wind would come from and was concerned about projectiles!) but the door faces south, pine trees a few feet away break the wind, and the stall is large and they can get around the corner and away from any swirling winds.

 

[JustKiddin]

Yes I was going to use the deep litter method... just like I use for my chickens. I am raising the hutch to save my front lawn. I am not excited about having them soo close to the front door but honestly I don't have another choice at the moment. I am still trying to come up with another plan. I will post a picture of my calf hutch later today. It doesn't have a front door on it.

 

[freemotion]

I'd put something to block the wind, then, maybe mount a piece of plywood a few feet away on tposts?

You won't save your lawn.....give it up! You can re-seed it when the goats are moved. But the pallet might still be a good idea if the snow gets as deep here as it did last winter.

 

[ksalvagno]

If you don't mind spending a bit of money, I would recommend getting the blue corral panels from TSC and then just putting fencing over top of it. You can buy a gate in either 4 or 6 foot size. Would be much easier to get in and out and you can reuse the panels somewhere else. I use the panels for all my barn stalls and overhang area. Took a chunk of change out of my pocket but well worth every penny since it is so easy to move around and get through gates. Another consideration would be to get a couple of the dog kennels (the chain link stuff over the metal frame that comes in a 10x10). Then you would have a couple of doors to go in and out of and you can usually find them on Craigslist for cheaper than new.

Also 4 Pygmies in a calf hutch will take some cleaning up, even with the deep litter method. They need to be on dry stuff and you are only going to be able to let it build up so much and then it will need to be cleaned.

 

[mydakota]

I have 10 standard sized goats, but I use the same pasture shelter method you are talking about, just on a bigger scale. (I do have a big stall/run I can bring them into if the weather is extreme, but usually only use it for bouts of below zero weather) I have a calf hutch, a wood and shingle shelter (small) and a larger plywood shelter. They venture out a lot if the ground is bare, but spend a LOT of time in there if there is snow. Depending on snowfall, I had to rake and rebed every 10 days or so. The good news is that it seemed to be adequate shelter for them. I never once went out to find any one shivering or otherwise visibly distressed. They all came through winter fine.

 

[JustKiddin]

I came up with a new plan My goats are currently in a large fenced in area of our side yard. The reason I wasn't going to winter them there ISSS My dear husband pushes the snow off our house there... and my pugs... were able to walk the on snow mounds and over the top of the fences and even found ONE on roof of our shed last yr!!!! IT was a big headache. Yesterday I told him to pick an area for roof snow. He couldn't block both gates to the side yard anymore. Went to home depot yesterday and got the blocks and posts I think I will need. I will be dividing the goat yard this afternoon with combo panels. Doing it this way.. I can keep the goats from eating the two crab apple trees I planted for shade last yr. The trees have been protected by wrapping them with welded wire for right now.. but those kids are growing by leaps and bounds... Next yr... I will be cutting a combo panel in 4ft sections to individually fence in each tree. I don't want to risk kids getting ontop of the shed either... sooo that is why I am reducing the size of their yard. Pushing them to the back half. I will be able to hook up a heated water pail by running a cord through PVC from the shed into their yard. I am now thinking more on the lines of making a gate in the panel.. but instead of dropping it down.. It will swing.. but I won't be cutting the gate to the ground.. more half way... I will have to step over 2 feet.. but that's ok. I am trying to avoid having to shovel out snow anymore than I have too. Since I will be tregging out through the snow as it is with buckets of water to the kids and chickens . I can pitch the muck over the fence there too. I have plum and pear trees on the other side of that fence... They will benefit from all the fertilizer I think this will work.. Oh please pray for me... I am a transplant from Florida and it never fails... I always have at least one major fall every winter.

I will probably change plans for next winter once those trees are fenced in. I am hoping to get another shed for our things that are currently in the old shed. Like are defreezer and large generator..... you know stuff like that.

I sure do appreciate all the suggestions

thank you so much.... keep them coming if you have anymore ideas