Major Urine Problem - Help!

[lipazron]

We built a redwood house with a yard for the doe and her kids. Floor of home is also redwood. Goats have drenched the floor with urine despite everything that we have put down in their chosen area (tar paper/wood/wood chips/straw/paper bags/newspaper). Now, we found a lot of worms/maggots. Cleaned everything with hot water and ammonia. Any advice? What do we do about urine on a wooden floor? If I give them a little food/snack in the house once it is dry, will they then view it as a food area and urinate outside?

 

[ksalvagno]

Is is possible to remove the wood floor and just have dirt there? You could build it up with rocks and end with limestone too. Like start with 1's &2's rocks, then put a layer of 3's & 4's rocks then driveway rocks then limestone on top of that. That would help with drainage and you wouldnt' have to worry about the wood. I don't think there is much you can do with urine on a wood floor. The goats are going to urinate on it.

 

[SheepGirl]

To get rid of maggots, spray fly spray (labeled for maggots/blowflies/screwworms) in the barn. Don't let your critters in until the spray has 'settled,' unless there is adequate ventilation.

I agree with ksalvagno--take out the wood if possible and leave a dirt floor.

 

[Catahoula]

Is it just that specific area they are peeing on in the house?

 

[elevan]

Goats are gonna urinate wherever they are when the need arises. I'd rip out the floor as was already mentioned.

 

[Catahoula]

I guess I am lucky that my goats are urinating only in one corner of their shelter when they are locked inside overnight. What I did is I line the rest of the shelter floor with rubber mats only leaving that corner expose to dirt, I put cat litter (biodegradable walnut or pine) there. They are still going in that corner and I scoop up clumps of goat peep each day. They do poop ALL OVER and that I am out of luck on that. I was going to suggest putting a wood frame and line it with tarp over that chosen area...put absorbent material/bedding inside. At least the peep won't go through to the wood.

 

[SkyWarrior]

I agree with the others. Goats will pee where they want to. Remove the wooden floors and use wood chips to keep it clean.

 

[Roll farms]

I've seen pictures of goat houses in India / middle east and think they have a brilliant idea....they use wooden slats set about 1/2" - 1" apart in elevated 'pens'. Berries and pee fall through.

I am picturing a giant goat tractor (like a chicken tractor) you could move around when the buildup got too high.

But yeah...goat pee is gonna happen. Rip out the floor and put down dirt.

 

[Anianna]

We control maggots/flies by keeping the chickens in the same barn as our goats. Chickens turn the bedding with their scratching and eat the maggots.

I concur that a wood floor is a bad idea in a goat barn. Definitely go dirt if you can. Then excess urine soaks down into the ground naturally.

 

[lipazron]

Great responses. Thanks to all of you. Before I rip out the floor, I am going to try one experiment: Place food bowl in the corner where they used to pee. I want to see if feeding in the 6 x 6 goat shed will encourage her to urinate outside. She pees in a cover there now as well.