My first stupid question- bedding

[ChickenMomma]

We only have chickens right now, so I am used to all things chicken and thats it. lol Do goats need locked down in their house at night like chickens do? Do they get up and wander around in the field during the night or do they stay in their house all night?

 

[Jeff n Jenny]

We only have chickens right now, so I am used to all things chicken and thats it. lol Do goats need locked down in their house at night like chickens do? Do they get up and wander around in the field during the night or do they stay in their house all night?

Taking care of critters.
Keep 'em safe.
There's no way we could leave sheep out at night and ever hope to keep them.
Might just as well ring the dinner bell.
They came into the barn every night. I ran cattle & hog panels around the barn to tighten it up, with custom wire-mesh gates 6' tall at the entrances.
Our fencing is old and adequate for cows, marginal for sheep, and a coyote or dog could waltz right in or over.
If we had new 6' fencing, I wouldn't do it. Predators dig under or climb over. I've has dogs clear a 6' fence and they weren't hunting.
I think Houdini learned about escape from watching goats Lock em down good, is our thought
I would secure anything at night smaller than a cow, just my thought.
And I do night patrol when calves are small.
For us, it's part of living in the backcountry.

 

[ChickenMomma]

So installing a door on their house that locks is a good idea. Ok, we can do that pretty easily.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

Oh yes...a door is great, even for the day I prop mine half open in the summer for when it rains...you know, the goats melt in the rain thing? We’ve been VERY lucky to have not lost any goats to predators....but....I would be heartbroken. I hate to sa6 this...but a chicken, I can totally live with that loss....not a goat!! I’m lucky that my husband has insomnia...don’t let him hear me say that! But, for real, he patrols things. We are thinking of getting an LGD in our future. This forum will be the place to learn abou5 those wonderful dogs, if you decide to go that route. You’ll be cleaning out the bedding regularly anyways, so, them pooping in it...is going to happen if there’s a shut door or an open door!

 

[ChickenMomma]

That’s what I was thinking also, will have to prop it open for them to be protected from rain snow or anything else during the day. My chicken coop is locked up like Fort Knox at night so now the goat house will be too! Dh calls me the crazy chicken lady, so I’m sure I’ll soon be the crazy goat lady too!
He has also mentioned a dog so that may be on the horizon too. We have a house dog now but hes NOT a guard dog, scared of his own shadow lol.

 

[Duckfarmerpa1]

My friend just bought me a ‘crazy chicken lady’ shirt, but really wanted to get me the goat one...maybe next time. We are making business T-shirts...there will sure be a goat on there! . We have a small goat ‘shed’...about 12x24’...that’s there summer spot. But I do have two new goats in there under quarantine....we’ll, really it’s because of all the goat kids in my barn! They all really need the space. I also don’t need any momma goats fighting inmy barn, being new to each other. Waiting for spring to do introductions! But they sure can hear each other!

 

[thistlebloom]

I think it depends on where you live. My goats were not locked in. They had access to a 3 sided shed and a cattle pen at night.

 

[Jeff n Jenny]

I think it depends on where you live. My goats were not locked in. They had access to a 3 sided shed and a cattle pen at night.

Amen! So true.
Every locale has its unique beauty and rhythms.
Almost everyone we know in this area, raising small ruminants has a loss history from predation.
Maybe I'm slightly hypervigilant? I like to plan, prepare, and protect those precious things around me, to watch them grow, unfold, and express themselves. I guess I just want to be a good steward.
-And there's another side to the coin.
Forking out stalls IS an extra chore, BUT, it makes prime mulch/compost/topdressing, and we like that.
A shed on skids/wheels might be moved easier than cleaned???
This battery needs recharging. Good night all -
Last thought from behind weary eyes; nurture your dreams. Grow them and let them unfold.
Develop a system (even a fledgling one) and continually fine-tune it.
Be creative and have fun. The better you invest yourselves, the more satisfied you will be.
Life may be more about how we do the things we do, rather than what we do.
If it's worth doing, do it well.
Short cuts are for stitches.

 

[thistlebloom]

I wasn't being critical of locking them up. I honestly never considered it., although there are certainly predators around here.

 

[Jeff n Jenny]

I wasn't being critical of locking them up. I honestly never considered it., although there are certainly predators around here.

You never came off critical. In fact, I appreciate your kind thoughts.
I'm just opinionated, it doesn't mean that I'm always right..or even sometimes.
***Don't tell my wife I said that ***