# poop scoop method



## jay13 (Apr 12, 2009)

Ok, I've had my two girls since about April and am trying to use the deep litter method inside their area about 10x10 but they have about an acre of land that is fenced in. My problem is the goat poop is EVERYWHERE and I'm tired of it mashing into my shoes and me slipping on it when its wet. My question to you all is this: 

What do you use to clean up the berries that goats are so fond of leaving everywhere? I can't possibly clean it ALL up, but am considering keeping the areas I have to walk on all the time cleared. Thank you for your ideas.


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## myfainters (Oct 30, 2009)

I rake and shovel out my kidding pen ( 20' X 40') every other day. the 2.5 acres that are split between does and bucks get scraped with the tractor every 2 weeks. (Let me tell you... by the end of 2 weeks with 20 adults plus kids... it can look like we've never cleaned a day in our lives!!! LOL) It sucked when we had to do it all by hand, then we just raked daily so that it didn't have time to build up.... If you only have to clean 10-20 spots a day.... it's not that big of a job. :- )

Jess
Faint-Hearted Ranch
www.faintheartedranch.net


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## jay13 (Apr 12, 2009)

Its just the two girls now, although we had a visiting guy for them recently. Oh and the other thing that is kinda yucky with the poo around is my toddler thinks it looks like dog food.... and tends to pick it up and well we all know what toddlers do when they pick something up.... :::blech!::::


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## myfainters (Oct 30, 2009)

:ROFL: I have 3 little ones (5,3 and 1 1/2) all of them have taste tested a goat pellet at least once. ICK...

I wonder if that means my kiddos need to be wormed now too???? LOL

Jess
Faint-Hearted Ranch
www.faintheartedranch.net


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

try a small rake and dust pan type thing.

I found a set through a dog grooming catalog (I just went to grooming school) but I have also seen such a set in other catalogs.


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## DebMc (Dec 11, 2009)

I keep my 3 Angora does in "Turkey Town", a 60' dia. roundpen that's been planted w/pasture for a family of 5 turkeys. Unlike the turkey poo, the goat pellets do not wash in w/watering. So twice a day, I rake and scoop those up. It takes maybe 5 minutes and I pretty much 3/4 fill a 5' gallon bucket each time. I also use a k9 pooper scooper - have 3 of them - to clean up after my dogs and all my poultry and waterfowl in their yards/habitats. We live in the desert so I don't have snow or ice or frozen urine and feces to deal with - makes clean up easy. For me, a pooper scooper works fine.

Deb Mc


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## Suellen (Mar 9, 2008)

I have 10 goats. My stalls are concrete so I wait till mid day to sweep out the stalls because by
then the poop is firm enough. They have wood slit palates to sleep on. Every 3-4 days I lift the palates
and sweep out all the poop that drops through the slits. On the main walkway I have laid down boards
which makes it easy to sweep or shovel them off. 
I hope that helps
Suellen


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## judys (Dec 12, 2009)

I clean stall daily and rake the pens as needed


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Everyone has great advice... all are good ideas....do what is easiest for you.... We use our tractor to scrape away the pellets.... :wink:



> my toddler thinks it looks like dog food.


 You can always say... that they are smarter pills ...... then when... they say..."it tastes like crap"...then you say..."see that .........you are getting smarter every day..... :wink:  :ROFL:


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## Mully (Jun 23, 2009)

My barn floor is dirt so I use straw and add every few days some more straw then once a month I muck out, add lime to the dirt and a lot of fresh straw. I compost the poo and straw, by the end of winter I have some gold for the garden. Never really smells either.


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## Dreamchaser (Oct 30, 2008)

Since the berries roll real well, and I live in the desert, I just use a hose and spray the poo off into the grass. I do two things that way, I fertilize and water the grass at the same time. I have the best grass in those spots! LOL


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## jay13 (Apr 12, 2009)

Suellen said:


> I have 10 goats. My stalls are concrete so I wait till mid day to sweep out the stalls because by
> then the poop is firm enough. They have wood slit palates to sleep on. Every 3-4 days I lift the palates
> and sweep out all the poop that drops through the slits. On the main walkway I have laid down boards
> which makes it easy to sweep or shovel them off.
> ...


Do they use them in the winter? wouldn't they be incomfortable to sleep on? I wonder because I have some of these in my barn right now in their pen but am not sure if I should leave them in or take them out... I am using the deep litter method inside the barn to help with the cold, but its the yard that has become a slip n slide when the weather gets wet.
Oh, and I tried a lawn rake which just seemed to scatter them rather than gather them up but the grass is too spotty to use a snow shovel type of scoop... any other ideas? I was thinking a stiff broom. Do you think it would get too mucky?


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## pelicanacresMN (Dec 29, 2009)

I have rubber matting on my floors. I use a big snow shovel to scoop & clean all straw & wood shavings. It pushes easily along the rubber floors & I fill up a wheelbarrow. I do 3 to 4 loads & I clean completely once every week.


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## jay13 (Apr 12, 2009)

pelicanacresMN said:


> I have rubber matting on my floors. I use a big snow shovel to scoop & clean all straw & wood shavings. It pushes easily along the rubber floors & I fill up a wheelbarrow. I do 3 to 4 loads & I clean completely once every week.


my main problem is the large outdoor area we have that i have to walk through on my way to the barn. what do you do for your areas outside of the barn that you can't afford to put mats down on?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

For the area needed to go from the gate to the shed door, it's easier to let the berries go and place concrete stepping stones to form a makeshift path...since most of my property is on a hillside, the berries tend to gather at the bottom fenceline, making it easy to rake them down hill when it's dry out, with the stepping stones a broom across them keeps them clean.

Once the spring thaw arrives, I move the concrete pads and shovel out the entire area, by then it's composted into a gorgeous black dirt that I use to repot house plants or top dress my garden with. :wink:


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## pelicanacresMN (Dec 29, 2009)

The goat door has a bunch of concrete rectangles landscaping blocks that we put in this past fall--we made an area the length of the barn going out about 5 or 6 feet. Like Liz said, the poo just sweeps right off. My barn set up must be quite different than yours. I have a man door that I use that the goats don't have access to & I have several gates in the outdoor fencing & I try to put hay racks & bucket holders in spots that I can lean over the fence & put in easily without even having to go in.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

My "man door" is inside the goat pen....the original shed was built with only 2 pet pygmies in mind :wink:


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## Wildwindkids (Oct 26, 2016)

You can use a horse fork and put chicken wire on it to make sure the poop doesn't fall through. They do sell a fork that you wouldn't have to do that with, but it's over $200 for the fork!


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## Nab58 (May 8, 2016)

I use one of these and a small broom for smooth surfaces and a shrub rake for grassy areas.


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