# keeping manure out of the water



## billmac (Sep 8, 2008)

Most of my chore time is spent emptying and refilling water buckets. My life would be a lot easier if I could simply top up their water, and only have to clean the buckets occasionally if I could keep the dumb goats from pooping in the water. The problem is made worse because a few of my goats have horns (never again), so something like a hole they put their head through to drink is problematic. Any ideas?


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Hmmm, the only time I have a problem with berries in water buckets is when my does are in kidding stalls. And even then, those buckets are off the floor :? 
I have short goats so I have to use short 4 gallon buckets....and the 1 for my 6 girls is at the bottom of the pen sitting on the ground by the gate...never saw a berry in it, a lot of bugs but no berries.

A friend of mine also has nigies and she sets the flat back buckets up on cinder blocks with another block in front to use as a step, I don't recall seeing berries in them so maybe this will help you.


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

WOW, if you can figure out a way to keep the berries out you could just become a millionaire. I have berries in my water because I have the big water tanks that are like oblong and it seems like no matter where they stand they always drop in the water. Now if they are in the kidding stall, the water is higher and no they can not or I should say do not drop them in there. What I do is take a piece of plywood and I put it over the top of the tank, and only expose a little bit. It does help keep the poop out and it helps keep the heat in. BUT just be careful if you do that. My daughter cleaned the tanks and put down the plywood but the wrong piece, and it was very thin, and a baby jumped up on it and slid in the tank and drowned. It was horrible so because of that I do not put mom's and babies in those stalls anymore. :?


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

I just put the water buckets someplace in the pen where the goats don't spend a lot of time...far away from loafing areas, doors, gates, and food. They only go to the buckets when they need a drink and they walk away as soon as they are done. The less time they spend hanging around the buckets, the less chance there is of berries making it into them.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

> I just put the water buckets someplace in the pen where the goats don't spend a lot of time...far away from loafing areas


Good way for the chunky ones to get some exercise too!

Thats why my bucket is at the gate....the girls spend more time either on the hill or in the shed, they have to walk to the bucket to drink.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Funnyriver has it down. Though it never occured to me. We also put water tubs up on cinder blocks. Rarely are there berries in the water.
You can also get those self watering devices but friends of ours couldnt figure out why the barn was flooded, one of them was just playing with it.


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## cdtrum (Aug 25, 2008)

I put my buckets up on cinder blocks and I clip the handles to the fence so they can not knock them over, like FunnyRiver and Liz...I put them away from every thing else........but I still have to change their water a couple of times a day (very picky goats).......they see me coming with clean water and they run and fight over who gets the first drink!


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## Mully (Jun 23, 2009)

I used to play water boy for my goats until I got a large rubbermaid tank with a drain ...now water stays clean and it is easy to clean drain and refill


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## Pygmys4me (Sep 22, 2009)

A friend of mine has a larger tank that she is having her husband build an enclosure around that has holes large enough for the goats heads to get through but keep the berries out. When she gets it built I will get pictures. 

SO FAR I have been lucky, no berries in my buckets.. But now that I say that my goats will start pooping in it.. LOL


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## sparks879 (Oct 17, 2007)

Ou pasture is on a prettys teep hill, with very few flat spots. The loafing shed is out one flat spot on top of the small hill. The water is down in the gully area at the bottem. The girls dont hang out there a whole lot. It makes it so they dont drop berries in the water. I do find other "goodies" in there. Dead rats and such during the summer.
beth


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