# How Clean is Clean Enough?



## Aunt Angus (Apr 26, 2021)

Howdy. I've been a goat mama for all of 4.5 months. I clean out the goat house weekly, but I don't know if I'm doing a good enough job. No matter how much I rake, scoop, and shovel, there are always berries and wet spots.

Here are the deets:

4 goatie girls
Converted 10x10 wooden shed
Dirt floor
Straw bedding
They are closed in every night (for safety
We added 2 big windows to the shed, plus it has a ridge vent and 2 gable vents. We also leave the doors wide open all day long, so I'm not super worried about ventilation. There hasn't been any bad smells, but it has been unreasonably hot lately, and I worry about parasites.

So how clean is clean enough? Or maybe I should ask how dirty is considered acceptable?

TIA


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

Sounds like you are doing a good job. We rake and rake too and berries escape plus goats deposit them right back out lol. You can use sweet PDZ under bedding after cleaning their shed out to help break down the urine. At night as long as they have plenty of air flow they should be fine locked up. If ita too hot..may need to install a window fan to help.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I too agree, you are doing a great job.


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## JML Farms (Jan 1, 2021)

My biggest concern in my barns is areas of excessive moisture caused by poop and pee. Luckily, I have naturally sandy dirt floors that quickly absorb pee, but the poop will sometimes still accumulate in mass which still needs cleaned regularly. I think as long as your barn is not standing in moist waste, and you are cleaning it regularly, you should be good. The parasite problems are more of a concern when the floor and bedding is nothing but goat berries. However, if you are still concerned with cleanliness, you might put down some large wood shavings. They absorb moisture pretty good and help keep everything dry. If you are having trouble with excessive wet spots, you might consider some type of elevated bedding platform to keep them from laying in their urine or mud. The issue I've had with using hay is that it's harder for me to rake through. Sounds like you are on top of things though.


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## Aunt Angus (Apr 26, 2021)

JML Farms said:


> My biggest concern in my barns is areas of excessive moisture caused by poop and pee. Luckily, I have naturally sandy dirt floors that quickly absorb pee, but the poop will sometimes still accumulate in mass which still needs cleaned regularly. I think as long as your barn is not standing in moist waste, and you are cleaning it regularly, you should be good. The parasite problems are more of a concern when the floor and bedding is nothing but goat berries. However, if you are still concerned with cleanliness, you might put down some large wood shavings. They absorb moisture pretty good and help keep everything dry. If you are having trouble with excessive wet spots, you might consider some type of elevated bedding platform to keep them from laying in their urine or mud. The issue I've had with using hay is that it's harder for me to rake through. Sounds like you are on top of things though.


I like the idea of something under to absorb moisture. I'll give wood chips and PDZ a go. The ground underneath all of the straw is a little wet. It reminds me of compost in its consistency. I think that's what concerns me most. I can't rake all of that up without taking up a lot of the dirt underneath. When I clean, I find myself doing more digging than I'd like. If I keep going, I'm going to end up with a pit under the goat house!


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Hello recent goat enthusiast! I had the same questions and problems when I just started out. I have a ten by ten barn with a dirt floor as well. What I found to work really well is a couple things. 

Pallets covered with ply wood are great for the goats to sleep on because they will not pee on these and then you know they aren't sleeping in wet spots. Secondly I made a "bedding box". I sectioned off about a four by six foot area of the stall and only had bedding in there. Barn lime or sweet PDZ on the bottom, followed by a layer of pine shavings to absorb the moisture, and the straw on top of that. Goats prefer to pee on bedding so my goats only peed in there. The rest of the barn had no bedding. When it's time to clean everyday, I sweep up the berries and peel back the straw in the bedding box and remove any really wet spots. Be sure to use enough bedding. I've learned that if you skimp on bedding, you just end up wasting more because it doesn't do its job as well.


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## Crazy Goat Lover (Feb 8, 2021)

I had the same problem, until I got horse mats, I love them, they aren’t cheap but you can easily sweep them off and wash them if they start getting too dirty, you can get them at tractor supplies, horse mats are expensive but totally worth it, I’m not sure how much regular rubber mats cost but I’m sure they would work as well.


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## Tindi (Jul 11, 2012)

I put down shavings about 4 bales and clean mine monthly. We have plywood cubes and a sort of bunk bed for them to sleep on but my floor is wood. They spend most of their time outside though and only go in to sleep. We actually replace the sand under the over hang with fresh sand every spring. It keeps everything draining. Sounds like you are doing a great job I would just add more bedding such as shavings.


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## Aunt Angus (Apr 26, 2021)

Love all of this advice!

I'm still not feeling great about my setup. The girls don't spend any time in there, except at night when we lock them up. 

What are y'all's thoughts about deep litter? It seems that's what's happening whether I intended it or not.

But I am thinking about horse mats now, too. And kinda regretting not putting in an actual floor. I have zero trouble keeping my chicken/duck coop clean because I just sweep it out.


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

I like deep bedding only in the winter. Way too hot in my climate to do it at other times of the year. Horse mats are great. I'd be all over those if I had the budget for them.


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## Aunt Angus (Apr 26, 2021)

MellonFriend said:


> I like deep bedding only in the winter. Way too hot in my climate to do it at other times of the year. Horse mats are great. I'd be all over those if I had the budget for them.


Horse mats it is, then! They are pricey, but my giat house is small enough that it won't be a huge problem. So I'll rake out whatever I can and add mats. 

Forgive my stupid, but do I just lay them down on the dirt? Do I need to put anything under them?


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## Crazy Goat Lover (Feb 8, 2021)

Aunt Angus said:


> Horse mats it is, then! They are pricey, but my giat house is small enough that it won't be a huge problem. So I'll rake out whatever I can and add mats.
> 
> Forgive my stupid, but do I just lay them down on the dirt? Do I need to put anything under them?


We put a layer of stone under it then put the mats down and put a stake in each corner to help them in place


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## lada823 (Apr 2, 2018)

You've gotten some great advice and if you want to go with horse mats I'd say you can't go wrong there. But I'll add my 2 cents. 😉 I have found that if I don't use any litter at all, I have less problems in the summer with smells, wetness, and flies. My goats are out on pasture all day and only in the barn at night. I just rake and scoop the berries in the morning. The pee goes right into the ground and doesn't sit making a wet spot.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

MellonFriend said:


> Hello recent goat enthusiast! I had the same questions and problems when I just started out. I have a ten by ten barn with a dirt floor as well. What I found to work really well is a couple things.
> 
> Pallets covered with ply wood are great for the goats to sleep on because they will not pee on these and then you know they aren't sleeping in wet spots. Secondly I made a "bedding box". I sectioned off about a four by six foot area of the stall and only had bedding in there. Barn lime or sweet PDZ on the bottom, followed by a layer of pine shavings to absorb the moisture, and the straw on top of that. Goats prefer to pee on bedding so my goats only peed in there. The rest of the barn had no bedding. When it's time to clean everyday, I sweep up the berries and peel back the straw in the bedding box and remove any really wet spots. Be sure to use enough bedding. I've learned that if you skimp on bedding, you just end up wasting more because it doesn't do its job as well.



I tried this and it worked great for a bit but then I had some girls who would lay in the pee bedding...ugh. I like the concept but no idea how to keep them out of laying in it.


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## Aunt Angus (Apr 26, 2021)

Alright, y'all. I'm struggling, and I could use more help.

Here's what I tried based on the suggestions received:

I raked everything out that I could and got back to a bare dirt floor
I left some straw in the corner in case they wanted to pee there
I swept up berries every day/every other day (depending on how much time I had)
I changed out the pee area daily
What I found out is that they peed everywhere, not just in the bedding I left in the corner. The ammonia smell became strong quickly - within just a couple of days. Areas of the dirt were becoming soaked. So I used PDZ on the dirt. That helped for a couple of days, but it got bad again shortly thereafter. 

Tonight, I went to put them to bed and was really grossed out by it. The smell was BAD. So I added more PDZ and threw in some straw. I hate to do that because it's been hot here, but I'd rather have that than ammonia!

I have four 7 month old girls in a 10x10 shed on dirt. There is a ridge cap vent all along the roof's apex and two windows that create a cross breeze when opened. I leave the big doors open all day, and the girls are rarely in there because it's been warm, and there are yummy blackberry bushes on their yard that command their attention. The only time they are really in there is at night. Of course, it doesn't help that Sunshine immediately- without fail - goes into the goat house every night before bed and pees in the middle of it.

What am I doing wrong? I don't want the girls to get sick because of the yuck. I feel like I'm failing at this. So many little things keep going wrong.


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## Aunt Angus (Apr 26, 2021)

Im feeling a bit better. I mucked out everything this morning, spread a bag of PDZ, and opened everything. I'll let it dry out today and see what I've got. I think if it dries out thoroughly, it'll be ok. I will forgo the straw completely and invest in a bunch of PDZ. I _might_ be able to maintain it if I use more PDZ. And do daily sweeps, of course.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Barn lime helps cut down on smell too.


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## lada823 (Apr 2, 2018)

ksalvagno said:


> Barn lime helps cut down on smell too.


I love barn lime and have always used it. Cuts down smells and keeps things dry. And it is a lot cheaper than pdz.


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## Aunt Angus (Apr 26, 2021)

I'll pick up some barn lime today. For sure.

I spent a goodly amount of time sprucing it up yesterday. There's an area that still isn't dry (must be where they pee a lot). It should dry out today. I left everything open again. I think once it dries out completely, it'll be ok.

Thanks, everyone!


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## MadHouse (Oct 3, 2019)

I have fans directed towards the wet spots. I turn them on when the goats go out. When I come in to clean an hour later, it is usually dry.
I use the same fans to cool the barn for the goats on hot days and nights.


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## Aunt Angus (Apr 26, 2021)

I've got to get my solar up and going, but I will add that asap. I don't have power down in that part if the property, but I do have a small solar panel and battery I can put down there.

Today I spent another couple of hours cleaning every last berry out of there. I spread a decent helping of barnlime down and then added pelleted horse bedding. It smells fantastic. 

I also got me a good pooper scooper and a pair of rubber gloves that I can use to spot clean in the morning. Feeling pretty good now. We'll see....


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## AndersonRanch (Oct 18, 2020)

Cleaning during the morning and then letting it air dry all day is how I do it. It really does make a huge difference. I also do not put any bedding down during the warmer months. I don’t lock them In at night and they really don’t even go in there. 
When you lock them up how tight is it closed? You still want some air flow in there and if it too tight that might be part of the problem. If it takes a few days to really smell it though try to open everything up daily and see if that helps. 
If you don’t have mats down yet though I would try the no straw. With the mats it just puddles up on them so you really want some kind of bedding. I tried some cheap free mats in a few stalls years ago and I found I had to put more straw down


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## Aunt Angus (Apr 26, 2021)

AndersonRanch said:


> Cleaning during the morning and then letting it air dry all day is how I do it. It really does make a huge difference. I also do not put any bedding down during the warmer months. I don’t lock them In at night and they really don’t even go in there.
> When you lock them up how tight is it closed? You still want some air flow in there and if it too tight that might be part of the problem. If it takes a few days to really smell it though try to open everything up daily and see if that helps.
> If you don’t have mats down yet though I would try the no straw. With the mats it just puddles up on them so you really want some kind of bedding. I tried some cheap free mats in a few stalls years ago and I found I had to put more straw down


They are locked in tight. Predation is a big problem in the area. Mountain lions have struck some ranches/farms in the area this spring, but there are vents up high and a ridge cap vent along the roof. 

I cleaned this morning with a cat litter scoop (haha!) and shoveled out wet areas. I think this new system will work.
I think.
I hope.


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## lada823 (Apr 2, 2018)

I think with that many goats locked up tight like that, you're going to have more smell issues. The lime should really help.


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## AndersonRanch (Oct 18, 2020)

lada823 said:


> I think with that many goats locked up tight like that, you're going to have more smell issues. The lime should really help.


I think so too, but nothing you can do about it. You have to keep them safe. You just will have to clean more often then you like but the things we do for the animals we love.


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## Aunt Angus (Apr 26, 2021)

I've been spot cleaning every day. I put on a pair of dish gloves and pick everything up by hand. Super easy. I have been putting lime on saturated spots and deep cleaning every week (or so). So far, so good!

Thanks everyone!


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

I am a little OCD when it comes to cleaning poop in their living areas, I clean as I see! I remember reading a chicken book and the author said if you don't want to live in it, you need to clean. I always did that, though. For chickens, there's some talk about leaving their waste in, but I clean that out too. I use the old goat hay for their bedding and I only run low on that a couple times a year when I have a really good bale they love!

I've been working from home for the last year and a half, and with this heat we are going through, I go out about 3-4 times a day to check on them, get them fresh water and such. But usually I'll clean in the morning and before bed. My floor is 2b limestone gravel filled in with limestone dust. I need to get more of the dust for the winter, but the girls are in the barn all the time to stay away from the flies. So when it cools down, I'll get another 500 pounds or so of the dust and we'll be good.

Due to where the barn is and the flooring, in the winter time I put down TSC stall mats. The one side of the barn gets wet and I haven't come up with a better solution yet on the drainage and not sure I ever will, as most of the property is on a hill. So I got the mats, which keeps them dry and they love laying on them. It makes it easier to clean, too. On nice days, I take them out to let everything dry before we start again!


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## Aunt Angus (Apr 26, 2021)

I wish I worked from home! Good for you! 

It's manageable now. I'm not OCD about it, but it's pretty darn clean. I'm really liking the pellet bedding. Super easy to clean, super duper absorbent, and smells great.

I use deep littsuper absorbent, of chickens and ducks right now, and that's been fantastic! In a couple of months, I am moving my flock to a bigger area. I'll be ditching the run, and they'll have about 1000 sq ft of area to roam around in. I'm very excited! It will be a veritable chickentopia (if all goes well). Won't need deep litter in the run now that they'll share the forest floor!


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

Nice! I should have mentioned that I only have 2 goats and 3 chickens - so it's very easy for me to do what I do! I know others have much larger herds and flocks on here. As long as they are happy and healthy, that's the important thing! Oh yeah, my chicks are also free range, so it's just overnight bedding that I clean out! Your flock will love the extra, or should I just say new, room!


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## Aunt Angus (Apr 26, 2021)

Just an update...

I proclaim VICTORY!

Here's what I FINALLY figured out works for my situation:

Use pelleted bedding for horses but add water to turn it to sawdust (idea stolen from someone on YouTube)
Sweep up berries every morning, scoop up wet areas, and dispose
Sprinkle barnlime on any remaining wet areas
Every other week, sweep out all of the substrate
Sprinkle barnlime on the clean swept floor
Put down 2 more bags of pellets
Takes me all of 15 minutes (I timed myself tonight) to clean the entire goat house. No smell. Goaties are nice and clean. 

Thanks again, everyone!


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## MellonFriend (Aug 8, 2017)

Awesome sauce! That pelletized bedding is the best!


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## Dandy Hill Farm (Aug 5, 2021)

Yay for you!! So glad you found a bedding solution that works for you and your herd!! I will definitely have to try the pelletized bedding this winter!! It sounds awesome!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)




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