# Winterizing the barn



## kiddoe (Oct 8, 2012)

Can anyone give me some tips on keeping my goats warm this winter? I live in N/E Pennsylvania and the temperatures can get below 0. I have a barn to keep them in. It has already gotten down to 19 degrees and was just the middle of October. I have no electricty in the barn and will not for some time nor do I have running water. I have placed wafer/sound board up around the inside of the barn to help keep down drafts. No leaks, it stays nice and dry. I have also placed a tarp on the outside of a 12 foot wide swinging door with a 3 foot gap from the floor. I have placed bales of hay across the entire gap and up (4 bales long ways and stacked three high). Even after doing all of that, their water froze up. So, how do I keep the water from freezing? Will my goats be safe from the freezing cold? Also, will it be safe for me to take them out when there is snow on the ground for short periods? The barn is very dark inside. Or should I just open the doors on a "warmer" day instead of taking them out? Thank you for any imput!:snowhat:


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## Jessaba (May 13, 2010)

To keep the water from freezing..we got these http://www.tractorsupply.com/allied-precision-floating-de-icer-1500-w-2170495

It keeps the water from freezing....we just run drop cords to our electricity outlet. Otherwise I think you will have to run water out to them several times a day to unfreeze water for short time.

We also just leave our barn doggie/goat door open so if they decide to go outside they can. They can play in the snow it won't hurt them.

Granted you do live a bit further north than I do  But them playing in snow won't hurt. Some of ours LIKE to play in the snow for a bit.


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## Hobbyfarmer (Sep 7, 2011)

Clean dry stray is wonderful for keeping them warm and cozy. It has a kind of wicking effect that will pull and moisture off them. We have a heated water bucket. It worked great but needed to be topped off twice a day. Since I'm out there anyways it wasn't a big deal. Last year I had it too low and they kept fouling it up. This year I'll move it up a foot out of the danger zone. Then build them a block to stand on.


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## kiddoe (Oct 8, 2012)

I don't have electricity. Is there any product out there that does not require electricity?


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## Hobbyfarmer (Sep 7, 2011)

How many goats do you have? The low rubber feed bowls work okay. Not because they don't freeze. But because you can pop out the frozen water like an ice cube. Sounds like you are already hauling water? This would work for 2-3 full size goats if you can get out there twice a day.


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## Hobbyfarmer (Sep 7, 2011)

They also make solar powered deicers for stock tanks. Never used them myself and not sure about cost. But worth looking into further.


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## Hobbyfarmer (Sep 7, 2011)

http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/solar-stock-tank-z10m0gri.aspx

Here's a cool one you build yourself.


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## farmboyfromthenorth (Jul 17, 2012)

I wouldn't worry about the goats. Even here in northern Canada goats don't need extra heat, just a place to get out of the wind. Well, except for newborns.


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## choffeditz (Sep 28, 2012)

I would becareful in making your goat barn too air tight. You need air flow. Also lice like nice warm barns.


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## JaLyn (Oct 10, 2012)

This will be my first winter with goats and I have electricity..but when i had my chickens I didn't so what I would do was use warm water, it doesn't freeze as fast, u will still have to go out but not as often as you would if u put cold water in their buckets.


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I'm in west central PA and though I do have power in my barn, I do not have heated buckets, I have 2 gallon buckets set inside the girls area on the inside wall, theres a good 4-5 inch bedding pack under the bucket and I also have buckets in each pen outside...I carry hot water in winter in the early morning, then again after work in the early afternoon and again at night. In bitter cold it is difficult to keep them from freezing but I find that my goats go after the fresh hot water more so even if the buckets do freeze, I know they are taking enough in
Also, if that 12 foot wide doorway can be closed to a 3 foot width for access to the pens, it would help cut down on draft.
I have enough cross ventilation above my goats living areas that I can close the main doors and have goat sized doorways into the walls of the different areas my bucks and does live.
Deep bedding is good for insulation, My barn is up off the ground and the winter layer consists of pine shavings for absorption and wasted hay....I also have box like benches built inside, goaties can go under the benches to help contain warmth.


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## kiddoe (Oct 8, 2012)

choffeditz said:


> I would becareful in making your goat barn too air tight. You need air flow. Also lice like nice warm barns.


One half of my barn has a loft. The animals are on the first floor. I installed the panels only on the first floor. Also, in some sections where the goats are kept, there is about a 1 - 2 foot space where there is no paneling, so there is some air flow through the gaps inbetween the barn boards. The entire top half of the barn has no paneling. Also, I rub down all of my kids with Diatomaceous Earth when I notice any creepp crawlies. It seems to help tremendously. Does what I have described sound okay? Do you have any suggestions for me?


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## kiddoe (Oct 8, 2012)

liz said:


> I'm in west central PA and though I do have power in my barn, I do not have heated buckets, I have 2 gallon buckets set inside the girls area on the inside wall, theres a good 4-5 inch bedding pack under the bucket and I also have buckets in each pen outside...I carry hot water in winter in the early morning, then again after work in the early afternoon and again at night. In bitter cold it is difficult to keep them from freezing but I find that my goats go after the fresh hot water more so even if the buckets do freeze, I know they are taking enough in
> Also, if that 12 foot wide doorway can be closed to a 3 foot width for access to the pens, it would help cut down on draft.
> I have enough cross ventilation above my goats living areas that I can close the main doors and have goat sized doorways into the walls of the different areas my bucks and does live.
> Deep bedding is good for insulation, My barn is up off the ground and the winter layer consists of pine shavings for absorption and wasted hay....I also have box like benches built inside, goaties can go under the benches to help contain warmth.


Is there a way you can post me a picture of your benches? That sounds like a great idea. The goat farm where I bought all of mine used 55 gallon drums and cut out a door way and placed a 60 watt bulb in the lid for the newborns to retreat to. But, I wasn't sure if the grown ones would.


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## kiddoe (Oct 8, 2012)

Hobbyfarmer said:


> http://www.motherearthnews.com/do-it-yourself/solar-stock-tank-z10m0gri.aspx
> 
> Here's a cool one you build yourself.


This is an awesome link! Thanks a bunch. I saw in another magazine where they painted milk jugs and 3 liter soda bottles black. They just filled them up and let them sit out. But I don't know if that would work here. It gets quite chilly!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I don't have any recent pics but the bench I have in my doe shed is built along an 8 foot "inside wall".... my bucks are on the other side of that wall, the bench is 24 inches from the floor and I recently covered half the open length of the front with left over OSB. They mainly stand on the bench to reach into a hay feeder and they lounge there but on really cold nights, and with the does who are on the bottom of the pecking order...it's a place to hide as well as nest for warmth.

I have Nigerian Dwarfs so if your goats are a standard breed you may want to increase the height of the bench to accommodate them.

I found the link that has the progress of my addition with a pic of the bench... hard to believe it's been 5 years since I made my little 10x16 into an 18x 16 

http://www.thegoatspot.net/forum/f194/my-new-barn-addition-101386/


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## kiddoe (Oct 8, 2012)

liz said:


> I don't have any recent pics but the bench I have in my doe shed is built along an 8 foot "inside wall".... my bucks are on the other side of that wall, the bench is 24 inches from the floor and I recently covered half the open length of the front with left over OSB. They mainly stand on the bench to reach into a hay feeder and they lounge there but on really cold nights, and with the does who are on the bottom of the pecking order...it's a place to hide as well as nest for warmth.
> 
> I have Nigerian Dwarfs so if your goats are a standard breed you may want to increase the height of the bench to accommodate them.
> 
> ...


Nice dwelling they have! I like your bench idea! Thank you!


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## GridleyGoats (Oct 23, 2012)

hello everyone, I live in Tillamook Oregon,on the coast. It gets so complicated..well I just moved here last march, now my kids begged me for goats,we found nigerian dwarf goats,2twin girl (they are 1yrs old one is pregnant ,one had a baby last august, then i have a buck he is now almost 6 months old.not related to the other goats.The problem im having is i tried to make my horse stalls into goat pens,but it is not working.this is my first time with goats.ive read alot about them,im still trying to put it all together..It is damp some of it is wet ,i put chicken wire all around the whole thing then i bought sheets of plywood alot of them it still does not keep out all rain and wind.It rains everyday here ..what do i do??????


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## kiddoe (Oct 8, 2012)

GridleyGoats said:


> hello everyone, I live in Tillamook Oregon,on the coast. It gets so complicated..well I just moved here last march, now my kids begged me for goats,we found nigerian dwarf goats,2twin girl (they are 1yrs old one is pregnant ,one had a baby last august, then i have a buck he is now almost 6 months old.not related to the other goats.The problem im having is i tried to make my horse stalls into goat pens,but it is not working.this is my first time with goats.ive read alot about them,im still trying to put it all together..It is damp some of it is wet ,i put chicken wire all around the whole thing then i bought sheets of plywood alot of them it still does not keep out all rain and wind.It rains everyday here ..what do i do??????


Hi There. I'm sorry you are having trouble with your goat pen. Is it a three sided corral or is it an enclosed building? If it is a three sided shelter, you may want to put up a heavy duty tarp over the opening (making sure that it fits the entire width and length of the opening. You may need more that one tarp to accomplish this.) and keep it closed at night or when it rains. During the day or when it is not raining you can roll it up and secure the roll with large alligator clips or something similar. If the roof is leaking you may need to install roofing paper and/or shingles or another temporary tarp if funds are tight. Keep a nice layer of straw or hay in the bottom of the pen to help with warmth. Also, I think you posted on my thread, so you may want to copy your original post to your own thread under Beginners goat raising. That way you will get even more tips and information! By the way I'm new here, too. Nice to meet you!


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