# Built a new barn. Goats refuse to go in it!



## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

Some suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated My husband and I built my four remaining goats a new barn after losing two in my barn I wanted to demolish the old rickity barn and we made a really nice new one! Problem is my goats refuse to go in no matter what! The old barn is boarded up till I can get it torn down and the crazy goats sit outside the door!! I put a light in food water hay new beds. Even brought there old bed in. The barns a little further from my house and I think they are afraid to go back that far! What should I do.






. The right side of barn is my chicken coop. They won't go in either. Ugh!!


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

I would let them see me carrying grain into the barn. And then sit in the barn with grain until they come in after me.


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

I went in with grain bread potato chips. My husband and I sat there. I said we are two old goats sitting in a barn and our real goats outside! Lol


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Sorry that I am laughing at this frustration; but animals can be so weird about anything new. You should have seem my turkeys after we gave them a really nice nesting box.:eyeroll: They argued with each other and then scolded us. She has obviously scratched around in it but still lays her eggs outside.
I do hope your rebels get over their trauma and go on in. Maybe after it rains???


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

pull them in at night and shut them in so they cant get out (even use something temporary to close them in if you don't have a door). only feed them in the new place. go in and out of it yourself a lot. Give them time, its new and they are scared of it.


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

I'm afraid to lock them in only because my one goat is mean as a mule! He will ram till the cows come home!!! I'm gonna pray for rain. They hate rain!!! I've been feeding them over there. I'm so frustrated cause they will only stay if I stay there! Big babies!


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

They will get use to it.


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

It's been a week now. They still have not gone in. They eat there and then go back to old barn ;( I hope they don't get sick sleeping outside!


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## Tapestry (Feb 5, 2015)

My first thought was to act like you don't want them to go in and they will go in for sure, just to be contrary. They will be fine sleeping outside for a bit and when it does rain, they will decide the new place is great.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Mine sleep outside. They prefer it. And when it rains if they won't go in then lock them in. No different then if they were to go in on their own accord for rain. They will get along.


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## CecilandNellie (Aug 17, 2014)

*Rain*

My goats have never refused a new shelter, so I am not sure what I would do to encourage them. But rain has never failed to drive mine to any available shelter, even a leafless tree. I put my bucks in a pasture with no barn, but a nice large bamboo (50 feet tall and 20 diameter), when it rained they sheltered in there. Rain always does it for me!

Also, I do not think sleeping outside will make them sick, mine sleep outside often, I think it is like a family camping trip (without a campfire).


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

Lol. I am just worried bout them because they never sleep outside. My one goat is 11 years old and he just seems so sad not having the ugly old barn lol. But I believe and trust everyone's advice on this forum so I'll just wait for rain.


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## AncientBlue (Dec 21, 2014)

Ooh pardon my laughter. We just went through something similar. 

We've had a similar problem with installing a bug zapper near the goat's barn. Our heard queen is scared stiff by the thing, although it does a good job of keeping the majority of the bugs off the goats and me. We had to sit in there for a few hours and feed "cookies" to get everyone to calm down. We then installed a ceiling fan for them. It helps with the heat as well as provides a bit of buffer from the zapper's noise. They just had to get used to it. The first night or two they slept on the opposite end of the pasture. Just about as far as they could get from the bug zapper. Now, after about a week of goat-craziness, we're pretty much back to normal. ...but with fewer bugs. I did notice that the younger the goat the easier they adjusted to the new bug zapper and ceiling fan. I notice yours are considerably older then mine so it may take them longer.

Give them time and good luck.


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

Lol. A bug zapper. Goats are so fickle haha. Still waiting. They still sleeping outside..........


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

Update. So far one goat when to the barn.






. He's under the hay rack. Lol


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

That is a start.


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## FreedomStarr (Oct 21, 2014)

Put something you really don't want them to have in there- they are goats, they will go in and destroy it. 100% effective.


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

That is a very nice shelter indeed. My goats almost never go in the barn even in winter. The much prefer outside except to eat and sometimes to kid. They only stay inside when it is raining. Goats just crack me up with their idiosyncrasies.


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

Thank you. My husband and I enjoy sitting in it trying to coax them in.. It's insulated so it's nice and cool in there lol They are the most stubbornest goats I ever met!


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## nigies4ever (Sep 19, 2012)

I've found that locking them in for a couple hours with food does the trick, lol


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

I tried that. And my big guy rammed the door. They l have large horns. I don't want anyone getting hurt. So I've given up. If they wanna sit outside like spoiled brats then so be it lol.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

Is the old barn still visible or did you tear it down? 

Has it rained yet?


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

Still visible I fenced it in so they couldn't go in. Doors are gone. I'm taking it down slowly it's so old we don't want it falling in on us. Yes it rained and one went by the barn under the hay rack. The other three went under a tree


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

Boy, you do have some stubborn little cusses.:GAAH:


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## Tindi (Jul 11, 2012)

So the old barn fell in and killed two of the goats? Is that what you meant about losing two of your goats? Just wondering if your remaining goats are looking for the other two goats or mourning them? I know animals bond..


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

What? 2 of your goats died? Oh I am so sorry;( That is sad;(


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

Oh my no. The old barn is a mess but also a constant reminder of the two of the goats that died there. I lost two this year one had mastitis and the other got hit in the head had seizures and died ;(. So we build new barn and still they won't use it.


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

sassy said:


> Oh my no. The old barn is a mess but also a constant reminder of the two of the goats that died there. I lost two this year one had mastitis and the other got hit in the head had seizures and died ;(. So we build new barn and still they won't use it.


Oh okay, good that that the old barn didn't kill them, sad you lost them though...

Boy, your kids are stubborn! Mine would have gone into anything at the 1st hint of rain


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

They are ridiculous.!!!! It's so nice and they refuse to go in! Well then they get wet!


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## Tapestry (Feb 5, 2015)

One of mine even overturned a water bucket and stuffed herself in it when shelter from the rain was too far away. I just can't imagine goats being that stubborn about using their new barn...


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

that is very crazy. Hope they get use to it eventually. Goats can be very stubborn and are very much creatures of habit.


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

Wooo hoooo. I'm doing the happy dance!!! It poured and all goats headed right to the barn!!!! I'm so excited. Finally!! I laughed so hard when I read about the water bucket. Goats are crazy animals lol


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad they are finally using it.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Huzzah!!!!!! :dance:


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## janeen128 (Dec 31, 2012)

Yay!! Finally the little stinkers..LOL I guess it just had to rain hard enough..


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

:stars:


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

My husband excited to! Went and checked where they were all sleeping and the all have there own spot. We made two beds inside and they using them. Lol it's the little things in life that get me excited


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

. Update .... This is boots. He loves his new barn. ( he took the screen off the window I guess he preferred it with out it lol )


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Glad they like it now.


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

Thanks!!


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

Glad they like it now , its very nice BTW 
I was going to mention set up a sprinkler so they think its raining out and they'll run to take cover into the new barn , lol.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

tapestry said:


> one of mine even overturned a water bucket and stuffed herself in it when shelter from the rain was too far away.


Too funny , :ROFL::ROFL::ROFL:


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## sassy (Nov 29, 2013)

Thanks tricky. It definitely was a Kodak moment lol


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