# Wet goats--should I worry?



## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Hi everyone! This probably sounds really dumb, but I got my goats during a years long drought we've had here in California. Now I'm probably the only person in the state that wishes the drought would come back! It has rained almost daily for a couple weeks & I'm finding it impossible to keep my goat pen or even the inside of their shelters reasonably dry. I've been spreading gravel, digging ditches, & putting new shavings in the shelters, but my poor goats are all wet. I've ordered a plastic garden shed with a floor & a door, but it won't be arriving for a week. Does being wet put them at risk for any sicknesses besides hoof rot? It hasn't been horribly cold, 40s & 50s I think. Are there any symptoms I should look out for, or any supplements that might help them? I think I need to remove all the shavings & some of the soil from their 3 sided shed & replace it with a layer of gravel higher than the surrounding mud. Do you think Stall Dry on top of the gravel would have any lasting benefit? I'm not sure what I can do about rain blowing into the shed & the 4 plastic dog igloos they have. Any suggestions on keeping goats healthy in yucky wet conditions? I had no idea this much water was even possible, & I can't get the mud under control in some parts of the pen. I'm open to all advice--thanks in advance. :tears:


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Wet isn't ideal for sure...why doesn't their shelter stay dry? I'd look for coughing, standing off alone, hunching, changes in eating...

I know what you mean about the mud, I am so sick of it!


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## GoatCrazy01 (Feb 14, 2016)

I am in Michigan, but we are having a thaw and it is NOT fun! All of my goats are wet as well and I'm having a really tough time keeping them dry and warm. We also live on a low spot and there aren't any trees around us so it's super windy too. The pasture is basically pure mud, it's awful. Trying to keep shavings and straw changed out in the stall.. also looking for ideas!


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## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

The seven little guys we raised here literally HATED all the rain we had when we had them here! I totally know what you are saying! I cared for them, I swear through some of the wettest days! The little guts tip toed through and often refused to step in puddles! When the guys saw the behaviors they thought they were acting like sissies! Well, they just did not like wetness!!! 

I too dug trenches, hauled in gravel, stones, sand, dry straw, anything! 

We feel we shouldn't raise goats or sheep on that particular property again as it is somewhat low and prone to water build up during wet times! Fortunately, we don't have to use that land for them! The pigs, however, love it!


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## GoatCrazy01 (Feb 14, 2016)

Yup. We are turning this pasture into our new pig pasture I think.


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## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

We did have one who was a loner! However, at one time when he was a loner I noticed him shivering-and of course that is never a good sign! It wasn't cold out then 

Took his temp and sure enough he had a fever! Ugh, PenG!

Well, luckily the PenG was all he needed, as it got him beyond whatever it was! He always was a bit of a loner and not as friendly as the others, but he grew well and was my favorite of the bunch!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

If you can get some pallets for the floor and then nail or screw down sheets of wood onto the pallets, it helps get them up off the ground. Of course after time, the pallets will start to rot but it will get you through.


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## lilaalil (Sep 5, 2014)

I would do whatever you can to give them a dry place. Raising up the floor level on all shelters sounds necessary. Those dog igloos have built-in floors, right? So they would be pretty easy to put up on top of a pallet to get them out of the water. Or a pile of wood or gravel or whatever you can easily get your hands on. 

We get A LOT of rain where we live, and I raised up the shed floor with gravel. Otherwise the bedding would just wick the water up (and also them sleeping on it compressed it down) so it was always wet until I raised to floor. 

Then dealing with the rain blowing in. Is there one main direction that the wind usually comes from? If so, you can face the igloo doors away from the main wind. Here, the wind and rain come from the same direction 90% of the time. 

Just pick whatever shelter is easiest to get really dry and do that one first so that have at least one good place to get out of the rain, then work on the next one. We are spoiled here in Hawaii, but even in our colder 60-degree winter weather, I would not want to be wet with no place to dry off.


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## Lisalisa89 (Oct 18, 2016)

I had to put a pallet down in mine too! I didn't have wood to put on top though so I kept it stuff with straw packed tight. It sucks I have been sliding all over the place in mud here lol I joke that I need a sled or something to go down my hill because it's so slick.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

NyGoatMom said:


> Wet isn't ideal for sure...why doesn't their shelter stay dry? I'd look for coughing, standing off alone, hunching, changes in eating...
> 
> I know what you mean about the mud, I am so sick of it!


If she lives anywhere near me it is coming down so fast the ground is not even attempting to suck up the water. Her getting the goats during a drought probably didn't help with not knowing how serious run off will go. It's a mess!
I feel your pain! It is so bad here too and there is no way to keep them 100% dry :/ a few things that I have done is lay a tarp out, keep tossing straw and wood shavings in. I don't even scatter the straw I just pop the strings and so that makes a bunch of beds. You could even not pop the string open and it will give them their own spot depending on how many goats you have. But basically anything they can lay on will work. It's not ideal but it's something. It has been fairly warm here as well and I am so happy we have at least that! But I agree any coughing, shivering anything that makes them look off keep a close eye on and do what you need to to keep them dry and warm. Someone once said that a animal can be cold and dry or wet and warm and usually be ok. The problem is when wet is even a little breeze and they are cold.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

Stephany I apologize if my reply sounded rude, I reread it and it came off that way and that's not how I meant it, I was just trying to say the rain is insane this month (basically)


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Thanks for the sympathy & advice, all of you! Jessica, I live under the redwoods in the Russian River area. Creeks & river are all high, & as you say, the ground just can't soak up another drop.

As if things weren't bad enough, my back went out to the point that I was having to scoot from room to room on my bottom, so I've only been able to send my 10 year olds out to feed & keep spreading more shavings. If I can drive tomorrow I'll go get a bale of straw for each goat to lie on--the feed store will load them & I'm hoping the twins can drag them into the shed for the goats to use as beds. That's a great idea. 

I think part of the reason the dogloos get wet is splashing, even though they're up about 6", but also the goats keep unleveling them when they jump around on them, causing the door openings to face up & let the rain in. I'm wondering if I go ahead & make the pallet platforms if I can somehow anchor them down on them. 

I really need to just get everything I can out of that pen, totally regrade it, & spread a good layer of gravel. Just thinking about all that work makes my back hurt even more!! Wish me luck!!

Thanks again everyone!


I think we're getting a few days' break from the rain now & the goats are venturing out & playing & climbing so I guess they're OK so far. My buck has always made occasional honking noises-never sure if it's a sneeze, cough, or some kind of exclamation-but he isn't doing it any more often that I can tell. He does it more if he eats alfalfa.


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## lilaalil (Sep 5, 2014)

Yikes, sorry about your back. Mine was out a few months ago and it really is debilitating. An unopened bale of straw for each sounds like a great idea to get you through! When you do put the igloos up on platforms, I bet a few ratchet straps over the top of each igloo and through the pallet would anchor them on pretty good. Probably there are better ways to do it, like bolting them to the pallet but that sounds easiest to me if you aren't handy or don't have tools.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Jessica84 said:


> Stephany I apologize if my reply sounded rude, I reread it and it came off that way and that's not how I meant it, I was just trying to say the rain is insane this month (basically)


No worries! Sounded fine to me


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I feel your pain and sorry you hurt your back. 
Hope you feel better soon.

Not sure how to button it down to a pallet. But when you get them in, look it over and see if there is something to hook something on or bolt it down.

Good luck.


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## BoulderOaks (Sep 24, 2014)

Yup, I know exactly what you're going through!! So far in January alone, we have had more rain dumped on us than our area generally gets in an entire YEAR!!. My shelters are designed as shade more than anything else, since I generally get maybe 1/4 inch per storm and no more than 10 inches total rainfall in a year. 12 inches in 2 weeks has made every pen and every shelter into pure muck. They have maybe one 10x10 dry area in the entire place. I'm working on laying pallets down in the shelters, then will bolt plywood over those. And I will be enclosing shelters on 3 sides instead of just the 1 that was all they needed before. Since we generally don't get rain like this, and the summers are bone-dry, I think the plywood will last a good long time before anything like rot will make them need to be replaced.


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## MoonShadow (Mar 1, 2015)

Awe yes, now you know the sorrow of the Washingtonians. Welcome to the tribe my friends.:lol:

I hope your back feels better soon!!:hug:

Agreed, bolting them down would be your best shot, best thing is its not permanent and you can take them off when the weather changes. 

Gravel floors and pathways, coupled with pallets covered with plywood and straw is about all one can do to somewhat escape the mud. 

As for health, Just support their immune systems and you should be fine.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

MoonShadow said:


> Awe yes, now you know the sorrow of the Washingtonians. Welcome to the tribe my friends.:lol:
> 
> I hope your back feels better soon!!:hug:
> 
> ...


lol I told my dad a few days ago I'm moving to Washington that it's gotta be dryer  I seriously don't think it is for reals though. It's just kind of a shock when the normal rain fall for here is 10-12 inches, for 4 years we only got 4-6 inches and now I'm sitting at 21!


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

SundewFarms said:


> Yup, I know exactly what you're going through!! So far in January alone, we have had more rain dumped on us than our area generally gets in an entire YEAR!!. My shelters are designed as shade more than anything else, since I generally get maybe 1/4 inch per storm and no more than 10 inches total rainfall in a year. 12 inches in 2 weeks has made every pen and every shelter into pure muck. They have maybe one 10x10 dry area in the entire place. I'm working on laying pallets down in the shelters, then will bolt plywood over those. And I will be enclosing shelters on 3 sides instead of just the 1 that was all they needed before. Since we generally don't get rain like this, and the summers are bone-dry, I think the plywood will last a good long time before anything like rot will make them need to be replaced.


EXACTLY! My shelters were as much for shade as they were for keeping dry--& not at all big enough when they were trapped inside them for almost a week of seemingly non-stop rain! Just not set up for this--my head was spinning, not knowing what to do or where to start. Thank goodness, we've had several dry days & the mud turned back into dirt so I can actually work with it! I'm hoping my new plastic shed arrives before the rain starts again. It has its own floor, so no matter what they'l have 1 dry place to stand!


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## MoonShadow (Mar 1, 2015)

Jessica84 said:


> lol I told my dad a few days ago I'm moving to Washington that it's gotta be dryer  I seriously don't think it is for reals though. It's just kind of a shock when the normal rain fall for here is 10-12 inches, for 4 years we only got 4-6 inches and now I'm sitting at 21!


Our average I believe is 38 inches a year. :tears::help: Which is fine, It just gives me one more reason to move to Idaho. Lol
So I can understand the unhappiness over the rainfall, especial 21!!! My goodness, that's a huge increase!!! I have family in cali and they too are not happy about all the rain and mud!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I'm trying really hard not to complain because we really need it but it's been hard to snap my mouth shut and not curse it lol especially since I have to use four when drive just to get out of my driveway and even then I'm crossing my fingers I don't get stuck lol


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## LibertysBoerGoatRanch (Aug 26, 2016)

Ugh the rain totally killed us too! We had to put two of our goats in the trailer because they were up to their knees in mud ! Our horse pens look horrible still!!! We are set up for small amounts of rain but definitely not what we got. 
Today when working on build our new pens we decided to build their shelters raised off the ground and make them big enough so if we have to enclose it won't be a big deal. We definitely related to everyone it kicked our buts big time and there is still so much mud ☹.

I love the pallet and plywood ideas though!! We might just use that for our new pens. We used those pine wood pellets in our pens and then put shavings on top and that seemed to help a little.


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

Oh my goodness!!!! Unbelievable!! :shocked: I'm going to stop complaining now!


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## GoatCrazy01 (Feb 14, 2016)

Yikes! Our pasture isn't quite that bad.. but was getting there! Thankfully we got some snow and it sort of froze over.. at least this way it isn't standing water. Hopefully you get a break soon!


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## jschies (Aug 15, 2014)

LibertysBoerGoatRanch that looks like southeast Texas! What people do here is have pole barns that we put loads of sand in so that the ground is higher than the pasture ground. Some pole barns have a wall on the north side and maybe one other side. We have been extra wet in Texas too this year!


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## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

Oh my!!!! Those photos tell all! A picture says 1,000 words and some of those words likely aren't "G," rated for all General Audiences!

Good creative techniques!

If I could have taken a photo of one of the lamb pastures that had an an ice skating rink on it! The ewes looked pretty clumsy walking on it and I feared one might break a leg! But fortunately not! It's not quite as wet and icy here, and nothing like that here now! 

But, oh my all that water, mud and mess! 

Poor goats, they must be miserable!!!


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## LibertysBoerGoatRanch (Aug 26, 2016)

Yup us SoCal people are not built for the rain so it really kicked out butts!! We have about a week of sunshine then it's supposed to rain next weekend 

I'll try to remember to get updated pictures today. But it was horrible on the goats and horses.


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## LibertysBoerGoatRanch (Aug 26, 2016)

jschies said:


> LibertysBoerGoatRanch that looks like southeast Texas! What people do here is have pole barns that we put loads of sand in so that the ground is higher than the pasture ground. Some pole barns have a wall on the north side and maybe one other side. We have been extra wet in Texas too this year!


We tried to build up our pens but the rain was just to much for us. We also plan to add on to the barn we think because the middle isn't closed in that's why the pens got so flooded.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

We are more in the hills so it's not as bad as that, except for the fence that the creek took out and my goat pen is pretty gross but for the most part the rain just ran down into the creek. My parents place in Northern California though was a different story! Their hay field and the field with the cows in it was standing water. They had to move all the cows into the hay barn (full of hay) to keep them from floating away. But it's going to get to 65 so right now I'm loving life and it's drying out pretty well. 
These are pictures after the first storm of my parents place







That's where the cows were















Hay field


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## GoatCrazy01 (Feb 14, 2016)

Oh my sakes!! Poor cows! Not fun dealing with that, I'm glad they got them moved to the barn!


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## goatblessings (Jan 6, 2015)

Wow! I had to bail areas of my barn this year, but NOTHING like that, my pens at least stayed dry, but it made all the goats grumpy being penned up. A reminder that the trials of life are not nearly as bad as others. A good perspective to keep a smile on my face when things go askew! Thanks for sharing!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Oh man! Those are awful!


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

lol I kept complaining about the rain here and my mom kept talking about how it was worse up there. I was like yeah right and then she sent me the pictures. I was shocked! I can honestly say now though that even though having hills makes things a pain, I'll take it over flat land any day!


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## LibertysBoerGoatRanch (Aug 26, 2016)

Oh my!!! I thought we had it bad!!! That's awful!


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