# Goats in Cold Weather



## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

Kind of a spin-off from the goat coat thread. This will be my first winter with my goats (all Alpines) and I live in an area with pretty harsh winters and lots of snow. I am wondering how well they will handle the snow and below freezing outside temps. I have made sure the barn will not be drafty, but it isn't insulated or anything. Is there anything I should be prepared for? Any special hoof care?


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Our winters can be pretty harsh, too, and my goats do very will with it. My sheds are simple, 3-sided loafing sheds that face either south or east. I keep them pretty heavily bedded - somewhere between the fetlock and about mid cannon-bone - with either straw or crappy hay. I do my best to make sure they have grass or grass/alfalfa hay during the winter months. Grass is harder to digest than alfalfa, therefore generating more heat from digestion to help keep them warmer. I've never done anything special with their feet. Good luck with your does!


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

Dry, outta the wind, good bedding and good feed. They should be just fine.


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

Great. I thought it wouldn't bother them too much, they are Alpine goats that originated in the Alps after all. I am the only person around here that raises goats, though. Everyone else does cows and sheep. The ranchers keep giving me the skeptical side-eye when I say the goats won't mind the cold too much and I started to second guess myself.


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

Alpines are, well, Alpine animals and evolved in the Swiss Alps. Deep snow, bitter cold etc. Goats do better in the cold than in the heat. I live in Maine and we have some very cold, snowy winters. My goats do great, even when the temp is below 0. They fluuf up their hair, curl up and chew their cud. The rumen is known as the bodies furnace. The fermenting that goes on in that large stomach helps heat the body internally. As long as they have a draft free area, plenty of hay, ice free water and someplace to bed down in, they will do fine.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

It gets really cold here too. below zero sometimes for weeks at a time. I offer warm water twice a day, keep the bedding dry, and plenty of hay. The girls have the luxury suite and get closed in at night....the boys (for now) have a three sided shelter, but they did fine last winter. I had no illnesses....

I can't believe how thick their coats can get!


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## FarmerInaDress (Mar 15, 2013)

NyGoatMom said:


> ....the boys (for now) have a three sided shelter, but they did fine last winter. I had no illnesses....


You mean they didn't even get pregnet?!?!!


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Nope! They didn't get 'pregnet'! Although, they at times, look it! LOL


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## Stacykins (Mar 27, 2012)

Not alpines, but my NDs did just fine. This past winter was particularly bitter for the UP!

BTW, Nigerian Dwarves make poor snow plows.


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## lottsagoats (Dec 10, 2012)

He/she looks very disgusted. I have the same expression when fording thru the snow.

I have had Boers, most full sized dairy breeds and Nigerians. All did very well in the cold, even when it got to -40 a few years ago. Keep them draft free and their rumen full of hay and they do fine.

On the plus side, as much as I HATE the cold, it does kill off bugs, worms and cocci!


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

Stacykins, that is one disgusted looking goat! :ROFL: :ROFL:


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## erica4481 (Mar 26, 2013)

Lol  he definitely doesn't look over joyed


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

LOL I agree he doesn't look happy!

We usually get about 2-4 inches at most when it snows here, and we get about 3-4 snows a year in that range, otherwise just dustings. Usually doesn't stick around long either.

My daughter's yearling loved the snow last year... can you tell? lol


















Like everyone said, try to help keep out drafts, dry bedding, lots of hay on cold days/nights, make sure the water doesn't freeze, if it does don't fill the buckets up too full, just a little and try to check it often. If buckets are frozen, we safe milk jugs that we've cleaned out, fill them with warm/hot water, and pour those to break the buckets. As it melts the ice, it also cools the hot water a bit, so that they enjoy it 

You can keep an old sweater on hand that you can cut the sleeves off of about half way up in the event you need to help anyone stay warm such as in times if a goat is feeling under the weather, etc.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

HoosierShadow said:


> We usually get about 2-4 inches at most when it snows here, and we get about 3-4 snows a year in that range, otherwise just dustings. Usually doesn't stick around long either.


Oh wow, that must be nice! I could deal with 2-4" of snow, it's the foot or more than I have a problem with! :laugh: What are your temps like in the winter?


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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

now that's a happier looking goat


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Heated water buckets are great, and like everyone said; draft free and plenty of good hay! Our Alpines do fine in the cold winters.


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