# bedding for the goats



## 2goatjo (Jun 29, 2008)

Hy I am new here but i was wondering what kind of bedding do you use for the wintertime for your goats. Do you have a floor in the barn or just the ground? Thank you


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

Well first of all, Welcome to the Goat spot. Glad you are here. :wave: 

What kid of goats do you have?
I use straw in the winter, and ours are on the ground. Straw is warmer then shavings.

We love pictures if you have some of you goats.


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

Welcome to the goat spot! I'm pretty new here also!

We lay down shavings, keeps the urine soaked up and not so stinky, then we PILE it w/ a ton of straw. Keeps them nice and cozy! Luckily we have tons of wheat this year so our straw is going to last us quite awhile! Yay!!!


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## RunAround (Feb 17, 2008)

Straw is a lot of $$$ here. So I use the wood pellets and shavings.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

towards the end of November I stop cleaning out the shelter and I let the hay just pile up. As it decomposes it puts off heat so it also helps with keeping things warm.

Welcome :wave:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Welcome to The Goat Spot!!! Here I pretty much do what Stacey does, I have a wood plank floor above ground due to drainage problems so I put a layer of pine shavings down to absorb what doesnt go thru the cracks in the floor and then just scatter what they waste out of the hay racks, usually after 3 months though I have to clean it out ...especially when I have to duck through the doorway! I do use straw with shavings under it as bedding in the kidding stalls and it helps keep babies dry and warm.

What breed goats do you have? We all love piccies too!


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## 2goatjo (Jun 29, 2008)

Thanks everyone! I just recently got 2 Pygmy goats. I nedd to build them better shelter for the winter and wanted to make sure i do it right. Someone gave them to my brother and he didnt want them as he has about 70 bigger type goats. I hope to raise one birthing from them. They are just a hobby for me and are pets. I have only had them for 2 weeks and they are getting over being scared of me and will eat out of my hand. I was raised on a farm so know a little about farm animals, but not goats.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

the mini goats are so much fun. Are these babies or adults? 

My goats currently have a dirt floor and their shelter is a leanto style shed. It has worked fine for 11+ years but my dad wants to spruce up the yard and the roof needs to be redone. He also wants me to have a nice place for people to come to and not a shack when they pick out and pick up their kids. So he is building me a barn :leap: but all that to say that simple is perfectly fine :greengrin:


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Hi from PA, welcome to TGS! :leap: 
I can't add anything special here. I use the "deep litter" method also. I started cleaning out the barn resently. It's a job, but I basically do it once or twice a year. This will be the big job, then I'll do a mini clean before the weather turns cold (goats aren't in the barn much during the summer). I'll lay down a layer of shavings, then straw over that. I'll add a small amount during the winter between kiddings, or if they are in for awhile because of bad weather.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

Welcome to TGS!I use straw on the ground.Do you want 2 more pygmys?LOL :wink:


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

StaceyRoop said:


> towards the end of November I stop cleaning out the shelter and I let the hay just pile up. As it decomposes it puts off heat so it also helps with keeping things warm.
> 
> Welcome :wave:


 The problem with that is if you get on your hands and knees to the goats level, you will get a good whiff of that they are breathing all the time. I tell all my 4Hers to do it when they think that the barn is cleaned out enough.
There was a Pygmy breeder that had goats getting pneumonia all the time and they were dying. She asked me if I had any ideas what the problem could be. I went to her pace and we got on our hands and knees. WOW the ammonia was so bad it was burning my lungs.

Since she started cleaning out the barn better she has not lost any more goats from this. 
We clean ours out but every time we do we use the Sweet PDZ on the ground first to neutralize the ammonia from the urine.


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## AlaskaBoers (May 7, 2008)

in the summer they get dirt, no straw, but they can lounge on the waste hay. in the winter, straw is everywhere! but we use barley stalks? i dont know but its alaskanstraw. cheap and works well. i only clean out the house once a year, in the spring. then back to dirt. which they love to cool off in. plus theyd rather be outside enjoying our short summer, sunbathing.


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