# When you let babies out



## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

I know I seem to be posting alot recently but I have another question. I hope you are all not tired of me yet. LOL Well I baby all my kids more then most. I am the person with the heat lamps in 40 and 50 degree weather and colder and I keep my babies locked inside for like 8 weeks since it is cold out I worry they will get to cold. So for the rest of you who do not baby your goat kids what is the coldest you let your kids out side in? Also at what age?


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## Rev144 (Jan 22, 2011)

3 weeks @ 20 degrees!


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## Bit of Everything (Jan 28, 2011)

Mine can go outside if they want or they can stay in the warm barn. It's completely up to them. Today was the first day I saw them outside playing. The goat barn is fenced in and they have a concrete pad to play on. I'm mean my kids haven't had a heat lamp just a dog house for them to curl up together in. I am seriously looking for some more plastic dog houses for next year. They love sleeping in there.


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## Burns Branch Boers (Apr 11, 2011)

I am no help Roger--at 40 degrees my goats are in the barn too :ROFL: and the wether has his coat on!! :slapfloor:


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

A couple of days after they are born as long as its not raining, and usualy 50 or so I guess. I mainly do it because the kidding 'stalls' are only 4X8, and I want to keep it clean and dry. Its not that cold here to most other places, but if it was I would make bigger stalls and keep them in longer.


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

OK well I might let them out tomorrow and see how they do. I am sure the moms are tired of being stuck inside. I am a little worried about Cindy but we will see how they do LOL.


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## RMADairyGoats (Jun 20, 2011)

Our babies can go in and out of their stall at 2 days old and it has to be around 60 degrees. :thumb:


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## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

I let mine out at 3 days old, I usually only start letting them out for a couple hours in the middle of the afternoon or when I muck out stalls if its terribly cold. If its warmer they can come in or out if they want all day. I keep my heat lamps on when its really chilly, but haven't had them on for about a week now. Today and yesterday were the only days they were actually outside playing. I have been putting them in stalls at night with their moms at night only because our barn is so small the does fight.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

I let mine out right away. My bottle kids will usually have a lamp on them when it is going to bee less than 40 degrees mostly because they don't have mom to keep them warm. Once they are a couple weeks old they go out in a bigger pen with a shed to get into. If it is going to be really cold (snow and freezing) I will bring them in to protect them.

Last year my Boer kids were 1 week old, outside with moms when we had 2 ft of snow and -20 degrees including wind chill. They all did well and stayed cuddled up with mom, they would even jump around in the snow and play with each other. The kids had a small dog house that they all fit into, to stay warmer. 


I don't like to keep my kids penned up with no sunlight for more than a day or so. I think they do much better to warm themselves in the sun and soak up that Vitamin D than they do penned up with a heat lamp. I do have to tell myself that they are much tougher than they look!


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## Iwantgoats (Oct 3, 2008)

Above freezing and a couple days old.


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## Guest (Jan 26, 2012)

I try not to bring them in. If it is above 25 when they are born and their out of the wind I don't do anything. If it looks like their ears will freeze before they get dry I string out a cord and dry them with the hair dryer. If it is super cold like 10 or lower I bring them in until they are completely dry then out they go. I use heat lamps on small or weak kids and turn it off during the day if the sun is shining in. I don't just throw them out though, they have a 250 gal clear plastic barrel with the end cut off and stood up on end with a heat bulb in it at nite, I also have enclosed the bottom of my creep feeder so they can get under it as well as eat from it, and they can go into the barn. Most dry kids are good down to 0 degrees as long as there is no wind and they have others to pile up with. The thing I like about getting them out asap or not bringing them in is that they seem to stand the cold better when they start off in it. And there is the Bio thing, a barn is a good place to get sick. High Ammonia levels at the knee high level as well as bacteria can cause problems. Not to mention that they can feed themselves better outside than I can inside.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Well going off of last year, our first set was born on January 5th, and they didn't go out until the 14th, but it was VERY cold, windy and snowy most of those days. If they had been born this year, they would have been out sooner since it's been VERY mild. 
I figure if it's 50 degrees out and they are good on their feet, sun is shining, no wind then it's good to get them outside, let them run and let mama have a break. 
When our does kidded Feb 23 & 24 last year, it was real nice on the 26th so we took them outside for a couple of hours in the back yard, and it was great 

I think as long as they are full, have good winter coats, then as long as it's not bitterly cold or windy, then take them outside for a while, even if there is a little snow. Don't have to be out too long, just long enough for them to run and play <they'll probably stay warm from being so active>. Just my thoughts on it. But then we don't use heat lamps or anything unless it's a last resort. Of course I'd love to be able to spoil my babies like that, hehe


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## Petersfamilyfarms (Jan 15, 2012)

Thanks guys, this was very helpful!


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

Well since we are supposed to get freezeing rain tonight I decided to hold off on letting them out tonight. But if I am home tomorrow while it is light out I will let them out after I fix the fence to that pen. It is fence panels and I know they can walk right threw them. Well Cindy can atleast LOL. I guess I dont see them as being as hardy as they really are.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

RPC said:


> Well since we are supposed to get freezeing rain tonight I decided to hold off on letting them out tonight. But if I am home tomorrow while it is light out I will let them out after I fix the fence to that pen. It is fence panels and I know they can walk right threw them. Well Cindy can atleast LOL. *I guess I dont see them as being as hardy as they really are*.


Trust me I feel the same way!


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

I am pretty much just worried about Cindy all the rest I think will be fine. She is always standing hunched up but I make sure she gets enough to eat and she seems warm enough.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

Ruger has been aloud out a little bit every day since I nrought him home Roger, he seems to deal with it okay


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I have Nigerians. I let them out of the kidding stall when they are about 2 weeks old. Then I just let them out during the day and lock them back up at night. If it is bad weather, all my goats are kept in the barn and they have overhang space to go out of the barn. At this time of the year, no one is in the field.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Mine never are locked in. They go in or out as they please. Last year I had plenty of kids born in three sided houses with snow coming down. They all were fine as long they were dried off well at kidding. They thrived!


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## RPC (Nov 6, 2009)

Well today was a fairly nice warm day so I took the board off the door and they can now go outside. The does were over joyed with the sun light and the babies did not understand why by running out in the light all of the sudden their feet were cold and wet. After a couple minutes they boys were not worried but the girls are prissy and like to stay in LOL.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

haha sounds about right...Ruger didn't know what to do when we had the ice storm. He kelp running and then going sliding, it was funny. The poor thing just couldnt undserstand what was happening!


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## PznIvyFarm (Jul 25, 2010)

HoosierShadow said:


> RPC said:
> 
> 
> > Well since we are supposed to get freezeing rain tonight I decided to hold off on letting them out tonight. But if I am home tomorrow while it is light out I will let them out after I fix the fence to that pen. It is fence panels and I know they can walk right threw them. Well Cindy can atleast LOL. *I guess I dont see them as being as hardy as they really are*.
> ...


Agree! My first babies were born in August and I had a heat lamp going, I don't think they went outside for at least a week................i'm more overprotective than the rest of you :ROFL:


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