# cold goats



## goatfarmergirl (Jul 3, 2011)

its been so cold these days. my goat are puffing up as hard as they can.i put jackets on them. when i put the jackets on they stopped puffing.are your goats puffing up? :whatgoat: :snowcheese:


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## xymenah (Jul 1, 2011)

Currently my goats are not as its in the 80s here but I have some pictures of my doe Beep a couple years ago.

During winter all puffed up. Dec. 2009










After winter was over and what was under all that fluff. May 2010


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## Jessaba (May 13, 2010)

MY goats are definitely fluffing up.....lowest its been so far is in low 30s at night, but during the day its been mid to high 50s so they aren't too cold for long.....When the sun comes up they all go stand in the sun with their eyes closed lol


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Make sure.. they are fed good...A good Hay..Alfalfa is a good one.... will help keep them warm....

Just remember... when you put a coat on them... it doesn't make them grow a good winter coat..... If you can keep from putting a coat on them.. it will make their coats respond and thicken...However...if you feel.. you have to put the coats on them ...then do it....

Also make sure... they are in a draft free... good layered floor of shavings and straw to lay on... in a barn.... :hug:


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## CluckyJay (Aug 3, 2011)

My goats are so fluffy, I thought they had bottlejaw. :O


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## luvmyherd (Apr 9, 2011)

We haven't gotten much cold weather yet. It has been unseasonably warm through most of October. Curiouser is getting her winter coat (she is a Togg and gets a beautiful long shaggy coat) and has been too warm. I do not want to trim it cuz she will need it soon.


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## peggy (Aug 11, 2010)

Cute pictures, you'd hardly know it was the same goat. My girls are staring to get their winter coats, they need it here in the frozen north country.


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## goatfarmergirl (Jul 3, 2011)

i put coats on my lamanchas.their fur is less then half an inch thick. and the lamancha were coughing and shivering.


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## Itchysmom (Apr 3, 2010)

Hair on animals..goats, horses, etc...puff up to keep them warm. It is natures "coat". When the hair is standing on end..puffing up...it traps warm air next to the body. Once you put a blanket on the hair then lays down and ceases to do what it supposed to do, keep them warm. People always seem to think that the animals are cold because we are! Their natural coat and hay ( the digesting of it) is what keeps them warm. Once you start blanketing you have to continue doing it. Unless an animlas is shivering, I do not blanket. I may be freezing, but they aren't! 

Sorry, didn't mean to lecture! This is just one of my peeves with the horse people!


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

Itchysmom said:


> Hair on animals..goats, horses, etc...puff up to keep them warm. It is natures "coat". When the hair is standing on end..puffing up...it traps warm air next to the body. Once you put a blanket on the hair then lays down and ceases to do what it supposed to do, keep them warm. People always seem to think that the animals are cold because we are! Their natural coat and hay ( the digesting of it) is what keeps them warm. Once you start blanketing you have to continue doing it. Unless an animlas is shivering, I do not blanket. I may be freezing, but they aren't!
> 
> Sorry, didn't mean to lecture! This is just one of my peeves with the horse people!


 :thumbup: I agree...animal hair stands up and poofs out to trap air as insulation...if you prevent it from happening by blanketing them you could do more harm than good. I use sweaters on newborns, just for the first few nights but never had to use one on an adult.
IF an animal is so cold it's shivering, it's best to get them into a dry draft free shelter with deep bedding to warm them then once warm enough for shivering to stop, a blanket is an option....as well as when an animal has "issues" and blows their coat to the point of having bald spots, a coat is a must then.


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