# Goats outside in winter.



## LittleGreenBarn (Mar 26, 2017)

Hello. This is my first experience owning goats. I've had my Pygmy/Dwarf crosses since March of this year at 9wks. I always used to put them in their barn at night, but in the summer months I started leaving the door open to the penned in yard. Helped me from the excessive cleaning morning routine. We live in the city limits and have high fences around our property, so predators are unlikely and I do have a LGD.
My question is, now that we are in the winter months (I live in N. Central Texas) the weather is getting into the 30s at night. Is it normal that they are all still preferring the outdoors? I would think if they were uncomfortable they'd go inside. My youngest goat I got in July at 9wks and she's still quite small. Should I put them to bed or let them do their thing?
Thank you for reading, any and all feedback is appreciated.

*editted a sentence


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Mine always sleep out side, unless it's raining or snowing. Cold doesn't seem to bother them much.


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## LittleGreenBarn (Mar 26, 2017)

Thanks Suzanne. I put them up last night in their stalls, I was worried because it was getting down to 22. Next time I'll just give them the option of shelter or stargazing in the cold. Silly goats.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Yes they can take some pretty wicked temps as long as they are dry.


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## LittleGreenBarn (Mar 26, 2017)

I'm starting to feel better about this. Thank you Nancy!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

It is up to you and the health of your goats. 
If any are skinny or do not have good winter coats on, I would rather keep them in. Or if the wind chill is really cold and blowing too hard, I would also put them in.

For me personally, I put mine in, in the winter only.
I rather they not burn off body weight to stay warm outside. Inside they are warmer and away from the winter chill. And I don't worry about them getting sick from being out there. 

My goats will stay out there, if i let them, but I make them go in. I noticed on really cold days with the wind, they are really happy to go in at night.


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## LittleGreenBarn (Mar 26, 2017)

Thank you so much! I'm taking this all into consideration.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

We live in Maine. The only time my get closed in is if we have a wicked blizzard where the wind is driving the snow sideways. Otherwise, they're just fine.


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## LittleGreenBarn (Mar 26, 2017)

groovyoldlady said:


> We live in Maine. The only time my get closed in is if we have a wicked blizzard where the wind is driving the snow sideways. Otherwise, they're just fine.


Thank you also for your input! I'm thinking my little ones are way tougher than I give them credit for.


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## bk0110 (Jan 1, 2016)

Hey there, LittleGreenBarn, I live in Flower Mound, Tx. and raise pygmys. I put mine up at night and under heat lamps in the winter. I have tubs with shavings under the light and they love them! Spoiled-lol


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## LittleGreenBarn (Mar 26, 2017)

bk0110 said:


> Hey there, LittleGreenBarn, I live in Flower Mound, Tx. and raise pygmys. I put mine up at night and under heat lamps in the winter. I have tubs with shavings under the light and they love them! Spoiled-lol


That is so wonderful! Spoiled to the core! Your little ones are living the life of luxury. I'm in Colleyville, so we're definitely getting the same weather.

I moved my dogloo out in the pen last night. Turned into a coveted spot. Looks like I'm gonna have to get a few more......good to have options, right? Barn or igloo? I'm gonna have to use discretion if we get some gross weather. Thank you!


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## papabert (Dec 9, 2017)

It is in the 30's here and dropping into the low teens at night. They all stay outside. I have a wind brace for them, but they don't seem to even notice the temperatures.


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## LittleGreenBarn (Mar 26, 2017)

:happygoat: Thank you! All this helpful input is really putting this into perspective for me. :happygoat:


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Mine can stay outside or go in, whatever they desire. I live in Maine and the temp gets way below 0 sometimes. Most breeds of goats deal with the cold much better than they do the heat. Locking them inside a barn can open them up to pneumonia because it tends to get damp and ammonia-y.


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## Deborah Haney (Jul 11, 2017)

Personally, I lock mine in the barn at night because I'm paranoid about stray dogs and neighborhood hooligans. It also rains a ton where I live and the ground is pretty much constantly wet. I have one goat who isn't exactly the smartest (I have found him wet in the morning because he slept in a puddle) so I want to keep him safe, even if he's a little dumb


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## Calfee Farms (Oct 10, 2017)

Our goats have access to a barn but most of our goats prefer the open air to the barn unless it is raining heavily and/or the wind is howling...some prefer the woodland despite having a big metal building of a barn. Goats love choices.


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## LittleGreenBarn (Mar 26, 2017)

Deborah Haney said:


> Personally, I lock mine in the barn at night because I'm paranoid about stray dogs and neighborhood hooligans. It also rains a ton where I live and the ground is pretty much constantly wet. I have one goat who isn't exactly the smartest (I have found him wet in the morning because he slept in a puddle) so I want to keep him safe, even if he's a little dumb


I have a goofball in my little herd too.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Yeah, if I allow mine to decide, the bad part is, I have actually watched the dominant does block the 2 door ways to keep out a few goats. So I rather put them in then having a few kept out in the bad weather and with the possibility of them getting sick.

Goats can be so mean to each other.


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## Calfee Farms (Oct 10, 2017)

Yeah, but goats have survived for thousands of years in arid desert environments to arctic-type climates. I've never had a goat to freeze to death. LOL!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

However, they are now domesticated and that makes things a bit different than those in the wild, who are hardier.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

Mine really love the overhang in front of their barn. It's open on three sides but covered, so I guess it's a happy medium for them 

Well it also has the hay feeder. Lol.


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## Deborah Haney (Jul 11, 2017)

Different breeds of goats also have different issues with heat and cold. Smaller goats would be more vulnerable to cold, Nubians's ears can get frostbite if they get wet, angoras can overheat more easily without their horns, etc.. Plus, domestic goats are often kept in smaller groups so bedding down together doesn't protect them as well, and I'm fairly certain that wild goats have a much higher mortality rate than domestic goats, with people looking out for them, not counting those slaughtered for meat.


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## Calfee Farms (Oct 10, 2017)

We raise Spanish goats and ours are nearly in a feral state. They came off a big ranch in TX and now they are on our farm in similar fashion. We provide big lean-to's (3 sided shelters) in the pastures as well as a big barn but my goats being nearly feral, prefer the 3 sided shelters in the field and the woodlands. We deworm, trim hooves, vaccinate, etc. but our goats like as little human contact as possible. We feed round bales of timothy/ orchard grass hay in the winter and occasional bucket of grain to keep them coming to the sound of a feed bucket.


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## LittleGreenBarn (Mar 26, 2017)

Calfee Farms said:


> We raise Spanish goats and ours are nearly in a feral state. They came off a big ranch in TX and now they are on our farm in similar fashion. We provide big lean-to's (3 sided shelters) in the pastures as well as a big barn but my goats being nearly feral, prefer the 3 sided shelters in the field and the woodlands. We deworm, trim hooves, vaccinate, etc. but our goats like as little human contact as possible. We feed round bales of timothy/ orchard grass hay in the winter and occasional bucket of grain to keep them coming to the sound of a feed bucket.


That sounds like an amazing set up you have! We don't have a sprawling property, if I left mine to their own devices they'd take up on the patio furniture (which they do). I have a chair reserved for the goats now. Makes my husband insane!!  He bought a water gun to scare them off the porch. It is a cute little sight, when they see him coming they take off to the yard, stop and turn around to bleat back at him. Ornerey little things.

Mine follow me everywhere, I even have one that will tap on the backdoor and stare in at me. Scared me half to death first few times. Now we know it's just Pearl wanting some TLC. Must be wonderful for you and your goat babies, they sound well taken care of in a natural setting! Mine seem to be fairing the weather well, though our temps are still fluctuating.


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## Mossyrock (Mar 21, 2017)

My goats must be wimps! They always prefer to be in their barn vs outside if it is even slightly cold/damp/anything. I lock them in at night for predator protection, and they are in there anyway so closing the door gets rid of the last draft. Makes me feel better, anyway! I'm in BC Canada, it can get pretty cold here - nothing like Alberta though, it mostly hovers around freezing for the winter with a few dips down to maybe -20 (Celsius).


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I feel the same way Mossyrock, but we do not get that cold, we have dipped in the 20's before.


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## Calfee Farms (Oct 10, 2017)

LittleGreenBarn said:


> That sounds like an amazing set up you have! We don't have a sprawling property, if I left mine to their own devices they'd take up on the patio furniture (which they do). I have a chair reserved for the goats now. Makes my husband insane!!  He bought a water gun to scare them off the porch. It is a cute little sight, when they see him coming they take off to the yard, stop and turn around to bleat back at him. Ornerey little things.
> 
> Mine follow me everywhere, I even have one that will tap on the backdoor and stare in at me. Scared me half to death first few times. Now we know it's just Pearl wanting some TLC. Must be wonderful for you and your goat babies, they sound well taken care of in a natural setting! Mine seem to be fairing the weather well, though our temps are still fluctuating.


We certainly don't have thousands of acres or even hundreds of acres for that matter, but we have a little overgrown woodlands and some overgrown pasture that is remnants of a beef cattle operation divided up by my uncle and father when my grandmother passed away. I do have a couple of goats that are pets but the majority are crazy wild. It must just be these goats' nature to be wild. When we wean we do dry lot the kids and feed them a goat ration and hay and this tames them a little, but they still scream when you handle them. Even my few half blood kids each year are a bit wild.


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