# Freezing weather and goats!



## Allison (Dec 22, 2015)

I have 3 ND does who just turned 1. 

Here is my situation:

We do not have a barn. They are "free range" goats during the day when I'm here. But do have a fenced I need area for when I'm not. At night time we have a 9x12 dog kennel. That is made for pits/and big breeds to protect them from foxes/wolves. I lock them up at nighttime, and my mom lets them out early in the morning. 

In the summer time it has a tarp/metal roof on the top.
Now that it's winter and rainy I put thick tarp on all sides, including the door. It still has air pockets and gaps for air but it doesn't let in rain or too much wind. 

They have like horse jacket type polar fleece jackets that I put on them if it's getting below 37 degrees. But the jackets never last the night and come off, they are Velcro.

The kennel is like 200 feet from my house. 

Last year when it got cold I put a space heater out there, but we moved the kennel to be close to our house and we put the space heater on the outside. But that was too dangerous and we only did that when's someone was going to be watching them all night from the living room.

Ok. I would like some ideas of how to keep their area warm, right now it's like a greenhouse with the tarps, but still gets cold.

Are there any safe way s for me to increase the heat out there?

I was thinking about buying lots of bags of pine shavings and stacking them on the outside walls thinking it might help insulate. And the new use the pine shavings when it gets warmer.
Would extra tarps insulate?

Are there fire proof heater type things?

I wish there were battery heating pads. Or tubing. I know some people use something like that for gardens so they don't freeze?

Anyone got any ideas? It's getting below freezing here again tonight with possible snow. And although they sleep together and have some thick coats, I worry about my babies.


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## Damfino (Dec 29, 2013)

Your goats should be fine in their natural coats. It's not usually necessary or healthy to put jackets on them unless they are sick, shaved, newborn, or very old. A normal, healthy goat in the prime of life is better off with just her fur to keep her warm. We don't have a barn either. We use plastic calf hutches which do no more than keep out the wet. I try to face them away from the prevailing wind, but some wind and snow always comes in the doors no matter which way I face them. It sounds like your shelter is similar. We live in Colorado and it gets as cold as -15 F here and none of my goats wear coats in winter. However, I do make sure the shelters are well bedded down with straw before every cold snap. I also take the dirty old straw and pile it around the bases of my shelters to help seal the gaps near the floor and make the walls a little warmer down low where the goats lean against them. 

You're right that the space heater is not safe to keep with your goats. They will be fine without it. In fact, keeping them too warm could be bad for their health. You want their bodies to acclimate to the temperature. Keeping them too warm might make them more prone to pneumonia. If you're really, really worried about your goats getting too cold, think about something like a heated dog mat for the floor. Many of these are designed for outdoor use and don't pose a risk of fire.


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## lilaalil (Sep 5, 2014)

I'm sure you already know this, but make sure they have plenty of roughage to eat to keep their rumens full and functioning well. That will help keep them warm too.


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

good quality hay up in a rack for them to munch on all night long. 

Be sure there is not wet bedding or moisture building up under the kennel shelter area. Thick dry bedding of pine shavings & straw will keep them warm. And eliminating drafts at goat level (but leaving some gaps in the tarps for ventilation near the top.)

I agree, they do not need supplemental heat. But if you insist on providing it, I would use heated kennel mats (one good brand is K&H).


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

If you have them, you could make a sort of "room" in the corner with straw bales or line two corners with some. Keeping them out of the wind is the biggest thing. Also having a nice deep bed of straw to make a nest in. They should be fine then.

For comparison, it's -20 here right now...without wind chill. Granted mine are all in the barn, but even then it's still pretty darn cold in there. I have a nice deep straw bed and they have all have little "nests" or holes they cuddle up in.


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## odieclark (Jan 21, 2016)

Good suggestions-and we all care and worry-& want the best for them!

Mostly, with the little experience we have had know they don't like standing water. It can be challenging, -as we have sub zero weather, & lots of wind! They are hardy animals as adults and if healthy.

Good luck, watching and learning too!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All great advice.


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## Allison (Dec 22, 2015)

Thank you all for great advice!

I'm going to add more pine shavings and get some better hay. They prefer alfalfa but waste so much hay. We starting just doing alfalfa pellets and grain (in the summer) , since during the day they have access to tons of browse. But getting some good quaility hay for winter will be on my list for tomorrow. Right now they just have a compressed bale from tractor supply out there.

Honestly when I got my girls I was clueless. Just knew they ate hay. But every day I spent hours on here looking through it's and now when I talk to people, they ask ME for advice (am deathly I send them right here!)


Thank you all for giving me healthy, happy little girls. Without this forum I would have some pretty ragged looking goats. When I got them they really needed copper, minerals, good quality hay and human socialization. 

They wouldn't come near me. I thought they were like dogs and that you just go up and pet them on the head (wrong!) But using the advice on here, and learning about how prey animals are, they now love me to death.


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## Oreosmom (Nov 19, 2016)

I'm crazy, but this is what I'd do. Ask mom to put them in the back room or wash room and run the dryer once to to heat it up.give them old blankets or packing blankets to lay on.Second idea block off the wind with some ply wood on the dog kennel on several sides.wind goes through tarps, tarps can be held by the ply wood. Get a lg dog igloo and put in kennel (check Craigslist, I got two free just requesting help for warm animal housing) surrounding it with bales of straw like suggested in prior post suggested.As for sweaters go to the closest thrift store and buy some extra small to small size sweat shirts, cut the arms off, leaving a few inches for warmth, try to find ones the neck isn't all stretched out. Put them on the babies backwards (front on their backs, back on underside) these will not catch on most things and goats can wiggle out of. Sorry but I just couldn't leave them outside.guess I'm the indoor goatherder!!


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