# Whats on your goat floor?



## Dowackado (Mar 19, 2017)

I need opinions! My goats have a dirt floor. I put a layer of straw down for litter/bedding. This has been my method but I'm hoping to find out new ideas from you guys on what you use and prefer. There are many different types of bedding. I have contemplated using equine bedding pellets under straw or pine shavings to aid in absorbing urine. How do you keep a clean, dry goat abode?


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

We just have a dirt floor with the hay they waste. We clean it out once a week and put lime down. We also have 2 pallets in there in which they sleep on.


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

We have a dirt floor. In winter I use pine shavings or straw. In summer I use pine dust from a nearby saw mill. We have 4 does and asmall stall, so we clean out at least the wet spots daily. We put lime on the wet spots and then more bedding.


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## yankeedoodle (Apr 13, 2018)

Yep, just a dirt or gravel floor with straw or wood shavings. Or both. 
The thing with just using the hay they waste is that then they don't see the difference between the floor and the feed er and so then they start eating off the floor, witch is REALLY BAD. There should be a distinction between the floor and the feeder in color, texture, or something.
If it is wet and moist in your barn, than you might want to go with sawdust for a while to soak it up. Or if you can, add 6 inches of gravel to it.that helps alot. from experience.


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## Dowackado (Mar 19, 2017)

groovyoldlady said:


> We have a dirt floor. In winter I use pine shavings or straw. In summer I use pine dust from a nearby saw mill. We have 4 does and asmall stall, so we clean out at least the wet spots daily. We put lime on the wet spots and then more bedding.


Is the pine dust heavy? I use a pine mix for my cat litter and I like how it cleans up


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## Dowackado (Mar 19, 2017)

This really helps. Thank you for sharing! I also saw in a different thread where a woman used a cat litter scooper.


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## Dowackado (Mar 19, 2017)

Ive also been using sweet pdz instead of lime. Should I consider using lime instead?


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## Maureen Harmon (Jul 19, 2017)

yankeedoodle said:


> Yep, just a dirt or gravel floor with straw or wood shavings. Or both.
> The thing with just using the hay they waste is that then they don't see the difference between the floor and the feed er and so then they start eating off the floor, witch is REALLY BAD. There should be a distinction between the floor and the feeder in color, texture, or something.
> If it is wet and moist in your barn, than you might want to go with sawdust for a while to soak it up. Or if you can, add 6 inches of gravel to it.that helps alot. from experience.


My fussy munchkins won't touch a single piece it it hits the floor! It could have just fallen out of their mouths and they're like, "Nope! Not touching that!!!"


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## Dowackado (Mar 19, 2017)

Maureen Harmon said:


> My fussy munchkins won't touch a single piece it it hits the floor! It could have just fallen out of their mouths and they're like, "Nope! Not touching that!!!"


Hahah! Thats the way!


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## Maureen Harmon (Jul 19, 2017)

Oh yeah, and we only eat the hay at the BOTTOM of the bucket!


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## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Dowackado said:


> Is the pine dust heavy? I use a pine mix for my cat litter and I like how it cleans up


It IS heavy. The texture is almost like sand. It is not dusty and doesn't fly and it smells great! The downside is that it freezes solid in the winter so I can't shovel it to use it.

It's also horrible to have in a kidding pen. It sticks to everything - wet kids, towels, doe's butt, me! But for regular use it is terrific. Best of all, it's FREE.


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## William&Keisha (Apr 7, 2018)

Jubillee said:


> We just have a dirt floor with the hay they waste. We clean it out once a week and put lime down. We also have 2 pallets in there in which they sleep on.


What is the lime for?


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## Dowackado (Mar 19, 2017)

William&Keisha said:


> What is the lime for?


Lime neutralizes the smell of the goat's urine.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I just use a lot of straw. I used wood shavings under it one time, it did do good sucking up moisture BUT when it came time to clean out it was such a mess. I clean it by hand and all the shavings basically stuck together and I had to chip it away and pack it out with a shovel instead of just the pitch fork. Also I put the bedding out in the field and nothing grew where the shavings were till the next year. The straw, the grass still came up threw it and grew and the straw mulched and went down


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## Dowackado (Mar 19, 2017)

Dowackado said:


> Lime neutralizes the smell of the goat's urine.


I use Sweet PDZ (for horse stalls). Its supposed to be "healthier" "more natural" so Ive used it as long as ive had goats. I cant compare it to lime because ive never used lime. I used pdz because of my chickens being housed with my goats. I didnt want them eating lime.


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## William&Keisha (Apr 7, 2018)

I'm still learning on the what to do or not. My boys have a old wooden dog house that I put hay in for them to sleep in.i clean the old hay out every week or couple days cause of the urine smells. Can I put some lime in there before putting the hay down and what kind of lime? Sorry if this asking to much info.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

Dirt floor with straw. If I'm on top of it it gets cleaned out once in the spring and once in the fall. They only ever really use it in the winter/spring, so it stays pretty clean during the summer.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

yankeedoodle said:


> The thing with just using the hay they waste is that then they don't see the difference between the floor and the feed er and so then they start eating off the floor, witch is REALLY BAD. There should be a distinction between the floor and the feeder in color, texture, or something.


Possibly, I guess you have to know your goats. Mine wont touch a single hay stem them falls to the ground LOL. They are so picky. There could be hay on the ground and they will scream at me if the hay feeder is empty.


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

William&Keisha said:


> I'm still learning on the what to do or not. My boys have a old wooden dog house that I put hay in for them to sleep in.i clean the old hay out every week or couple days cause of the urine smells. Can I put some lime in there before putting the hay down and what kind of lime? Sorry if this asking to much info.


You can get barn lime or ag lime from TSC or the feed store. Just ask them and they'll show you.


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## Dowackado (Mar 19, 2017)

William&Keisha said:


> I'm still learning on the what to do or not. My boys have a old wooden dog house that I put hay in for them to sleep in.i clean the old hay out every week or couple days cause of the urine smells. Can I put some lime in there before putting the hay down and what kind of lime? Sorry if this asking to much info.


No, feel free to ask! Thats why I started this thread! You can put it down after you clean the wet straw and then cover it with clean straw.


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## yankeedoodle (Apr 13, 2018)

Dowackado said:


> Lime neutralizes the smell of the goat's urine.


Not only does it neutralize the smell, but it kills any harmful bacteria and diseases. Lime, Or hydrated lime, to be precise, becomes caustic when mixed with water, so it literally "burns" all the bad stuff, chemically speaking. Highly recommended.Esp. if you have CL or Coccidia positive flock.


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## Dowackado (Mar 19, 2017)

yankeedoodle said:


> Not only does it neutralize the smell, but it kills any harmful bacteria and diseases. Lime, Or hydrated lime, to be precise, becomes caustic when mixed with water, so it literally "burns" all the bad stuff, chemically speaking. Highly recommended.Esp. if you have CL or Coccidia positive flock.


I didnt know that! I knew people put it on plants in order to kill the plant eating bugs. That makes sense that it kills parasites, too. Thank you for sharing this!


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## Kaigypsygoats (Jan 10, 2018)

Lime for the floor, DE for the ant hills. We do have a bug guy that comes every couple of months but that is for around the house.


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I use straw on a dirt floor.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

Jubillee said:


> You can get barn lime or ag lime from TSC or the feed store. Just ask them and they'll show you.


How much does it cost?


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## Jubillee (Dec 22, 2017)

Goat_Scout said:


> How much does it cost?


The barn lime I get at TSC is $2.99/50lb


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## Steampunked (Mar 23, 2015)

I have a raised floor made of treated wood that can be replaced with more pallets if it rots. I then put discarded hay over it. However, my goats don't seem to do their business inside - they'll even go out into the wet. I set up a composting system and I'm, er, yet to use it properly.


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## Dowackado (Mar 19, 2017)

Steampunked said:


> I have a raised floor made of treated wood that can be replaced with more pallets if it rots. I then put discarded hay over it. However, my goats don't seem to do their business inside - they'll even go out into the wet. I set up a composting system and I'm, er, yet to use it properly.


I have seen the raised floor and think it would be a great idea. If only all goats would do their business outside! Sometimes, I wonder if mine wait until they come in just to go. hahah! Did you train your goats or did they just do this?


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## ETgoatygirl (Mar 23, 2012)

I use pine shavings on my wood floor covered in those giant rubber horse mats. It works well for me. I tried straw the other week, and it definitely was not a good bedding for me. We're in the mucky season around here, and straw just doesn't cut it. Shavings work so well to absorb everything. I'm always curious to find out what type of bedding works for others though. Has anyone used the pelleted pine bedding used in horse stalls? How'd it work?


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## Deborah Haney (Jul 11, 2017)

I have a wood floor raised 18 inches off the ground (otherwise my goats would never have a dry spot to sleep) and I use straw. Although somehow when I clean out the barn, it's mostly hay that they pulled from the feeders, go figure.


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## Madgoat (Jan 8, 2017)

My barn was set up for horses, the stalls open out into 18 x 18 paddocks. So when we got goats, I converted one of my horse stalls to 3 goat "birthing" stalls, all my stalls have horses mats, so I use shavings, unless I have a pregnant goat, then I use hay as bedding, when it gets close. I just scoop up the wet and sprinkle lime. Their "outside" stall, is a 7 x 18 covered extension off the barn/stall area in the paddock, it is dirt with all their "dropped" hay as bedding. All 6 of the girls use it. They sleep there and have access to it during the day so it gets a lot of activity. I have a raised platform at one end and a covered pallet at the other, so everyone can get off the ground. I know I need to completely strip off the hay and lime the ground eventually but it doesn't seem to be a problem now. I do get my muck rake and flip the hay so that it get aired out and the sun seems to freshen it!


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## SkippingObers (Sep 27, 2012)

yankeedoodle said:


> Not only does it neutralize the smell, but it kills any harmful bacteria and diseases. Lime, Or hydrated lime, to be precise, becomes caustic when mixed with water, so it literally "burns" all the bad stuff, chemically speaking. Highly recommended.Esp. if you have CL or Coccidia positive flock.


Hydrated lime is very caustic and can burn your goats too.


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## SkippingObers (Sep 27, 2012)

Hydated lime is very caustic and can burn your goats too. Ag lime is not as caustic. That's the kind you want. Hydrated lime can be slaked and made into a paint for the walls of your barn.


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## Dowackado (Mar 19, 2017)

ETgoatygirl said:


> I use pine shavings on my wood floor covered in those giant rubber horse mats. It works well for me. I tried straw the other week, and it definitely was not a good bedding for me. We're in the mucky season around here, and straw just doesn't cut it. Shavings work so well to absorb everything. I'm always curious to find out what type of bedding works for others though. Has anyone used the pelleted pine bedding used in horse stalls? How'd it work?


Ive heard several people say they use pine shavings. I had wondered about the horse pellets too!


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## Dowackado (Mar 19, 2017)

SkippingObers said:


> Hydated lime is very caustic and can burn your goats too. Ag lime is not as caustic. That's the kind you want. Hydrated lime can be slaked and made into a paint for the walls of your barn.


Thank you for clarifying this for those of us who didnt know! I wouldnt have known.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Hydrated lime is also full of lead which can soak through the skin causing retardation. One of the reasons why whitewash is rarely used anymore.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Intrepid dreamer and I both use pine and/or fir pellets. They work awesome if you use them properly. 
The used pellets are great for turning muck areas into loose well draining areas too.


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## kevinbuck (Mar 28, 2018)

I have Hydrated lime I was told to use it under the straw on the floor to cut down on the smell. So this is NOT what I want to use then? I'm doing it this coming weekend.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Here, read this 
http://www.absorbentproductsltd.com/phone/dangers-of-hydrated-lime.html


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## kevinbuck (Mar 28, 2018)

Thank you sooo much I'm so glad I didn't use it yet


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## kevinbuck (Mar 28, 2018)

goathiker said:


> Here, read this
> http://www.absorbentproductsltd.com/phone/dangers-of-hydrated-lime.html


where can I find "Barn Fresh"? I looked at TSC and Family Farm and Home with no luck


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Try Stall- dri it's the same thing.


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## Dowackado (Mar 19, 2017)

kevinbuck said:


> Thank you sooo much I'm so glad I didn't use it yet


Ive been using Sweet Pdz under the straw and it seems to do really well. I get it from tractor supply


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## kevinbuck (Mar 28, 2018)

Thank you going to try it

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J727A using Goat Forum mobile app


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## yankeedoodle (Apr 13, 2018)

SkippingObers said:


> Hydated lime is very caustic and can burn your goats too. Ag lime is not as caustic. That's the kind you want. Hydrated lime can be slaked and made into a paint for the walls of your barn.





goathiker said:


> Hydrated lime is also full of lead which can soak through the skin causing retardation. One of the reasons why whitewash is rarely used anymore.


Ag lime would be choice #1.
I understand that hyd. lime is dangerous, but that is if the animals are exposed to it. I put it down, rake it in, then cover it in 16 inches of sawdust, pack it,and then copious amounts of straw. So,my animals don't really get that close to it. And I dont use it specifically for smell but to kill bacteria at which it does a fine job.
But you are right, improper use can lead to problems, that is for sure.


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## Madgoat (Jan 8, 2017)

goathiker said:


> Hydrated lime is also full of lead which can soak through the skin causing retardation. One of the reasons why whitewash is rarely used anymore.


Oh MY! I never knew that. I need to check my lime.....


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## ISmellLikeGoats (Oct 4, 2017)

I have a cement floor in my barn. I use pine shavings to soak up everything. It has to be cleaned pretty frequently because without a dirt floor nothing soaks down in, but the benefit there is I can hose it with bleach and clean it thoroughly if needed as well. I don't use anything else in their bedding, but they tend to have some hay they've wasted mixed in with the shavings as well.


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## Miller'sLostGoat (Apr 26, 2018)

Dirt Floor, with a coat of lime on the bottom then a thick layer of shavings. After that the waste hay keeps it pretty nice. I hardly have to add anything until I pitch it out.


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## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Gravel with shavings and straw over it. In the middle of my big doe pen I have a rubber mat. The barn was built (accidentally) over a spring, so it gets a bit damp every spring. The mat keeps the bedding dry.


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