# Shelter?? HELP!



## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

So, knowing goats don't like rain (and I live in NW Washington state  ), I built them a "goat house" attached to the chicken coop. It's plenty big for both of them - about 5x5 and 4' tall. Even my largest doe is only about waist high at the head... so she's got plenty of room. I also make them a lean-to that stays pretty dry (though not as dry as the goat house). However, they still choose to sleep right up next to the house, under the eaves. It's somewhat dry there, but not sheltered. What can I do to convince them to sleep in one of the areas I made for them!?! I've started feeding them their hay inside the goat house in the morning and evening, and they do go in there to eat... but I still find them next to the house each morning. As the weather progresses, I'm afraid they'll get sick if they keep this up! Suggestions??? :whatgoat:


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

You can put their bedtime hay in there. Otherwise they'll know it's there and will sleep there when they need to. Our older does sleep on their play table on nice nights. Rainy nights they know to go into the shed.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

I too live in Washington state. My girls pen has two shelters side by side, and I find the only time they use it (right now) is if it's raining or really cold. They have straw bedding in it. Last spring, it was really cold and wet here, and they used the shelter. My little boys have a large shelter they sleep in every night. Two of my bigger goats, boers, use their shelter every night, the other two sometimes, again unless it's really cold and wet. They will go into it when they are ready.


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## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

Ok, thanks. I mean, they've never been soaking wet when I go out to milk in the morning... but they have had "mist" on their fur. They just seem so miserable huddled up against the house. I don't keep the house very warm, so I doubt if it's emitting much heat. I think their body heat in the small shelter would probably be warmer than up against the house. I just keep wondering if there's something "wrong" with the shelters I built... but I know that they KNOW they're there, so I guess it's just up to them. I just tend to have retarded animals at my house  so ya know... figured maybe the goats were too. LOL


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

How good of air flow is there inside? Our low pressure systems really suck the air out of a small building. A good test is to go sit and read during a rainstorm. If your rear gets wet, you start feeling claustraphobic, congested, condensation dripping, etc, the goats simply know better then to use the shelter and end up sick. If I had mine to start all over again, I'd have done many things different. I do have a large screened window on the south side for ventilation. Without ventilation they get wet and cold and huffy quickly.


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## Texas.girl (Dec 20, 2011)

Goathiker has a good suggestion, but remember what goats like and what we like is not the same. Our first shelter we thought was hot and stuffy, but our goats kept spending hot summer afternoons inside the goat shelter instead of under the shade of a grove of trees which allowed for a breeze to keep them cool. Then a bad storm distroyed that shelter so we had to rebuild. The storm though left the bales of straw in place, but relocated the actual building. For over a week the goats spent their nights sleeping amongst the bales of straw looking at the stars. When we were able to start rebuilding the shelter rain was in the forecast so we put a roof on the shelter before walls. At the first sign of rain the goats ran to their shelter instead of the trees for cover. How they knew it would protect them better then the trees I have no idea but they seemed to know. Goats will tolerate a certain amount of rain. For the past month we have had mornings of 98% humidity and every day I am greeted by wet cats and goats. I have also seen my goats out grazing while it is raining. There is a lot of oil in their hair and they may feel wet to us but in reality they are still nice and dry. So I wouldn't worry about to much dampness. But if your goats will NEVER stay in their shelter I would look for reasons why.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

They will go in if they feel the need. 
During the first few years they had a car canopy over the hay rack AND a nice old bldg to go into.
Snow or rain they chose to stay outside guarding that hay rack.


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## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

I think airflow is ok. I insulated the walls and roof, but there is a gap between the walls and roof so it's not stuffy, plus the door is open (I had rugs covering the door, but they wouldn't use it, so I took one off and folded the other back). I was thinking they'd help keep the winds out... but I dunno. I'll try sitting in there for awhile. I know it is dark... although at night the light from the chicken coop lights it inside. They will go in there for their hay in the evening (in fact they've been running in before I even GET the hay in there lately)... but still this morning as it's POURING rain, they were snuggled up next to the house. I might just move the lean-to so it's leaning against the house - if ya can't beat 'em, join 'em right?


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

They should be just fine sleeping under the eaves.


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## HarleyBear (Aug 31, 2012)

I always lure my goats into their barn every night with Alfalfa and then shut the door to protect them from coyotes and such. Could you maybe lure them in with some treats (popcorn or cheerios) and then close the door? And then let them out in the morning?

My girls and I have such a routine I don't even need to lure them in anymore. I find them inside every night when I go to shut the door.


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## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

HarleyBear said:


> I always lure my goats into their barn every night with Alfalfa and then shut the door to protect them from coyotes and such. Could you maybe lure them in with some treats (popcorn or cheerios) and then close the door? And then let them out in the morning?
> 
> My girls and I have such a routine I don't even need to lure them in anymore. I find them inside every night when I go to shut the door.


I COULD... but I dunno. It's only about 5x5' - not real big. Doesn't have a real door on it, though I could certainly add one. I don't have to worry about predators much where I'm at - my chickens come and go from their coop as they please too (and I have the same issue with them - a couple choose to roost in the tree instead of in the coop, though that usually stops when it gets real cold out).

I wish I'd have known my plans for the yard when I first got the house. Garden went in first, then came the chickens and now the goats. If I had it to do over, I'd have put the goat pen adjacent to the garage and knocked out some wall to make stalls for them. But a lil late for that now.


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## HarleyBear (Aug 31, 2012)

Well, that's awesome that you don't have to worry about predators! I can hear the coyotes howling at night and it makes me nervous that will some how get to my little goaties! I always do a mental check to make sure the doors are all closed and locked. 

If that's the case I would just let them do what they want. They will figure it out.


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## ladyharley (Sep 7, 2012)

FarmerJen said:


> So, knowing goats don't like rain (and I live in NW Washington state  ), I built them a "goat house" attached to the chicken coop. It's plenty big for both of them - about 5x5 and 4' tall. Even my largest doe is only about waist high at the head... so she's got plenty of room. I also make them a lean-to that stays pretty dry (though not as dry as the goat house). However, they still choose to sleep right up next to the house, under the eaves. It's somewhat dry there, but not sheltered. What can I do to convince them to sleep in one of the areas I made for them!?! I've started feeding them their hay inside the goat house in the morning and evening, and they do go in there to eat... but I still find them next to the house each morning. As the weather progresses, I'm afraid they'll get sick if they keep this up! Suggestions??? :whatgoat:


I'm wondering how long you have had them...are they new that they haven't adjusted where to go yet? just asking..:crazy:


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## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

I've only had them since July, though the shelter hasn't been there the whole time. We had a very dry summer, so I wasn't in a huge hurry to get the shelter built. They know where it is, and go in it to eat - and I dunno... the hay is matted down in there so maybe they sleep in there sometimes... but even this morning in a complete downpour, they were both laying up against the house. Although they WERE both dry... so I dunno. There is also another area where I have boards leaned up against the coop, making like an "A frame" dry area - again, they've gone in there to eat, but they don't use it to stay dry. I think I'm going to try to just make some sort of awning by the house this weekend to give them more dry space along the eaves... then if they want to be warmer, hopefully they'll use the shelter.


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## romanad (Sep 22, 2012)

I got my goats in August, and they would not stay in their tent for anything, and we always found them up against the house. They wanted to be with us and spent most of their time up there. Then one day it was pouring, and I went out and sure enough, they were huddled against the house looking miserable. I think they didn't understand what to do and wanted us so badly and they were too young to think right. So many rainy days I'd pull them down and lock them in their tent until the rain stopped, and I started giving them their good hay in the tent and locking them up at night. 

They used to never go in there, but now, finally, I do see them in there when it is raining heavily. They are sometimes against our house during light rain, but I feel a lot more confident they know what to do during heavy rain.

Oh, by the way, one day I took an old towel out and dried them off because they were so wet, and they loved it! I went down their backs and then back up, and I had to keep doing ti because they loved it so much!


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

Our normal humidity is low, as they say it's a dry heat. I made do with what I had which did make for smaller shelters. Which they all use when it's raining, like it has been for the last almost 2 weeks. I do wish they had more square foot room, but it is what it is for this year. They are 4' high on the low end and higher on the other (to get roof pitch), the one side is open and they all have some type of opening, be it a gap between the roof and wall, or ventilation holes. One of the two shelters in the ND doe pen is 8' tall and 6'x6' I do close them in that one when I have kids.


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## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

Yeah... I may be revamping the goat house in the near future.  Everything I read said they needed a draft free area, but with good ventilation. ??? Is it just me or do these two descriptions conflict with each other??? There is a gap at the top of the walls, where it meets the roof - but probably only 1/2". The door is about 18" x 48" and that is completely open right now (I had put rugs on it to keep wind/rain out, but they didn't seem to figure out that they could push through the rugs - I use the same setup on my chicken coop). 

So maybe I need to take off a few siding pieces on top of one wall for better airflow. I was just hoping to hold heat in... and if I open it up more obviously that won't work. We have pretty strong winds at times that come from opposite directions (North and South) depending on the storm... so I put the door on the side that never faces wind.


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## clearwtrbeach (May 10, 2012)

My gap between the wall and the roof is about 3" on one side, the other side has a larger gap. I know it confusing, draft free, and ventilation. I think part of it is the weather where you are, how severe winters are, humidity etc. and direction of winds. Where I am we have strong west, east and some north winds- primarily from the west.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

They probably don't like the sound of the rain on the roof, or something weird like that. .. or who knows.. there might have been something in there that scared them like even a frog. Goats are just so weird sometimes about silly little scary things that make sounds at night.


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## fd123 (May 29, 2012)

Dont feel like the "LONE RANGER"....I spent alot of $$, and about killed myself fencing a bigger area, and building a cool house for my girls....They wont go in there for nothing!! I sit inside there alot of times myself and just relax, watching them do the funny things that goats do!...The good thing about it is, i dont have to clean out any goat berries before i sit inside, because their never in there to drop any!!!...lol.....
But , it makes me sick that everytime i go out to the new pen...they are all at the gate wanting to get out and go back to the old small one that i started out with...
I SWEAR THAT I HAVE SOME OF THE DUMBEST, SMARTEST GOATS AROUND!!! bahahahahahha......


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## Texas.girl (Dec 20, 2011)

fd123 said:


> I SWEAR THAT I HAVE SOME OF THE DUMBEST, SMARTEST GOATS AROUND!!! bahahahahahha......


Goats are funny. When my first girl showed up outside the kitchen window I escorted her to my vegetable garden where she happily weeded and fertilized it all winter for me preparing it for the next season. We made a makeshift shelter using the corner fence and tarps for her. By the time we got the fence and shelter built for a goat enclosure finished, we had been given 2 more. They all happily relocated to their new digs and enjoyed the extra room for running and playing. They also took an immediate liking to their new shelter. Even when a bad storm relocated the building but left the straw, they still slept there every night. As soon as they were kicked out of the vegetable garden I planted a crop. I had to be diligent all summer to keep a very sneaky goat from moving back in. We gave up on jalapenos after the 3rd set of plants got eaten. Well, cooler weather has moved in, a new shelter has been built and the vegetable garden gates have been flung open for the goats to clean out. Guess who doesn't want to go in there anymore?


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## FarmerJen (Oct 18, 2012)

I let my chickens do the vegetable garden weeding/debugging. If I let my girls in there, I think it would backfire on me (ie. they'd figure out a way to go in there when I DONT want them in there!). 

Funny thing is... so I made more of an open stable-type shelter last weekend. About 4'x8', with nice big openings at about goat-chest level. WELL NOW they decide that the original house is kinda cool.  Whatever goats! As long as they're dry I don't care which one they use. LOL


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## Texas.girl (Dec 20, 2011)

Glad your goats are finally using their shelter. I have a 5 1/2 month old Special needs wether who currently is living in my garden (other goats beat him up). His shelter is a large igloo. He was happily using it until a storm from the north made us decide to turn it around so it would not face the cold wind from the north. I also cleaned out the old straw and put some fresh dry straw in it. He is cold natured several weeks ago I wanted to make sure he had a warm place to sleep at night. Yesterday we checked and there was no sign anyone had been in there since replacing the straw sev. The only thing I could think of was that it was facing away from the goat enclosure and maybe he didn't feel safe not being able to watch the other goats. So yesterday we turned it around so now it faces west and he can keep an eye on the goats next door. Checked today and the straw has been trampled.


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