# Help please need ideas...



## rochelle (Jul 10, 2016)

I am using an old truck camper for my goat haven and its quite nifty...but I need ideas on insulating it and the flooring. I did read in one of these helpful ideas u ppl gave and I kinda added to it was using pallets for flooring somehow but I need to line it with Insulation too for the cold winters and then lay a cow rubber mat on top of the pallets? I gutted the whole inside of this camper, free of insulation, was moldy and old, my BF stood it up on the 2x4's blocked one side, caged other side to ventilate, it's still a work in progress. The ceiling and walls need to be insulated too cuz if my babies aren't as warm as me in this cold Wisconsin weather I will put them in my basement or I be sleeping with them in their haven! You can ask anybody that knows me cuz I would! They suffer, I suffer! ....


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Cool!
You know what it might not even need insulation. Goats can take some pretty wicked temps as long as they are dry and pretty much draft free. They aren't like us in that regard.


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## goathiker (Apr 14, 2011)

Insulation actually causes condensation inside and damp goats get sick. You want them dry and kept out of the wind.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I would just make it draft free and either put down a lot of straw or if your dead set on wanting a floor on it you could use the pallet idea and use anything to insulate it. Straw, old newspaper, seriously pretty much anything. But it will probably get wet and pretty nasty I would just go with a deep bed of straw unless your in a flood zone or something


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## Suzanne_Tyler (Jul 19, 2014)

I would just leave it a dirt floor and use straw bedding, like Jessica said.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

Agreed...no insulation and a dirt floor is best  Deep bedding in winter, I live in NY and my goats have no insulation and they do fine with just extra bedding.


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## rochelle (Jul 10, 2016)

Wow! Well thank you everyone! Would you seal up the windows? We were also thinking of putting a heat light/lamp inside on really cold days/nights for them...would that be a good idea? And with a deep straw floor bed how often in the winter do you change the bedding then?


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

If the Windows close that should be fine. If your going to have a door that you shut them in I would leave a crack for fresh air. You can do the heat lamp, they probably won't need it but there has been soooooo many fires with lamps and animals die that I personally only use them on new kids if I totally need to. Another reason I don't like them is because it's to much of a difference being under them then going out in the cold. Myself i wouldn't use them but I know all about being worried lol as for the bedding it totally depends how much time they end up being in there. Pretty much if it looks gross either clean or put more down. A lot of people will just keep adding to it then clean it out like once a year or so but I think that's with big barns and such. I have car ports and if I can I'll clean them but if it's the middle of a storm I just throw more out there for them. But I also don't have a tractor to clean it, it's one quad trailer at a time so I don't want to spend days on it once spring hits lol


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All great advice.


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## rochelle (Jul 10, 2016)

Jessica84 thank you! I will take your advice & not use a heat lamp, maybe hot water bottles or I may sleep out with them! My BF is a truck driver so he's on the road & nobody but me & this forum has to know! I love my babies! I have slept in the garage in the straw with my lil Bits when his brother died last month for 6 nights! I'm dedicated to my babies! ️ thanks again!!


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## catharina (Mar 17, 2016)

It looks so cute on the inside!! I'd just enclose the bottom part on 3 sides making sure to block prevailing winds. The fact that they can get up on the shelves will keep them very comfortable I'm sure. Good job!

I was just remembering when I used to own a mobile home. There's this special insulating paint made just for the metal roofs of the old style mobile homes. It's thick & has fibers in it. One kind was silver & one kind was white. It kept the seams from leaking too. Since it's applied to the outside surfaces I don't see how it could contribute to mold problems.


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## Steampunked (Mar 23, 2015)

For most farm animals, moisture is the killer with cold - if you can design insulation so that moisture does not collect, it isn't a bad idea, but it needs to be carefully laid out. If there is no moisture, and no direct drafts, those furry coats can build a layer of heat next to the skin.

For this reason, even highly insulated barns often have ventilation added to remove the moist condensation that comes with rising warm breath. You will notice that the ridge-line is often vented above a barn. This allows moisture to escape, while the animals can still benefit from insulation.

For such a small building, if you are very worried, one way can be to stack low grade straw bales on the outside low down (they can be composted in spring). You can add and remove straw bales until you are satisfied with the level of ventilation your animals have.


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