# When is cold too cold for goats?



## cdtrum (Aug 25, 2008)

We are having the worst weekend ever since moving here 5yrs ago.....it is -1 degree with a wind chill of -28! The wind is gusting at 30mph......I HATE WIND! I am wondering if I need to do more for my goats.....their barn temp is reading 10 degrees......they have a heat lamp aimed in one corner of thier pen and then they have a big wood box/dog house with a recessed light in there.....don't know the temp inside the box. Lots of straw down.
Is that good enough? I tried taking a small electric space heater from the house out there and put it on the outside of the pen aimed in, but all it did was blow cold air.....I guess it is too cold for the heating coil in it to work. My HD thought about going to town and buying a milk house heater, but they are advising people to stay off roads because of the blowing snow......the goats seem ok....I have been out there 2x's taking them warm water and making sure they have plenty to eat and they seemed ok.....just a little cabin fever from having to be inside! Elwood was bouncing off the walls.....he has started this new thing of running and jumping onto the wall......new trick I guess!


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

I think your goaties sound just fine.  But, my is it cold where you are!! :shocked: :snowcool: 

I need to go and check on my own goaties - put some more hay out. . . .

It is so cute when goaties find new ways to entertain themselves. All my girls are pregnant and lazing about. :roll: Our new babies though are quite the frisky little things! I was thinking of making some little sweaters for them out of old fuzzy socks we can't find the matches to. 

I think your goaties will be just fine. As long as they are eating lots of hay, ruminating is what keeps them warm.


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## Sybil (Dec 21, 2007)

As long as they are dry and protected from the wind they should be fine. We have a foot or more of snow and the wind has been coming from the east. Had to move the buck out with the herd as his shelter did not protect him from the east wind. Been packing water for at least a week here to all the animals. Gone to feeding twice a day and everyone is getting grain at this time. Weather people say it could last another week to 10 days!!!!!


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## capriola-nd (Jul 6, 2008)

Hey, we are pretty close Sue!  Yeah, I'm hating this snow. . . . I don't remember it ever being this bad, so am not used to it. :sigh: 

Went out to feed this morning - brought the buckets in to put warm water and on my way out, slipped and dumped one bucket! :doh: I was soooo irritated. :angry:


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## karmouth (Dec 1, 2008)

All I can say to you that are dealing with this cold is that you have lots, & lots of HEART!!!! There is no way I could deal with it . . I cant stand it when its in the 40's in the am. Today it was 80 and sunny with a breeze . They are calling for low 40's in the am and highs of only 60 tomorrow and I am dreading it .
Karen


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## deenak (Oct 10, 2007)

We have been having blizzard conditions for the last few days and my goats are going crazy in the barn. They want out but when they come out they want to go right back in. I have locked them in due to -30 wind chill temps. I added another bale of straw and made sure they had plenty of hay and water. They seem to doing ok I hope it warms up soon


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

cdtrum--We're having pretty much the same weather you've got! It's about -1F right now...who knows what the wind chill is, but we are also having 35-40mph gusts. Your goaties will be fine. They will probably stay inside more...my girls WOULD NOT come outside this morning for anything! I think the wind was just too much for them. As long as they've got a place to get out of the wind and weather, I wouldn't worry much about the cold. 

I've been outside all day (literally from 9am until 3pm) for the past two days skiing...we had training for instructors yesterday and today. When we left Kalamazoo tonight, they had blizzard conditions. I figure if I can survive being out in this all day, the goats will probably be fine in the barn!


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## cdtrum (Aug 25, 2008)

FunnyRiverFarm.......where is Hudson? we are in North Manchester about 45min south of Shipshewana and 25min west of Fort Wayne........what kind of skiing do you do? I love Michigan.....we come up there every year to Stanton to race....my husband is a drag racer. Also, thanks for the advice....this is my first winter with the goats and I am learning as I go.....I never thought about it getting this cold.....dumb me! This is the coldest it has been since I moved here from Dallas where winter is not anything like the North! Of course the summers down there are as bad as the winter are up here....I think I would rather deal with our winters though, then go back to their summmers.


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

Hudson is around 25 miles south of Jackson, MI on 127. I have some relatives in the Fort Wayne/Auburn area, so I knd of have an idea where you are. 

We do downhill skiing...cross country is too much work...lol. 

It would be tough moving here from Texas...but don't worry, it doesn't get this cold very often.

Goats don't generally have much trouble in weather like this as long as they are acclimated. You wouldn't want to bring a goat up from down south this time of year and stick it the barn...but since our goats are relatively used to the cold, they'll be okay. The only thing I do is give them warm, fresh water a couple times a day. They seem to like the warm water, plus it takes it longer to freeze back up again. I also make sure they have plenty of hay to munch on and a dry place to lay down. 

I like to use rubber buckets this time of year because they are so much easier to break ice out of and you don't have to worry about them cracking.


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

Can I trade your guys' weather for ours? We've had 10+ inches of snow in the last few days and every day for over a week has been in the below zero for air temp and double-digit below zero wind chills. For example, -14 air temp and -32 below wind chill this a.m. Yuck. 

My goaties are very bored, but doing OK otherwise. I haven't been opening their pen to the outside paddock, cause then the water freezes - even though it's heated water buckets!

I make sure they have a constant supply of hay & grain them twice a day during these cold temps. They seem to be doing OK other than bored out of their minds! They so want the attention their used to, but with these temps, it's all I can do to take care of the basic chores before I'm frozen to the bone!


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

MissMM said:


> They so want the attention their used to, but with these temps, it's all I can do to take care of the basic chores before I'm frozen to the bone!


Yeah, I definitely bundle up before I go outside! Pretty much the only skin exposed is my eyes...lol...when I'm skiing I wear goggles, so even those are cover. The first time I went outside like that, my goaties didn't recognize me at first. They wouldn't come anywhere near me...I guess they thought I was the goat burglar or something... :ROFL:


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

Same here..... the first time I went into the barn all bundled up, my LGD didn't recognize me! After I called her name, she stopped growling but was looking around like she was waiting for me to come out from behind this Carhart-clad creature! :ROFL: 

I had to take my scarf & hat off before she'd calm down!


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Everyone in a cold climate NEEDS to have at least one pair of Alpaca socks (the heavy duty kind)! I got my first pair a year ago and am still wearing them (you know what I mean :wink: ). I wear them in the rubber boots I got from Tractor Supply. My feet are never cold. You would think warm feet in rubber boots would mean "sweaty feet", (yes Bob women do get sweaty feet) but no, warm and dry! They are a necessity.

That said...BRRRRRR! I spent the major part of the day trying to keep the animals water warm enough to prevent freezing. Next year I'm getting heated buckets! I think I carried 8- 5 gallon buckets out throughout the day! No wonder farm woman are so tough! It was around 16-20 degrees with the wind chill bringing it to -2 :GAAH:


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

We are having similar weather and it is horrible! Especially in kidding season.


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

Before it's too late......... cut out a picture of a heated water bucket & tape it on the frig, along with a note that says "this is what I want for Christmas."

Couldn't hurt, right?


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

It wouldn't hurt a thing...it might baffle him a little bit.


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## goat fever (Oct 18, 2007)

I just bought a pair of Alpaca socks this weekend and boy they do keep your feet warm. Can you wash them in the washing machine or do you have to hand wash them. I am guessing putting them in the dryer is a big no no. 

As for the goats. They do better in cold temps then heat. Just make sure they have a dry place, offer them water a couple times of day and make sure they have lots of hay. We are having temps that are in the low teens at night but with the wind chill it must be around zero. My goats don't seem to mind. They have quite a furry coat for this winter to help keep them warm.


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## Amos (Oct 2, 2008)

Haha, yesterday I went out wearing my ski mask, and went to do chores, Jenna kept balling over and over and I could not figure out what her problem was, so I went in there with her and she kept looking at me like 'Who are you?!' and i was like 'Jenna.. its me!' and then she looks at me like 'You're lieing!', so I had to take my mask off so she would calm down; silly goat! 

The heated buckets alway get a layer of frozen ice over the tops over here too.. but you're up north more, even colder!


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Hehehe Our LGD doesnt recognize me either till I talk to him. Its a record cold up here near Seattle.
The goats have a 3 sided shelter away from the wind and a car canopy butted up to it with the hay rack. All they do is poop eat poop sleep and poop some more. 
I bring out buckets of hot water to dump in the rubber tub but some of them wont come to drink they eat snow. A lazy usless lot they are!

Its rarely too cold for goats if they are dry & out of the wind with plenty hay. Not counting newborns.


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## cdtrum (Aug 25, 2008)

My guys are being such little brats....they are so bored, so today we went to town and stopped buy the TSC and I bought a small Jolly ball for my boys to see if it would entertain them a bit.....we hung it up and they are not too sure of it. All Elwood wanted to do is pull the labels off the new mineral dishes I bought them and then he was running around the pen with the label stuck to his nose....goofy goat! I found this morning when I went out that last night they had pulled the curtain off the front of their doghouse. 
Mine also did not know who I was when I first went out with a mask on, they ran and hid from me...... they have gotten use to the mask now and are fine. 
Hopefully this bad weather spell will pass soon, stay warm all!


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Anna: I think you can machine wash (gentle), I wash them by hand though...only takes a minute or two. I am probably strange but I use shampoo and creme rinse! Then I put them between a folded towel and walk on them...then I dry them on the radiator...all clean and dry for the next day.


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## grandmajo (Oct 14, 2008)

Yep, same weather here! We're desperately trying to get the goat barn finished, and it's so darn cold out, that you can't stay out very long without being frozen. I've been taking warm water out to them at least 3 times a day, and making sure that they have plenty of hay to keep their bellies working. Lol, every year I ask my hubby why do we live in Ohio again? I just keep telling myself that this bitter cold is killing off all the nasties in the ground :roll:


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## Pam B (Oct 15, 2007)

karmouth said:


> All I can say to you that are dealing with this cold is that you have lots, & lots of HEART!!!! There is no way I could deal with it . . I cant stand it when its in the 40's in the am. Today it was 80 and sunny with a breeze . They are calling for low 40's in the am and highs of only 60 tomorrow and I am dreading it .
> Karen


I was like that when I lived in FL. Now that I live in MI I LOVE snow. But I can do without the wind and below 0 temps!!! As long as it's above 20 I'm fine. Anything above 80 and I'm panting!

My goaties are all in 3-sided sheds. I live in the same area as grandmajo and FunnyRiverFarm, so we've been dealing with the below 0 temps and 35 mph winds for the past few days. All my goats get extra straw for bedding and lots of hay to eat with buckets of warm water at least 3 times a day. They are all doing fine. What is really challenging is milking in these temps! I've given up on using wet wipes to clean udders. I just use a dry cloth to brush off any loose stuff. Their udders aren't all that dirty anyway since everything is frozen so solid it won't stick to them!

Your stories of the goats not recognizing you when you are all bundled up are making me laugh. When I wear my Carhartt overalls out to the pens they all run the other direction. I've got to hold on tight to their collars when I walk them back and forth to the milk barn, otherwise they run away from me and won't let me near them when I'm the brown abominable snowman!


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## Marty1876 (Jan 12, 2013)

28 degrees here in Kansas. My NDGs are all snug in the barn. I don't heat the barn, but I do have a heated water bucket, which works great. Even my outdoor one (for poultry) never get ice, but it doesn't usually ever get colder than -15 here. If babies come on a cold night, mama and the new group get moved under a heatlamp in heavy straw in the room off my milking room. I use old infant sweaters with trimmed arms for my tiny Nig. dwarf babies if needed. Nobody is out in the wind, house rules. Here in Kansas, the wind is almost ceaseless. We don't even think about 20 mph winds, but I don't like the 40-60 mph winds we get pretty often here.


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## LJH (Aug 27, 2012)

Same here in So. Utah. The thermometer on my front porch was just a tetch below 0 degrees (F) at dawn and it's a sunny, balmy 18 degrees as I type this at 11:20 a.m. The temp in the goat palace is a few degrees higher but not much.

My husband hates winter and I love it. He's solar-powered and I'm basically pissed off & miserable from May through September  but I _was_ very worried about the goaties' first winter, what with them being Boers and originally from a warm climate & all. But they're happy as clams in their snug stall with lots of foodies. I bought one of those submersible bucket heaters and so far it's working beautifully, not even a crust of ice on top. But the bucket is inside their box stall, doubt it would work that well outside.

We've got about a foot of snow left on the ground with a crust that I can walk on but the goaties sink into. That annoys them so they've taken to bounding like mule deer. :lol: But unless the wind is really ripping they still want their twice-daily walkies! Funny, they ignored the pinon pine trees all summer and fall but suddenly find them extremely tasty - imagine that! I've got paths all over the hill leading from one pinon to the next. I figure by spring thaw all our pinons will be nicely pruned at goat-high. 

Stay bundled & warm everybody!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Just make sure the goats have plenty of bedding and a draft free barn or shelter, with plenty of good feed.

Have the water warmers so they can drink water and it doesn't freeze. 

My Alaska friend, Alaskaboers, had a few heat lamps up and on for them, it raises the indoor temps a bit and the goats can seek heat, when they need it. If it is really cold.
Just be careful, if you let them outdoors during the day, with the temp change, allow them to adjust first.


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