If you live somewhere that you've never seen snow and are still enjoying warm, golden rays of sunshine in mid January...lucky you. You can skip this one!
For the rest of us... it's time to get it in gear and protect our bleating buddies.
While a healthy goat will grow a nice winter coat and can actually withstand temperatures as low as 32 F just fine; they do have a few needs in the winter to keep them at their best. It's certainly easier to care for your goats properly and keep them in good shape than to make multiple calls to the vet or lose an animal. So let's get to it!
Housing
We don't need anything fancy here. Just a three sided shelter that faces away from the direction the wind normally blows. (If you're not sure take a look around and see what direction your neighbor's barns and shelters face or give your local extension office a call).
If you live somewhere that it gets really cold you're probably going to be tempted to insulate it or use a heater. Don't! Insulation can trap ammonia from their urine and cause a harmful buildup. Ammonia isn't good for your goat's respiratory system and can make them sick. We have Nubians and provide them an enclosed barn but there are still windows at the top of the structure for ventilation and the top half of the barn door stays open for that reason. I also caution against heaters. They're the number one cause of barn fires. Instead, refer to helpful tip number two.
Bedding
In the summer, I clean out the goat stalls twice a day (once in the morning and again at night) and bed it with wood chips. They're absorbent and I use them in the chicken coop too. So, it's easier to have the same bedding on hand for everyone. But in the winter we change gears.
Many goat keepers (me included) use what's called the deep litter method during the winter. It not only makes it easier on you when it's cold and you want to get back in the house but it helps your stalls build up warmth. Instead of wood chips I start using straw and the hay that the goats waste on the stall floors and stop removing the goat berries. I still remove any bedding that has been visibly soiled by urine or spilled water but I leave the berries. Turn the straw and let the old straw and berries decompose. The process of decomposition begins to generate heat and you can just add fresh straw as needed. Easy upkeep!
Food
Another way for your goats to heat themselves up is to keep their rumen working. Proper nutrition is not only essential to immune health but as the rumen works it generates heat. A good second or third cutting hay makes a great replacement for the pasture they'd have in the summer. While grain needs to be carefully managed to avoid urinary calculi and other issues, it can be offered in limited qualities.
Free choice minerals should be offered and other supplements can be added based on individual need. I have one little sickly guy that stays a little skinny and he gets black oil sunflower seeds mixed in his feed two or three times a week until he's at a good winter weight. After that he gets them once a week to maintain. Finally, just like in summer, plenty of fresh water should always be available. Warm water is especially appealing in frigid temps.
Water
No matter the3 season goats can dehydrate easily and quickly. Ensure that your goats have plenty of water available at all times. For a tasty treat and another way to warm up your furry friend....make it warm. Goats love warm water when the temperature dips. Make sure water buckets don't freeze by floating a 20oz bottle filled with salt water (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of salt) in their bowel. Just make sure it isn't leaking. Another method to try is placing the bucket in a larger container and filling the empty space between them with straw or another insulation material. Just don't use fiberglass insulation. Not good for goats. I use these buckets from Lowe's and they work wonderfully. For winter, I made insulation rings to go around them (tutorial on that later) and then built straw up around the insulation rings.
Kids/Sick Goats
Kids, underweight and sick goats may need extra protection during frigid temps. If you have a safe space inside and the goat isn't going crazy you can bring them in on exceptionally cold nights. I have one goat that prefers humans to goats and he is incredibly comfortable in my house. The others....would wage war. They'd freak out. So inside is generally for new kids only. When you know a doe is due to kid, keep an extra watch in the winter and be ready with towels and a heater in addition to your normal kidding supplies.
Other options include building up hay bales around a bedding area and putting lots of straw in there to provide extra insulation, goat coats (you can find plenty of DIY tutorials on the internet) or using child sized sweaters. I have one sickly little goat that is currently sporting his winter sweatshirt in a lovely size 5/6 from the children's department at Walmart. Just make sure it doesn't get in the way of peeing. A sweatshirt soaked in pee will actually make them colder and possibly even cause skin irritation or damage.
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