Goats in the winter

[lrkrame2]

My Husband brought home 2 boer goats a few weeks ago ( in revenge for the 2 mini donkeys that ‘appeared’ at our home from the rescue). It has become apparent that they will be staying with us ( oh boy). My Mother in Law ( where one of the goats used to live) has informed me that we need to set up a separate, small shelter for them for the winter so they do not get pneumonia? I have never had goats ( nor did I ever want them) and I am not sure if this is true.

I currently have a large run-in shed that stays dry during the winter. The horse, the donkeys and the goats all ‘play nice’ and do not kick each other out.

My worry is that if I have to get the goats some additional shelter the darn donkeys are going to take them over, which will cause me to have a plethora of ‘mini shelters’ through my pasture.

[Epona142]

A goat can get wet. A goat can get cold.

A goat that gets wet and cold is a dead goat.

You also want to keep them out of the wind - not much different than a horse. Pneumonia is a real killer but as long as your shelter keeps away the rain and wind, they should be fine. Lots of good roughage to keep their rumen going will help keep them warm as well.

[Plainandtall]

I guess it depends how small those donkeys are- or how big the boers are- but you could probably set up their shelter like a creep feeder so only the smallest critters can get in.

My goats have a fiberglass truck cap set up on a course of cinderblocks… tres chic!

[lrkrame2]

The Boers and the Donks are both about the same height…

[AlmostDun]

The goats at my barn have some doghouses they can crawl into in bad weather. Goats are quite nimble and flexible, so they can wiggle into openings a comparably sized equine can’t.

[Casey09]

Igloo dog house?

[cowboymom]

Ours are in a three sided shelter that we bed deep with straw; they’ve done very well with that, straw is incredibly warm.

Ours have had a truck shell shelter too! LOL And sometimes Pigweed would take over the dog’s house…

Mine are ok as long as they’re dry… a wet goat is a sad critter.

Whatever you get/do for them make sure it is chew proof and gymnastic proof! Ours started eating the insulation on their camper shell so we had to cover it with wire (not a happy husband)…

[Hermein]

I converted a 3-sided calf-feeding (?) shed for my goats during the winter by putting up a couple of the welded wire mesh panels on the open side to keep dogs and coyotes out. I bedded it with straw. It keeps them dry and out of the wind. Mine are tall Nubians–not as muscular as the Boers. We do not get the cold weather that you get in Michigan, but if we did, I’d have to make something a little more weather proof, feed them more, or bed their winter quarters with more straw.

Fwiw, my goats are out with the horses all the time during the day without mishap. The goats figure out very quickly exactly how much each horse will put up with, so maybe you don’t have to worry about the donkeys as roommates.

PS. They make really cute little blankets for goats.

[fivehorses]

Do you have any links for goat blankets?

[Hermein]

Fivehorses and all: Here’s what the well-dressed goats will be wearing next season: http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_search_results.html?start=1&catalog=default&gas=goat%20blankets&gac=BrowsePrev:%20Page%201

[AliCat518]

My good friend has a few horses, a mini, sometimes a donk, and 3 goats in one field. They all share the biiiig run-in when the weather is bad! (Horses get blankets so they stay out more often). But it’s quite cute to see the whole herd sharing hay in there together. It’s probably the biggest run in I’ve ever seen.

[cowboymom]

if you want to get a blanket, just get a foal or large dog blanket. or rig something up from the thrift store. Goat meet everything head on, including winter clothing!