# Do you lock them up at night?



## Amp (Jun 27, 2011)

We are planning on a 3 sided barn for 4 Nigerian wethers.  I keep wondering if they need a closed in stall to be locked in at night so nothing will get them.  Maybe I'm being a little overly protective but I've never had my own goats before and I just want to protect them.


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## Mea (Jun 27, 2011)

Amp said:
			
		

> We are planning on a 3 sided barn for 4 Nigerian wethers.  I keep wondering if they need a closed in stall to be locked in at night so nothing will get them.  Maybe I'm being a little overly protective but I've never had my own goats before and I just want to protect them.


I do close the does in at night.  Summer time we have a stock panel section that fits across the door.  I simply hook that into place and remove in the morning.  The does are all disbudded so really have no defence against roaming coydogs etc.

  When we had the sheep... at night we would close them in a 'night pasture'  close to the house  for a tiny bit of protection.  Again... opening the field gates in the morning.

  Ja... i'm a bit over-protective.....


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## 20kidsonhill (Jun 27, 2011)

We don't, infact, we lock them out of the barn from spring to fall.  I don't like cleaning barns out.   

It really depends on your fencing situation and your preditors in your area. We have never had a problem Knock on Wood.  We have calf huts up in the field for rain, but they often don't even use those.


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## Emmetts Dairy (Jun 27, 2011)

I have a large barn where they live at night.  I leave a small 1/2 door open for them year round.  I worry about barn fires so I want them to have an escape door just in case.  But in the summertime when warmer weather comes I leave the large door open all the time.  It depends on where you live and what your weather is...and what kind of prey you have around.


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## vegaburm (Jun 27, 2011)

Being as though they are NIgerians, they are pretty small, and therefore more vulnerable to predators. You need to know the risks. Where I am we don't have coyotes, but there are often stray dogs. It would depend on how much I trusted my fence! We have two Nigerian does and 3 1 month old kids. They get locked in every night. I don't want to take risks with them. The breeder I got them from does not do that, but she also has two livestock guardian dogs. So, I guess it just depends on how much you trust you defences!


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## Amp (Jun 27, 2011)

I live in Alabama and even though I've never seen one my Dad says there are Coyotes around.  We will have them in a 38 by 100 ft fenced in area but they will be let out in the pasture (10+ acres) daily to graze and brought back in at night.  They will be in the 38 by 100 ft area at night so I will work on making that fencing as secure as we can.


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## carolinagirl (Jun 27, 2011)

I lock my sheep in a paddock area closer to the house at night.  We have not had any problems this time around with stock, but a couple of years ago we had all of our goats killed one night by stray/neighbor's dogs.  So I am a little paranoid right now.


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## SuburbanFarmChic (Jun 27, 2011)

Two words...   Barn Fire. 


  I NEVER lock anybody in anywhere.  They have access to the outside from their shelter at all times.   We are in a more suburban location though and I have to deal less with coyotes etc but they are in the area. And we've had bears about 5 miles away.   I still don't lock them up.  Even my kidding stall has a dog door out the back to a cattle pannel looped to make a small run.


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## Rhondax6 (Jun 30, 2011)

We don't lock our two small goats up at night but they go in their house to sleep on their own.


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## elevan (Jun 30, 2011)

Risk of barn fire is why I don't lock mine up.  Our llama (guard) sleeps in the doorway, so I'm not worried about predators.


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## Griffin's Ark (Jul 1, 2011)

Amp I am sure that you do have coyotes, though I could be wrong.  Coyotes are quite prevalent in Georgia as well as all the states north of Georgia following the Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountain ranges.  We use a Great Pyrenees to keep our goats safe and it seems that if you read through the different posts here on Backyard Herds you will find that often people in coyote areas have real good fencing or some kind of Live stock guardian (donkey, dog, llama, etc.) If a coyote is really hungry most fences won't stop them.  An electric fence charged to about 7000 volts is recommended to deter them, and that is a bit more voltage than I want to have running through my fences.  When I accidentally touch the top line in the horse paddock I am reminded why they stay away from it and that is only 3000 volts.  So I guess what my main point is... I am a serious advocate of Livestock Guardians!


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## ksalvagno (Jul 1, 2011)

I lock mine up at night. They have their stalls in the barn and overhang area around the barn. Not only do you have to worry about coyotes but abandoned dogs are even worse. Now there are reports that bears are crossing over from Pennsylvania into Ohio so we may have to worry about bears in the future.


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## dianneS (Jul 1, 2011)

Two words...   Barn Fire. 


  I NEVER lock anybody in anywhere.  They have access to the outside from their shelter at all times.  

I feel the same way.  We had some serious storms this spring too and all I could think was "what if the barn collapsed on everyone" (my barn is 132 years old so I have reason to worry!)

I have a livestock guardian dog to handle and preditors and motion sensor lights.


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## DonnaBelle (Jul 1, 2011)

Yes, I lock everything up but the horses.

The chickens are in a secure chicken house.

The goats are in their metal barn.  

We live 3 miles E. of Tiger Mountain.  There are big caves in the sides of the mountain.    In fact, many years ago in the 1920's a family lived in one of the caves. Can you imagine??  I know we have bobcats, I've seen them.  Some say Bigfoot is in residence in the Quichita Mtns. SE of here.

I would love a livestock guardian, but I have a 4 year old on the ranch, and I worry about a dog attacking her.

We have a 7,000 volt electric fence around the fenced in areas of the goat field.  So far, we've been sooo lucky and have not lost any goats. 

DonnaBelle


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## PJisaMom (Jul 1, 2011)

DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> I would love a livestock guardian, but I have a 4 year old on the ranch, and I worry about a dog attacking her.


If that's really what is stopping you, then I would urge you to do more research.  I trust my dog with my children totally.  She is very subservient to them and *knows* her master(s).  I got her as a two year old (Great Pyrenees), and she's been beyond wonderful with not only my children, but any children that come to visit.  She is wary of adult men (which I appreciate), but does well once acquainted with them.  (Took her three weeks with my husband to even somewhat trust him, but now they are 100% ok.)

Doesn't work for everyone, but I wouldn't let that stop you... jes' sayin'...


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## DonnaBelle (Jul 1, 2011)

I know that some folks have LGD with their families but I always think:  well, they know what they're doing.  My problem is everything about "goating" is so new to me.  I have spent hours on this website and read books and read books, but like most things you need lots of "hands on" experience.

I don't know the first thing about "training" a guard dog.  I do know that when we first became interested we went to the Goat Boot Camp in Ada, OK.  OSU puts it on, and the instructors are people who raise goats and OSU and Langston U. professors.  They had someone who raises the guard dogs explain that they would kill anyone or anything that they perceived "threatened" their goats. 

Thus, my fears regarding the LGD and the 4 year old.  She loves the bird dogs, but I won't let her in the pen with them.  Of course, she's crazy about the goats, has named them all after Cars.  Yep, I have a goat named Lightning McQueen and another named Mater. LOL.

I guess I will just keep locking them in the barn at night, and keep the voltage up on the fence.

DonnaBelle


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## Pearce Pastures (Jul 1, 2011)

We have a really ancient barn, and I do sometimes worry about it collapsing or burning, but I do lock my goats in at night because we do have coyotes nearby and after losing almost every chicken we owned to some kind of predator (probably a raccoon or opossum), I just don't want to see my kids freak out again upon finding their pets, ya know.


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## PJisaMom (Jul 1, 2011)

DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> I know that some folks have LGD with their families but I always think:  well, they know what they're doing.


I am here to personally testify that I have absolutely NO clue what I'm doing.  Honest!  



			
				DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> My problem is everything about "goating" is so new to me.  I have spent hours on this website and read books and read books, but like most things you need lots of "hands on" experience.


I'm new, too!  This weekend will be one year since venturing into the world of goats!  Nothing like trial by fire!



			
				DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> I don't know the first thing about "training" a guard dog.  I do know that when we first became interested we went to the Goat Boot Camp in Ada, OK.  OSU puts it on, and the instructors are people who raise goats and OSU and Langston U. professors.  They had someone who raises the guard dogs explain that they would kill anyone or anything that they perceived "threatened" their goats.


Wow... I can see how that would put you off quite a bit!!!!  I will say that I have talked to others who have certain LGD's that need more supervision with visitors than others.  A certain amount of diligence is required, for certain.  I got EXTREMELY lucky and found a 2 year old female who was past all the puppy stuff, had been raised with goats and horses and cows and kids and she has been PHENOMENAL (aside from the standard and required barking that promptly torqued the neighbors off -- but it has been her necessary bark, and not an all-night thing -- despite what the neighbors have said!).  That is my disclaimer totally.  Pure dumb luck.  She really is a great dog.  Have I mentioned how much I love my dog?????  Oh... and she's just gorgeous, too!



			
				DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> Thus, my fears regarding the LGD and the 4 year old.


I get where you are coming from, thus why I urged you to do more research if you really wanted one.  The reality is that LGD's will be accustomed and acclimated to who is around them (masters/owners/etc) and consider them "theirs".   I am the *very last* person to give anyone advice on LGD's, just wanted to make sure you had both sides of the story to base a decision on!



			
				DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> She loves the bird dogs, but I won't let her in the pen with them.  Of course, she's crazy about the goats, has named them all after Cars.  Yep, I have a goat named Lightning McQueen and another named Mater. LOL.


LOL!  My kids got to name the last two chickens:  Freedom and Justice!  I finally got to name something and the new baby goats are Gordy and Evelyn, after my grandparents! 



			
				DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> I guess I will just keep locking them in the barn at night, and keep the voltage up on the fence.


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## elevan (Jul 1, 2011)

I remember a thread not that long ago about someone losing all of their adult does to a pack of coyotes that BROKE THROUGH their barn wall.  Locking them in at night isn't a guarantee that you won't experience losses.  (And I absolutely lock my chickens up, but not my goats).  I think a livestock guardian is the best bet for protecting your herd at night.

DonnaBelle - I completely respect your caution in not getting a LGD, but they are not the only type of guardian for livestock.  You could look into a llama or donkey (depends on what your predators are though).  I'd be worried about the 4 yr old touching that 7000 volt fence line.  I know my boy would touch it just because I told him not to


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## DonnaBelle (Jul 2, 2011)

I know I worry about the fence too!!  But she is a very smart 4 year old.  And she has been used to being told about the fence around the chicken yard!!  One thing for sure, she won't touch it but once!! 

I know you can't watch them every single minute.  But her Mother sure does try to.  She's a stay at home Mom and is ever vigilent.
We have a big pond about 200 ft. from their house and I have worried about that pond since the day her mom brought her home   from the hospital,     It's always something isn't it??

We keep the horses in a barn and pasture on the other side of the ranch, because I didn't want her to get any ideas about visiting them sometime.

A little story about the fence.  When I decided to mow a path out to the chicken yard with the push mower, I BACKED UP into the fence with me big behinder.  Yep, DH was outside too.  I screamed, he laughed and boy did it hurt!!

DonnaBelle


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## willowbreezefarm (Jul 2, 2011)

I do not lock mine up. I get worried about the barn setting on fire. I was just mentioning in another post that I also can sleep worrie free at night knowing that my babys are safe behind the new fence. I got one of those electro netting fences that keeps bear, coyoties and other roaming critters out. It does work! I saw our dog get shocked by it and now she wont even go near the fence. I also saw all my goats including the kids get shocked by it at least once and they will not be rubbing up on that fence. Well worth my money when I bought that this year.


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## Goatmasta (Jul 2, 2011)

I have an Australian Shepard, I bought him from a "working home".  In other words his parents and grands are both well trained at their job.  I didn't really have to do much training, he just knew what to do from the beginning.  I am a firm believer in buying from a "working home" with a "working" blood line.  I believe the "work" can be bred out of them regardless of what the "job" is....


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## ksalvagno (Jul 2, 2011)

Utimately, you will have to decide what is best for your particular farm. For some of us it works out better to lock them up at night because for one reason or another some type of guardian animal is just not feasible and predators are the bigger worry than barn fires. For others, they worry more about barn fires but have some type of guardian animal.


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## carolinagirl (Jul 2, 2011)

DonnaBelle, when I decided I needed a good farm dog/ watch dog, I intentionally chose a LGD breed because they are safer with kids than most other breeds.  LGDs are known for having almost no prey drive, so they are not as likely to bite your child.  I have a 4 year old grandson and his safety is the most important things.  LGD are not like regular guard dogs.  They bond deeply with their family (human and hoofed) and will protect them.  their first instinct is not to rip the heads off the offending invader, it's to alert you of a problem.  Often their imposing size alone is enough to scare off invaders.  If more is needed, they will do more.  They don't need to be trained to do this, it is natural for them to.  They think for themselves and figure out the best way to handle threats on their own.


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## Mea (Jul 2, 2011)

DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> They had someone who raises the guard dogs explain that they would kill anyone or anything that they perceived "threatened" their goats.
> DonnaBelle


$.02 here...take it for what it is worth...

  There is a Lot of difference between a Guard Dog and a  Livestock Guardian Dog.  

  Most Guardian Dogs rely on their size and voice to deter threats.  They will place themselves Between a threat and their charges.   A good one would not back down from a fight... but also would not go actively Seeking one.

  Ok....back in my cave.......


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## Amp (Jul 2, 2011)

Thanks everyone 
I'm still not sure what I want to do but I don't want another dog.  I also don't want to do the electric fence because I will have 3 small boys 4 and under and that scares me.  We don't plan on having electricity or anything like that in the barn so should I really be worried about a fire.  I'm thinking I will do a small stall and try locking them up.  I'm thinking that will make me feel better but I really have no idea.


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## elevan (Jul 2, 2011)

fyi...barn fires can start without electricity in your barn
following article is from this link:  http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/dairy/facts/hayfires.htm



> Spontaneous Combustion and Hay Fires
> 
> Lives have been lost and hay crops destroyed because of fires caused by spontaneous combustion. This year has been particularly bad for hay heating due to the hot humid weather. If the hay crop is put into the mow above 20-25% moisture content, spontaneous combustion may occur.
> 
> ...


*If you don't want a dog...you can look into other forms of livestock guardians such as llamas or donkeys...it really depends on your predators.*


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## ksalvagno (Jul 2, 2011)

If you store your hay correctly and have good air flow, that shouldn't be a problem. Hay should be stored cut side up for air to be able to get through. Also make sure your hay isn't wet. Wet hay will heat up and can "catch" on fire.


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## DonnaBelle (Jul 2, 2011)

Very interesting information regarding the hay, elevan!!  It gets very hot and dry around here, especially this year.

I don't have any hay in the barn right now, mine are all out brousing from early morning til almost dusk.

My goats are looking much better since giving birth in April and May.  They're getting their shiny coats back.

Thanks for the recipe for the goat salve, just printed it off.

Grandson taught me how to copy and paste. YAHoo!!

DonnaBelle


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## elevan (Jul 2, 2011)

DonnaBelle said:
			
		

> Very interesting information regarding the hay, elevan!!  It gets very hot and dry around here, especially this year.
> 
> I don't have any hay in the barn right now, mine are all out brousing from early morning til almost dusk.
> 
> ...


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## elevan (Jul 2, 2011)

ksalvagno said:
			
		

> If you store your hay correctly and have good air flow, that shouldn't be a problem. Hay should be stored cut side up for air to be able to get through. Also make sure your hay isn't wet. Wet hay will heat up and can "catch" on fire.


Very true Karen   I always thought it was "oxy-moronic" that the wet stuff was more susceptible to spontaneous combustion...but apparently it is because the wet encourages mold and the mold is actually what heats up in the case of wet hay.

It's also not just the stored hay that can become a problem but the hay in large hay racks too.

Didn't mean to alarm anyone, just pointing out that were there is fire there is not always electricity to start it.


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## Amp (Jul 2, 2011)

Thanks for that info.


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## maggies.family (Jul 2, 2011)

We are bringing home 2 new goats tomorrow.  The gentleman we are getting them from says we don't need to worry about a shelter for them right now, but I worry about leaving them out.  We are hoping to build them a shelter in the next week or so, but until then I will be a nervous wreck.  I am such a nervous nellie, I will for sure be closing mine in at night!


Bobbi


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## elevan (Jul 2, 2011)

maggies.family said:
			
		

> We are bringing home 2 new goats tomorrow.  The gentleman we are getting them from says we don't need to worry about a shelter for them right now, but I worry about leaving them out.  We are hoping to build them a shelter in the next week or so, but until then I will be a nervous wreck.  I am such a nervous nellie, I will for sure be closing mine in at night!
> 
> 
> Bobbi


They need a shelter even if it's just a calf hutch or a large dog house type of structure.


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## maggies.family (Jul 2, 2011)

Thank you!  I will make sure they have something.  We are so new to goats.  We need a "goats for dummies" book or something.  LOL  So glad I found this place.  

We planned on getting goats, but not until next year.  But we were faced with a quick decision to make and jumped at the chance at 2 healthy, sweet goats that were free to us.  So we are scrambling to get everything ready for them before they get here.  Ah....we will learn as we go!


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## Amp (Jul 3, 2011)

maggies.family said:
			
		

> Thank you!  I will make sure they have something.  We are so new to goats.  We need a "goats for dummies" book or something.  LOL  So glad I found this place.
> 
> We planned on getting goats, but not until next year.  But we were faced with a quick decision to make and jumped at the chance at 2 healthy, sweet goats that were free to us.  So we are scrambling to get everything ready for them before they get here.  Ah....we will learn as we go!


That sounds just like our situation.  We pick up our Wethers on Saturday and we have not even started on their barn.  We are just finishing our chicken house and decided to start just looking for Nigerian dwarfs and find out where I could get a couple.  I contacted a breeder in my state for advice and it just so happened that she had 2 she offered to wether for me and they would be ready soon.  So we are using a large dog house on our back porch for shelter and our back yard is fenced in.  So I plan on keeping them there until the Barn and pen over in our pasture is ready.


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## maggies.family (Jul 3, 2011)

Amp said:
			
		

> maggies.family said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


HAHAHA!  You don't know how close in story we really are!  LOL  We just finished our chicken yard last weekend.  We had converted an old well house into a coop so that was pretty much done with the exception of roosts, nest boxes, etc.  We also wanted Nigerian Dwarfs, but good friends of ours are in a position where they have to get rid of their goats so we are taking them.  We were offered them on Thursday and we have been scrambling to get stuff done for them.  We will have to keep up with each other.


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## goatmama (Jul 4, 2011)

We do not lock ours in but they do go in at night to sleep. I was thinking of a lean to shed but have not built it yet. That would save the inside of the barn. My does think they need to use the pen to pee in. They come in from outside to use it. Frustrating since smell is hard to get rid of.  When they were in all winter it never smelled like it does now. That's the main reason to want to pen them out. We do have bears and I have heard bobcats though.  alyce


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