# goats don't like their "dry shelter"



## Jster (Sep 26, 2009)

Our dear sweet goats have been with us almost two weeks.  And it rains a LOT here.  We have a very nice, very dry but airy structure for them for rainy moments.  But they do not like it, instead, they sit, in the rain, by the gate, waiting for their humans to come play with them.  We sometimes go and hang out with them in the dry shelter during rain.  We give them food in the shelter...they will eat it when we are their then forget about it.  We kept their water in the shelter until we realized they never drank any.  Now, they've trained us to feed and water them by the gate, but I feel bad for our wet goats!  I can go out and they will be literally soaked!  I thought goats hated rain?!?  It's plenty warm out now so it's not a problem, but eventually it will be cooler and they'll need real shelter from the weather.  

Any suggestions?  Thoughts?  We can't really move the shelter, it's permanent.


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## Mini-M Ranch (Sep 26, 2009)

I'm sure I don't know.  I have the OPPOSITE problem.  It isn't raining, we feed them outside, water them outside, go out in their pen and run around, climb on their goat platforms...and they sit in the goat house and look at us like we are crazy.  

Maybe we should breed our goats with your goats to get kids that go INSIDE and OUTSIDE.


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## trestlecreek (Sep 26, 2009)

Do you have a pic of the shelter? How big is it? Do they share it with animals other than goats?


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## kimmyh (Sep 27, 2009)

Is the shelter made of metal?


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## Jster (Sep 27, 2009)

Mini-M, sounds like a plan 

I'll take some pictures today.  It's about 10x12, basically a roofed area.  It has chainlink on a few walls and two doors, and a metal roof, so it is pretty much made of metal.  It was used for some other animal at some other time (we're renting and the house came with a nicely fenced pasture and this little shelter.)  I'm not sure what animals...maybe a minature horse or donkey?  I'm sure a full sized horse would not fit through the doors, they are somewhat narrow.  It is slightly overgrown on the path in but the goats run ahead of us into it when we start heading that way, so I don't think they are at all afraid or hesitant about it.  Mostly, it seems like they just sit by the gate, pining away for us to come and visit   I just feel bad for them, because they are wet, and also it will get colder and then I'll worry about their health.


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## ksalvagno (Sep 27, 2009)

What about putting something in there for them like a Little Tikes picnic table or a small Little Tikes climbing cube or something like it to play on? Also, try putting a dog house in there. I have my girls in a stall in a barn but I have a large plastic dog kennel (minus the door) in there and they love to sit and sleep there over anywhere else in their stall.


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## Rence (Sep 27, 2009)

That's so strange, I've always read and been told that goats can't stand to be wet. 

Was it raining lightly? sometimes when the rain is light, mine will go and eat their hay or browse, but for the most part, they won't leave their shelter when it's raining. They'll probably come out if I put out grain, but I don't "force" them out in the rain and just wait until it stops or slows down.

Is it hot where you are? maybe yours might tolerate the rain better if it's warm. I'd definitely worry once it starts getting colder. I'm betting they'll use their shelter in the rain if it's cold enough for them to shiver though....

I think that even if the shelter is metal, as long as it's not drafty, they should use it, but I can't say for sure because all of mine are wooden or dogloos for the younger ones. Can you put sheets of plywood over at least three of the walls where they would be leaning up against? and make sure you have a good layer of bedding for them to lay on? That might encourage them to stay in when you expect conditions to keep them in.


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## kimmyh (Sep 27, 2009)

Some animals hate the noise the rain makes on ametal roof (I have several buildings with metal roofs. In order to get them over the whole noise thing I had to lock them in the building over night, and then they were happy for the relief from the rain.


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## lupinfarm (Sep 27, 2009)

My goats don't LIKE the rain, but they will stand in the rain if I am there. There are goats on a hobby farm on HWY 14 and they LOVE to browse out in the rain. I guess it's the individual/group. No one is the same.


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## Jster (Sep 27, 2009)

Here are a couple of pictures:  










We did clear the path later in the day, so that "rubbing against branches" cannot be their excuse.  It is drafty, but since we're in FL I'd be afraid to have a fully enclosed building in the summertimes (which is most of the year!  It's still 90 most days here and humid).  Though we may enclose it some.  And we may build some sort of raised area for them to sleep on to make it more enticing.  Any other thoughts?  We're new to this whole goat thing and using what we've got, plus don't want to make huge changes because we're renters.


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## kimmyh (Sep 27, 2009)

I would tarp the sides so they feel more secure.


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## dianneS (Oct 18, 2009)

My goats had to be kept in a horse stall when they first got here.  It totally freaked them out, they had never been fully enclosed before.  They were only in th horse stall about a week before I finished their other enclosure.  They were also reluctant to go in to that shelter.  They also would stand by the gate and even out in the rain.  I had to go out and lure them into the shelter with food.  I fed them in there all the time.  I put down nice dry bedding, some things to climb on and a few sheets of plywood propped against the walls where they could curl up underneath for security and warmth.  It took time, but they eventually started to see that shelter as home base.  Goats don't like change and it takes time for them to adjust.


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## zatsenoughcritters4me (Oct 18, 2009)

I would put either tin or wood on the sides to close it in, but leave the opening for the door, a tarp they will most likely eat.
you could close them in with the food and water at night to get them used to it. we have feeders on the walls, so the hay doesn't go to waste so much. also is that plastic on the ground? they might not like walking on that, or they may try to eat it, I would take that up and put straw down. we have enclosed barns for all our animals, they go in when they want to, even in the summer if you have ventilation they will still go in, but ours sleep outside most of the time, unless bad weather or very cold then they sleep inside on the warm straw! you could build a platform also they do like to be up off the ground sometimes we have our platform built up in steps so they can climb up.


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## dianneS (Oct 19, 2009)

I also closed mine in at night with food an water, and that helped them recognise it as home.

I wouldn't bother closing in the sides, espcially since you'r in Florida.  I know a lot of goats up here in the north that don't have fully enclosed pens even in the winter and they are fine.

My goats were freaked out by a totally enclosed space.  They acted like it was going to collapse on them, or they were going to get cornered by a predator!    Very suspicious of enclosed spaces.

They will catch on, just give it time.  If its warm while its raining, don't worry about them standing out in it, they will be fine, or go inside.  I only worry about rain when its a cold rainy day.  Goats do hate to be wet, so they will figure it out.  Perhaps they feel the shelter is more threatening right now than rain?  Feed them in there, they'll get used to it.


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## norcal (Oct 21, 2009)

I wouldn't recommend tarps or plastic. 

Ours shelter is weird, but we make do.   It has 3' walls, then wire between the walls & roof (about another 2.5' high).     So we cover part of the wire w/ tarps & plastic, but it keeps blowing down.   We are on a hill though, and it gets real windy here.  

We're looking to put plywood up w/ hinges that we can close & open as needed.   

Our goats STAY in the shelter when it rains.   However they'll sit in the 110 degree sun, when a shade tree is 5' away (just to stay near the gate!!).   So some goats are just weird.


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## lupinfarm (Oct 21, 2009)

I tarped our chainlink run for the goats and they didn't eat it *shrug* every goat is different though.


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## Jster (Oct 21, 2009)

Thanks for all the great suggestions! 

The goats have gotton a little more used to their shelter, it got colder here and they were using it not only during rain but also at night.  We have been thinking of ways to try and close it in some, at least on a couple of sides to minimize draft, but like someone else said it gets so hot in the summer here we'd like to be able to remove/open the walls.  

As for the tarp on the ground...it's some sort of thick black mesh that was there from the previous owners, and I am going to remove it.  The goats do seem dirtier now that they are in their shelter more often and I think part of it is the tarp.  I also want to get more straw...just nervous because the last bale of straw that we got was full of cockroaches.


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## cmjust0 (Oct 21, 2009)

Jster said:
			
		

> I also want to get more straw...just nervous because the last bale of straw that we got was full of cockroaches.


Yikes...


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