# How much water should goats drink per daay?



## Long Last Farm (May 29, 2013)

I fill 2 (15 gallon buckets) each morning and each night for my 11 goats. I clean the buckets before each filling,  and add cold fresh water each time.
I think between all my goats, they drink MAYBE 2 quarts per day TOTAL!  Are they camels, or are they goats???lol

The only thing I can think of is that in their pasture where they spend most of the day , there is a "low wet spot"--I wouldn't even call it a spring, but it is frequently damp there.  Could they be getting moisture from there?

They all seem healthy enough--I owuld like to encourage drinking because I am milking one goat, and she only gives about one and 1/2 pints per day.  Her buckling is about 2 months old.  I  separate them at night, and milk her first thing in the am.  The rest of the time, she is available for him to nurse on.
any suggestions on how to get all the goats to drink more?  Thanks!


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## CochinBrahmaLover=) (May 29, 2013)

If you have 2 15 gallon buckets availible to them, they'll drink what they need. I wouldn't worry, if they were thirsty they'd drink, if not they wouldn't. Our goats don't drink much.
If you have really wet grass or trees they could be getting moisture from there.
But no, you can't really force them to drink more then they need since they will drink what they need.

As for the milk, drinking more water would only help if she's dehydrated. Things that'll make her produce more are grain, more milking, or just better genetics. I don't really know anything about her, but she might just have awful genetics, or got the bad hand in the genes. She might not just be in her peak, either.

Anyways my 2 cents


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## SheepGirl (May 29, 2013)

Grass is 80-90% moisture, they are more than likely getting most of their water needs from the grass. I don't know if you've ever penned up your goats and just fed them hay, but hay is 10-20% moisture and animals tend to drink a lot more water when they're eating hay than when they're on grass.


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## Long Last Farm (May 29, 2013)

thanks for the replies--what you have said makes alot of sense!  
In the winter here in Western new york, my goats spent most of a long winter on hay and some grain--not much grass avail. in the winter here!  Now that you mention it, they did drink alot more water in the winter!


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## OneFineAcre (May 29, 2013)

SheepGirl said:
			
		

> Grass is 80-90% moisture, they are more than likely getting most of their water needs from the grass. I don't know if you've ever penned up your goats and just fed them hay, but hay is 10-20% moisture and animals tend to drink a lot more water when they're eating hay than when they're on grass.


Mine are on a dry lot and drink a lot of water.

If you have clean, fresh water available for them at all times, they will drink what they need.


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## Catahoula (May 30, 2013)

On a warmer day, it is about a gallon per goat a day for me. On a cold day or in the winter...maybe a quart per goat a day... Sometimes after we had rain, they seem to drink less.


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## Livestock lover (Jun 4, 2013)

You're suppose to give them access to fresh water all day long, right? Because depending on the temperature they may need more or less.


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