# Goat Barn Floor



## Bedste (Jul 5, 2011)

I have a wonderful nubian and she has been in a large dog pen since giving birth.  I let her free range as much as possible, but when I am at work she is stuck in her "cage".   We covered the bottom with limestone and then thick layer of sand.  We are designing a permanant shelter for her and want to to make it big enough for three goats.  I want to learn from others.  Should we do the same thing in the goat barn?  Cover the ground with limestone and sand?  Should I cover the ground with gravel?  Should we make a wooden floor in the barn?  What is the best way  and easiest to clean and keep clean?


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## MissDanni (Jul 6, 2011)

I can't say what the best is exactly, but we have wooden floors and they seem to work well. 

We use a bit of shavings/saw dust and some straw on the floor and it is working out pretty well. 

When it comes time to clean we fork out the straw and shovel out the shavings/saw dust down to bare floor and open the door and let it all dry out. 

Sometimes we will disinfect with a very weak bleach/water solution, we just pour some on the floor and use an old broom to scrub it around and out.

The outside area is a different story, we have grass and lots of big sandstone in a sort of mountain for them to climb on.


I'm sure others will have some good ideas for you as well.


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## jodief100 (Jul 6, 2011)

My goat barn is a dirt floor.  In the winter we deep pile straw and clean it out in the spring.  It works fine.  I had wooden floors in my little field shelters and found they were impossible to keep clean.  I tore the floors out and just put the shelters  on the dirt.  

Good drainage is the important part.  Whatever you do make sure the water drains away from the shelter.  Just as important is to ensure the opening faces the lee side.


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## Bedste (Jul 6, 2011)

Thanks so much for the tips......what is the lee side?


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## Chirpy (Jul 6, 2011)

I also have dirt floors for my goats and I also use the DLM (deep litter method) of piling shavings and hay (which falls from the feeders everyday) through the winter and then doing a thorough spring cleaning.  I don't like straw, tried it and won't use it again (except in my kidding pens for about a week after the birth - I don't want wet kids rolling around on shavings.. straw is much better for them to be born on) as it can harbor mites and other little buggies and really is hard to clean out if not done almost daily.

I don't know anyone who would use a wood floor for a goat stall if they had the option not to.  But... I'm sure there are people who do and like it.


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## Bedste (Jul 6, 2011)

I am concerned about the rainy season and how muddy it gets..... What do you all think about me making a concrete slanted to drain floor and then cover that with limestone and sand?


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## elevan (Jul 7, 2011)

Depending on how cold your winters are....sand can hold the cold in and make the barn feel colder.


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## 20kidsonhill (Jul 7, 2011)

jodief100 said:
			
		

> My goat barn is a dirt floor.  In the winter we deep pile straw and clean it out in the spring.  It works fine.  I had wooden floors in my little field shelters and found they were impossible to keep clean.  I tore the floors out and just put the shelters  on the dirt.
> 
> Good drainage is the important part.  Whatever you do make sure the water drains away from the shelter.  Just as important is to ensure the opening faces the lee side.


x2, 

Concrete slanted, sand floor:  too cold for around here in the winter.


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## elevan (Jul 7, 2011)

My floor is dirt.  Though I do plan to cut it down and add a thick layer of stone followed by crushed limestone in the future.  This will *hopefully* give good drainability and make for an easily cleaned floor.  I'll still top with shavings and wasted hay in the winter at that point.


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## jodief100 (Jul 7, 2011)

Bedste said:
			
		

> Thanks so much for the tips......what is the lee side?


The lee side is the the side downwind of the prevailing winds.


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