# Anyone ever used Trex for a goat shed floor?



## HappyMamaAcre (Apr 19, 2012)

I'm adopting a Nigerian dwarf doe and a pot-bellied pig, each a year old.  I'm enclosing an old porch off our garage to become the goat/pig shed.  Apparently they sleep together inside an old dog house, and we're going to put that in the shed.

The porch's floor is Trex we got for free when a friend redid his patio.  Anyone ever used Trex as a flooring?  Should I be worried about something?

And as for ventilation, I'm just putting walls on the porch up to within about 2" of the ceiling, so there will be airflow up there all the time.  Is that good?

Thanks much!


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## Catahoula (Apr 20, 2012)

I read that mold and mildew can build up on composite decking. Not sure if that would work well with animal urine/beddings...especially during winter months when you would pile up....?? What about using it and build them a fun playground? Beware though the material get hot in the sun.


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## goodhors (Apr 20, 2012)

I have heard of the composites being good in horse trailer floors, no rot.
I am a daily stall cleaner, so I would not be letting the bedding build up.
You would be able to wash the flooring with a power washer, get it really
clean, perhaps bleach it a couple times a year just to remove germs.  That
might be helpful too with any growth from being damp and shaded.

Green molds on boards usually are from being damp and shady outside.
Since it is not real wood, they should clean off easily, just something to 
keep cleaned off so they are not slippery.

A suggestion would be purchasing a stall mat from the farm store, cutting
it to fit over the Trex floor.  Stall mat gives a flat surface, easy to clean, no
bedding down between the boards.  You can lift and drag out the mat when
you want to power wash the stall area, then put it back in.  Matting is solid
so it insulating from the ground cold, more giving than boards, should be 
less slippery when wet, if you keep bedding on it.  We use visegrips on 
the edge to move ours around, they are heavy!  You can cut them with 
a utility knife or a saw, to fit your area.  I use smaller cut off pieces for 
doorways, gates, wet places, to not sink into mud.

You will be dealing with two kinds of poop here, so use enough bedding
to absorb the VERY wet pig poop, give enough dryness for pig and goat
to lay down and not be wet.

Another idea might be a fan up high, to move air in or out of the enclosed 
area in summer heat.  Pigs don't do heat well, but may want to be in
shaded stall.  Moving air could prevent stress or heat exhaustion.

Be sure to keep the pig's teeth trimmed, to prevent nasty bites if it has
a temper tantrum.  Pig teeth are self-sharpening all the time, so this is 
an ongoing care item for pigs with tusks.  Also hoof care if you don't have
harsh ground to wear down the goat and pig hooves.  Working with them,
you may get them trained to hold still while trimming.  Otherwise, other
ideas will have to be worked out to remove excess hoof growth.


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## HappyMamaAcre (Apr 21, 2012)

Thanks for the good advice.  I'll look for a stall mat soon. Apparently the pig does not "go" in the shed at her current house, so maybe I'll get lucky!


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