# Housing for goats in freezing weather



## ragdollcatlady (Jun 22, 2018)

Ok guys and gals,

I need advice from seasoned pros here. I have never done more than visit a little snow on the ground, but I am anticipating moving to Alaska and I desperately need ideas and advice on housing my goats safely against the freezing weather. What kind of barn or shelter would be best? Ideas for a floorplan/layout for a barn/shelter would be great. I am hoping to bring about 20 goats, 6 Boers, 3 Nubians, and the rest Nigerian Dwarves. Bucks separate from does of course. Also hoping to take a handful of ducks, geese and chickens, so I need some room for them too. Please add all housing advice and ideas as well as practical advice for how to care for all my feathered and furred kids in the colder months. The specific area I am looking at is in the interior of Alaska and might get down to -50 to -70, and is very windy from what I hear.

Thanks everyone!


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## Steve Quintavalli (Jun 27, 2018)

Wow, that is interesting....hmm, I have nothing to offer other than common sense but it is something I think about as I plan my move to northern Idaho.  I have read ducks and geese tolerate cold better than chickens but there are some chicken breeds that handle cold better, not sure if you have those, but I did a lot of online research and understand it is the chickens comb that can freeze.  As such, I plan on making a rocket mass heater in a barn to deal with extreme cold.  I saw an article on another blog about doing just that so it is feasible.  Those temps are really low...wind chill added makes it worse.  I had two different friends that were stationed in Alaska and my own son in Minot, ND....they all say warm coffee (or urine) tossed in the air will freeze before it hits the ground or just evaporate once it leaves the cup....that is crazy cold.  I don't know the rules but on what we can post but the permies site has some recommendations on heating barns (that is where I got the rocket mass heater idea from...someone else already thought of it and has plans).


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## RollingAcres (Jun 27, 2018)

Perhaps @Alaskan might be able to give you some advice and pointers.
I'm in NY so we do have plenty of snow and it does get very cold but not compared to Alaska.


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## RollingAcres (Jun 27, 2018)

You can wrap clear plastic around your chicken run to help keeping it warm.


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## ragdollcatlady (Jun 28, 2018)

Thank you

I am open to all ideas and anyone is welcome to offer suggestions. I will have to see what a rocket mass heater is, never heard of that.


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## ragdollcatlady (Jun 28, 2018)

Oh and the birds are Sebastopol Geese, Muscovy ducks, Silkies, Faverolles, and Ameraucanas, and possibly the Bantam Orpingtons.


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## RollingAcres (Jun 28, 2018)

They do need circulation in the chicken coop even in the winter time. I normally close the window in the coop but up top DH had cut up 6"x12" rectangles (and covered with chicken wire so nothing can get in or out) in the front and back of the coop that we would leave open for circulation if both the doors and windows are shut. We would cover these vents partially if it's too cold or too windy.


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