# Goats and water buckets



## Mini-M Ranch (Sep 14, 2009)

Why do they drink more if I fill the bucket up less?  Seriously, if I fill the bucket up nearly to the top, they sniff it and walk off.  If I fill it 3/4 full, they all run over and drain it in big, long gulps.  lol.  I don't think I understand goats yet.


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## lupinfarm (Sep 14, 2009)

My horse won't drink from the big water bucket right away if she can drink out of the small pail i use to fill it up LOL. And then, she gulps it all down and I have to go fill it up again, and it's just a horrible circle of me filling up a bucket, her drinking it, nothing ever getting into the muck bucket for her. 

I have to chase her away first!! ... or be REALLLLYYY quiet when coming into the field so she doesn't notice me.


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## Rockytopsis (Sep 15, 2009)

I can't answer the question, but I guess it it like my dogs that will stick their noses up the drain pipe that drains the water from the down spout off the roof and drink that nasty water when I keep at the barn a 4 gallon bucket with fresh water. Who knows

LOL
Nancy


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## Its not a GOAT its a DOG (Sep 15, 2009)

I don't know but they might be afraid of the full water bucket but not the less full bucket.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Sep 16, 2009)

because goats are.....crazy!?!?!? hee hee hee 

thats a new one... maybe they keep dipping their noses in too deeply? dunno.....

my dogs prefer mud puddles to any of the other waterers.. for heavens sakes.


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## Its not a GOAT its a DOG (Sep 17, 2009)

goats are crazy! all but one breed are afraid of water so the deep water is probably what they are afraid of.


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## Andrew C. (Sep 20, 2009)

Ahah ! I think your on to something here my goats had 20 litre drums for water and they hardly drank any and I kept them full so I was always wasting a lot of water cleaning them out.

So I cut the top off them to make them about 10 litre drums and I find they drink more much more.

Now I have a doe with kids I have put a smaller bucket next to hers incase the kids want a drink and she drinks it all almost staight away its 4 litres.

I think they prefer to drink shallow water or lower water, shame that. 

Maybe ?

Any thoughts ?

Am I crazy like goat?


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## kimmyh (Sep 20, 2009)

I like shallow buckets for everything, there is nothing worse than finding a baby that has drown in a water source a foolish human provided-me.


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## cmjust0 (Sep 21, 2009)

We hang buckets from light chains in the kidding stalls...even just a few inches off the ground helps.  That way, if baby decides to rear up and see what's inside, the bucket just swings out of the way.

I've seen it swing back and hit the baby like a wrecking ball and splash water out, sure, but....oh well.


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## kimmyh (Sep 21, 2009)

I mount buckets in kidding stalls at just above the level of the does tail. I figure her pushing out a baby in the bucket, is just as bad as a baby falling in a bucket, they would both be dead.

LOL edited to change bucks to buckets.


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## cmjust0 (Sep 21, 2009)

kimmyh said:
			
		

> ...they would both be dead.


???


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## mully (Sep 21, 2009)

Careful you could go truly "mad" trying to figure out why a goat does something.


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## gidgetfarms (Oct 23, 2009)

The water thing is frustrating. I finally attached a float to the side of a large plastic tub for the goats water. That way it is always full no matter how much they drink. It is harder to know how much they drink, but it is a sure way to keep them from running out. Especially where it is very hot. 
The large plastic tubs are about $9-10 and the floats come in different sizes, the one that fits the tub is about $9.00 for plastic $14  for metal. So far so good it seems to be working well. 
(For horses they have larger ones for the tanks)


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## kimmyh (Oct 24, 2009)

Yep the plastic tubs can work if they aren't deep enough for a kid to drown in. I use the horse waters that have the little bowl, and two of the small metal wash tubs, with the clamp on float. Of all the automatic waters I have tried, I like the dog version that is a flat 4" deep version with a hose attached, you just hook it to your garden hose and tada, you're done, and the babies can't drown.


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