Barn floor/bedding questions...

[scalaway]

I'm hoping for some advice here...We currently have a dirt floor barn for our goats. We've used "waste hay" (what they pull out of the feeders) for bedding, and I hate it. It needs to be cleaned out so often and it gets smelly. We're wondering what might be a good alternative?? I'm also wondering if it's okay to lay down lime to neutralize "stuff" under the bedding? Here was my thought for a temporary idea. I use "fine pine" shavings in our chicken coop, so after I clean out the smelly stuff down to the bottom dirt layer, I was going to spread lime and then pine bedding and THEN the hay... would that help?? I think ideally we were thinking maybe pull everything out and then put pea gravel and sand maybe then hay?? We've only got our four girls, but I want what's best for them -- Any thoughts or advive would be greatly appreciated ! Thanks so much!!

One more quick question...what do you do with the "stuff" you pull from the barn?? Do you let it compost for a bit or do you use it right away in a garden?? Again, thanks for your help !!

 

[shawnfisher]

I'm hoping for some advice here...We currently have a dirt floor barn for our goats.

We've used "waste hay" (what they pull out of the feeders) for bedding, and I hate it.

i would suggest getting better hay feeders- and buying straw-- you'll be money WAY AHEAD, especially if you are feeding hay of any quality>

It needs to be cleaned out so often and it gets smelly. We're wondering what might be a good alternative?? I'm also wondering if it's okay to lay down lime to neutralize "stuff" under the bedding?

Yes, lime is a mainstay in every barn on our place.. a must-- will harden like concrete, yet is great under the bedding


Here was my thought for a temporary idea. I use "fine pine" shavings in our chicken coop, so after I clean out the smelly stuff down to the bottom dirt layer, I was going to spread lime and then pine bedding and THEN the hay... would that help?? I think ideally we were thinking maybe pull everything out and then put pea gravel and sand maybe then hay?? We've only got our four girls, but I want what's best for them -- Any thoughts or advive would be greatly appreciated ! Thanks so much!!

One more quick question...what do you do with the "stuff" you pull from the barn?? Do you let it compost for a bit or do you use it right away in a garden?? Again, thanks for your help !!

Straight to the garden for us-- first year weed control, 2nd year fert source.

 

[sawfish99]

For us, straw is almost twice as expensive as hay. We use shavings for bedding and clean it out 3 or 4 times a year. Waste hay and bedding goes into our compost pile. I use the tractor to turn the pile and it makes black gold in under a year.

Yes, the lime is a good idea.

 

[scalaway]

Heading out to buy some lime now - Thanks for the suggestions! I think it'll help a lot, just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything that might hurt my girls

 

[Bifrost]

I was glad to see this thread because I have similar questions. I'll preface this with the fact that I am a new goat owner, about a month, and have already discovered what a bad idea straw is on the floor. I love shavings but I'm confused about maintenance. I only have two goats, a first freshener and a doeling. Am I supposed to just clean up what berries I can and let the rest mix in with the shavings? Someone said they used shavings and cleaned out three or four times a year and I'd like to know how that works. I just feel like I'm not getting something. Currently I use a litter scoop to flip the berries in a bucket and shovel out the wet shavings. But I'm going through a lot that way. Anyway, I appreciate all I've learned in this forum so far and I'm sure I'm looking forward to more!

 

[sawfish99]

I do not do any incremental cleanings in the shelters. 3 or 4 times a year, we completely strip all bedding/poop out of the shelter and add new shavings. How frequently you do it will be a function of the amount of space, cleanliness of the goats, and moisture build up in the bedding.

 

[goodhors]

You may want to check at the Farm Store and buy some rubber matting to put over
the dirt. I would lime the dirt before putting mats down, to deoderize the place.

Rubber mats are easy to clean, make an insulation layer between animal and ground.

The pine bedding is quite absorbent, and on the mats, should be real easy to clean
when the barn is dirty. Shavings with old waste hay over, should still make good
bedding. If shavings are very dusty, a garden sprinkle can will help hold the dust down
by sprinkling the pine bedding to dampen the top a little. I have seen some very
dusty pine sawdust and shavings. Any movement by animals makes a CLOUD of dust
that is not good to breathe in. That sprinkling is a big help with such dusty bedding.
You can make a sprinkle can out of a plastic milk bottle, punch holes in the upper top,
works just fine for the dampening of dusty bedding. You are just sprinkling, NOT
watering the garden, so don't soak the bedding either.

I am kind of big on keeping animals in clean bedding, clean stalls. I don't like deep litter
type bedding, because it can hold so many nasty things in the poopy layers. It draws
insects, turns into a breeding ground for flies that torment the livestock. Plus deep litter
is REALLY hard to clean when deep and heavy, takes quite a while to get down to the
bottom of the stalls. Our stalls for horses and small animals, get cleaned daily, which
only takes a few minutes, then get added clean bedding. They have enough bedding to
absorb liquids, keep hooves dry, deep enough to lay in without getting wet or rubs from the floors.
Animals are outside half the day hours, so stalls are never horribly dirty.

I love rubber mats in stalls. They reduce the work incredibly, no snagging on dirt, no holes
from pawing.

 

[Catahoula]

I was glad to see this thread because I have similar questions. I'll preface this with the fact that I am a new goat owner, about a month, and have already discovered what a bad idea straw is on the floor. I love shavings but I'm confused about maintenance. I only have two goats, a first freshener and a doeling. Am I supposed to just clean up what berries I can and let the rest mix in with the shavings? Someone said they used shavings and cleaned out three or four times a year and I'd like to know how that works. I just feel like I'm not getting something. Currently I use a litter scoop to flip the berries in a bucket and shovel out the wet shavings. But I'm going through a lot that way. Anyway, I appreciate all I've learned in this forum so far and I'm sure I'm looking forward to more!

I thought I was the only crazy goat lady who uses cat litter scoop to pick out the goat berries. I started with straws and did not like it. Since then I have used pine pellet, shredded paper and now pine shavings. I am wondering if the pine shavings would be good enough for winter time when the temp can be in the single digit. I clean the goat shelter 2-4 times a day. I pick out the berries in their sleeping areas as best as I can. The rest of the shelter, I tried to clean well also....and I pick up as much as I can on the pasture. Yes, I am obsessed.... I just can't imagine the berries piling up...in months/years.... I only have two wethers and they are only 4 months old. I need to loosen up and learn to do manage the goats better. It is ok now for what I am doing but winter time, I don't know if I can keep doing that in the COLD and snowy days....

 

[shawnfisher]

real livestock people clean barns out once a year, or every other year if they don't have a large herd.

I know some people, who keep only dirt floors- and never clean their barns out-- and by looking at them, you wouldn't know there has been sheep in there for 30 plus years-- not once cleaned out.

As to the pet owners-- they treat livestock like dogs and cats, and get the pooper scoopers out.

I don't see the monetary incentive to adding rubber mats to a barn bigger than 10x10, and even then it's questionable.

 

[Catahoula]

real livestock people clean barns out once a year, or every other year if they don't have a large herd.

I know some people, who keep only dirt floors- and never clean their barns out-- and by looking at them, you wouldn't know there has been sheep in there for 30 plus years-- not once cleaned out.

As to the pet owners-- they treat livestock like dogs and cats, and get the pooper scoopers out.

I don't see the monetary incentive to adding rubber mats to a barn bigger than 10x10, and even then it's questionable.

Thank you. I am a pet owner. I have never had livestock. The goats are my first and they are my pets. I guess I need to let go a little.... because my kids are getting bigger, eating more and pooping even more. They are only 4 months old. I can easily drive myself crazy. I already worry about leaving town leaving them with my husband and neighbors to take care of. They are not going to be on their hands and knees cleaning!