Goats in a pen for an extended amount of time?

[oppida]

We had some flooding this weekend and we built a make-shift pen in our garage/barn for our goats and chickens. They have pallets to be up off the ground, fresh water, wood shavings to absorb the urine, etc. and hay.

They have been in there since Friday. Today is our first dry day since the storm, but their pasture area and shelters are still very muddy and wet. We also are expecting another storm tomorrow, so I'm thinking I should just keep them in there till this next storm passes. Not to mention getting 5 goats and 6 chickens back into the garage on my own (my DH is out of town during the week) would be quite a feat.

That would be 6 days in a smallish pen....

Should I be concerned about locking them up for so long? What do I need to do other than what I'm doing? Should I feed them more hay (I give them about a flake a day and a little grain) since they don't have access to pasture?

Also, when these storms are finally done, is it a bad idea to let them out onto partially wet, muddy and puddled pasture? There is still grass, but there's also a ton of mud. After 6 days, it seems they'd need to get out and get some fresh air and sunlight!

Thank you!!!

 

[Southern by choice]

They will be fine. Just make sure you have air flow. Free-choice hay is always good. Once the storms pass they will go out if they want. Some goats hate to touch anything wet but most don't care. If the mud is dangerous, as in it is creating sinking mudholes well that ins't good, but just mud is fine. Where do they normally shelter?

 

[20kidsonhill]

They should have enough hay that they eat it all through out the day, but not so much that they waste a lot of it.

 

[oppida]

They will be fine. Just make sure you have air flow. Free-choice hay is always good. Once the storms pass they will go out if they want. Some goats hate to touch anything wet but most don't care. If the mud is dangerous, as in it is creating sinking mudholes well that ins't good, but just mud is fine. Where do they normally shelter?

The garage has ample air flow...even when it's sandbagged and water-tight...I opened a window for them today to get some fresh air since it's nice out. The mud isn't dangerous at all, just...muddy...

We have 2 shelters in the pasture- a three sided shelter on the ground and a large shelter on concrete that the chicken roost in. They shelter in both-when it's cold they hang with the chickens, when it's warm they opt for the other shelter and when it's hot, they just sleep outside...

Thank you so much!

 

[oppida]

They should have enough hay that they eat it all through out the day, but not so much that they waste a lot of it.

Thank you! I think I might need to give them more. They mainly just eat pasture all day. We give them grain in the evening and hay only when the pasture is wet. So I think I should give them more, since they don't have pasture access. And I need to build some sort of feeder, since right now I'm just throwing it on the ground and it's getting wasted...

 

[20kidsonhill]

i have found even putting it in a smallwater tub or bucket or anything is better than throwing it on the ground. If tub is too big they will lay in it.