Wethers Stay in Barn...

[Beckella]

Hi all,
We are new to goats...we have 2.5 month old Nigerian Dwarf wethers and are absolutely in love with the little guys!

Question for you all...they spend the vast majority of their day laying in the doorway of the barn. They'll come running when we go out there but aren't taking advantage of their yard or toys at all. Any suggestions for encouraging them to spend more time outside. I get so excited when I look out the window and they're outside...which they did it more. Their hay & water is inside so I wonder if that would make a difference if we moved it???

Thanks so much for any advice!!

Beckella

 

[jlbpooh]

I have 4 nigerian dwarf wethers too. I notice that my goats stayed in the barn a lot more when we first got them because they felt safer and more secure in there. How long have you had them? If they are new to you they may be still getting used to everything. Do they have another source of shade? It could be that they are trying to get out of the sun. I keep my hay in my barn and the water too if it is rainy or cold out. My guys are out more often than not though. They have almost complete shade in the afternoons in their very large pasture, and they have other smaller trees and the covered porch on their goat cottage to stand under in the mornings and mid day until the sun comes around the backside of the other huge trees.

 

[tiffanyh]

Mine seem to lay in the shed door also but I think after time and as they get a bit older and more confident, they will venture out more.

 

[mully]

It has been sooo hot lately ... after all they are 2.5 mo ...they will come around... just be patient with them.

 

[Ariel301]

My goats all spend most of their time laying around. They get up for breakfast and milking, then when they are done getting milked, they immediately run to their favorite dog house/shed/really dusty spot and lay down. They will be laying down there almost all the time until the evening milking. If it's cool out, they lay in the sun, and if it's hot out, they lay in the shade. They're lazy.

 

[Beckella]

Thanks for the responses! We just weren't sure if they are being normal little goaties or not! I agree with the lazy...they lay in the door of the barn right next to their hay - that way they have the perfect view outside and only have to turn their head to get a bite to eat!

Their area is mostly shady and actually when they do come out they hang in the sunny areas...our weather has been all overt the place lately so not sure that really has anything to do with it. I guess they're just babies still and need to get braver!

Beckella

 

[glenolam]

When I first got 2 of my goats (a 4 yr old doe and her 6wk old wether) they didn't venture out into their pen for weeks. Now they've cleared everything out of their pen and we have to make it bigger!

 

[chicken fruit]

I was just thinking the same thing- its so bloody hot right now, goats tend to lounge around chewing their cud when its hot. They dont forage very much in the extreme heat unless theyre good and ready to- and certainly wont spend much time romping around.

Dont worry, it'll cool off and they'll have more fun.

I spray my goats legs with the hose when its super hot. They seem to greatly appreciate it. If I had nubies I'd probably sponge their ears to help them keep cool.

 

[lupinfarm]

Mine also spend a good part of the daying lazing around. Actually, silly me thought it was a good idea to take them down to the roundpen the other day. I figure, hey its a big metal pen... theres no way they can get out! They can graze and have fun and such while mowing down my roundpen. Yeah right, apparently a fat Pygmy/Nigi cross can scoot under through a gap that is maybe 6" big. WHAT. So off they go running up the driveway. For some reason I thought if they got out, maybe they'd just go and start looking through the fields for yummies. Strange goats, they make a beeline for their little goat barn and then stand in the doorway waiting for me LOL.

When they're in the drylot they just hang out too, unless they're feeling giddy in which case they start headbutting and jumping like mad jumping goats.

 

[cmjust0]

Ours are spending most of their day in the barn, too.. They might make a run out to eat once or twice a day, but otherwise.....too hot.

They're more prone to come out in the evenings, but even that's limited these days. Our nighttime lows are in the 70s right now.