Your Goats Daily Schedule?????

[CountryGirl]

What is your goats daily schedule in the summer? Like do they go outside all day long and come in at night? Do they go out in their pasture for just a few hours? What about in the winter? I might be getting goats in the summer and was just wondering where they should be during the day in different season....inside or outside. During the spring, summer and fall my chickens stay outside all day long and go inside during the night time.

 

[ThornyRidge]

my goats schedule is relatively similar each day including weekends. They are usually fed and let out of barn (locked up for safety and my peace of mind each night) and given fresh water between 8-8.30 in morning.. throughout the day they carry on their own routine of coming out and browsing in pen, laying under maple tree in dirt area or on rocks or staying in barn and dozing/resting. They seem to come in and out of the barn periodically sometimes just to stand in sun if it is not too hot or take a nap outside. I do notice in the heat of summer they don't leave the barn much.. even though it is hot in there they prefer to stay in until late evening. Around 5.30 they are out hollering their heads off now for food especially with time change and darkness setting in at that time. so I go and feed around this time and every other day they get grain.. hay and fresh water nightly, some animal crackers to get everyone back in pen, top off minerals and lots of love! locked up and bed time. In the summer this is pushed back to at least 7.30 because of longer day light.. I do have some goats that are different.. some prefer to be outside more than others.. it may depend on your individual goats.. weather will definately play a part in their desires.

 

[savingdogs]

Our goats can go in and out of their shelter at will. We go out every morning and fill up the hay feeder. We go out at night and give them each a little grain. And of course we make sure the water, minerals and baking soda is all good. They make their own schedule other than that (we are not milking at this point). When it gets really cold out, we shut their door on them for a few hours each night, but just during the coldest months.

 

[warthog]

Mine get fed each morning at about 6 ish, a little grain, I open the gate to the bush and they come and go at will all day.

In the evenings about 4 they come back in a little more grain and are locked in their pen for the night, at this time a usually cut some leaves and branches for them. They are not locked in their barn, they sometimes like to sleep outside.

Water is topped up several times during the day, and fresh hay put in every night, access to minerals at all times.

Times vary a little with different seasons, but basically they have access to the bush during daylight hours.

I am home all day (retired), if we have to go out, they are brought back into their pen and given leaves and branches to eat.

 

[dianneS]

My goats don't get any grain or pellets. They come in and out of the barn as they please. They have a LGD with them for protection from predators.

My goats head out to the pasture in the morning when the sun is up and the grass dries. Some of my goats don't mind wet grass and others hate it. They usually graze for a while, then they will take naps and ruminate for a few hours either next to the barn or out in the sun.

I have hay inside the barn for them in the winter months. They usually eat the hay in the evenings and early morning. They still head out to the pasture during the day. If its rainy, the goats stay inside with the hay and much that all day. Most of my goats hate being wet.

 

[Roll farms]

My goats schedule?

1-Wake up.....Commence hollering for breakfast.
2-Compain about breakfast once they get it (not enough of it, not enough corn or BOSS in it, too many stems in the hay.)
3-Burp in my face but don't say thank you.
4-Get milked if they're in milk....and try and come in even if they're not, just so they can steal a bite out of the feed pan on the milk stand.
5-Walk out to the pasture to see what's what....maybe deign to take a bite or two...then lie down and digest / ruminate / sleep late morning through early afternoon....
6-Start hollering for dinner around 2 or 3 pm...Or sooner if they see me.
7-Complain about dinner.
8-Get milked again if needed. "Hey...lady....get this stuff out of me...NOW."
9-Go back out to see if, by chance, some really primo alfalfa hay was left by the Hay Fairy...nope...darn. Now they're mad and going to take it out on the next goat they see...play fight and frolic a bit.
10-Go lie down and ruminate some more.
11-About dark, waddle back to the barn and (if I'm around) scream about how much you're starving / going to call the goat welfare people on me.
12-Step on the LGD's to make them move...darn dogs hog all the good sleeping spots.
13-Pile up in a big goat pile and dream of green fields of clover and alfalfa and maple saplings and mulberry bushes.

If it's also kidding season, they also manage to fit in taking turns acting like they're in labor to keep us on our toes.

Seriously, ours come and go as they please, are fed / milked 2x a day, and have access to mineral / water at all times.

 

[Emmetts Dairy]

Rolls got it down!!! Thats about it for me too!!!!

Very good Roll!!! Love the "goat welfare callers" I get those screams too!! SOOOO funny...

A day in a life of the goaties!! Well said!!!

 

[dianneS]

Rolls got it down!!! Thats about it for me too!!!!

Very good Roll!!! Love the "goat welfare callers" I get those screams too!! SOOOO funny...

A day in a life of the goaties!! Well said!!!

Yeah, I know what you mean. My girl Sandy is the one who's calling protective services on me all the time and screaming like she's dying.

I forgot to add that if my LGD has been up half the night barking at a predator and keeping the goats awake, everyone sleeps late the next day. Same routine, just a later start.