HOW TO KEEP GOATS WARM IN WINTER
When it comes to the freezing temperatures of winter, you might be lured into thinking that if you’re cold, then you animals are too. Luckily this isn’t normally the case. Though goats do not seem keen on the cold, and certainly dislike wet and windy weather, they are generally quite hardy. However, just because they are surviving doesn’t mean they are comfortable, so it’s important to take steps to keep goats warm in winter.
HEAT LAMPS
In general, heat lamps shouldn’t be used as a heat source for goats. In fact, on a cold night when there’s loads of hay around and the heat lamps are burning bright, it can actually be a fire risk. In my opinion it’s also a complete waste of electricity because most goats are extremely cold tolerant.
That being said, there are cases when you might need to use heat. Nannies with young kids, for example, may need some additional warmth. Most babies are quite adept at keeping warm. If there is a weaker youngster or runt they will need some heat. Babies cannot keep themselves as warm for as long, especially in extreme cold, and will need to constantly suckle from mom. Weak kids that are unable to get enough milk will quickly become cold and due to their small size, will get hyperthermia quickly.
Nannies with young kids may require some heat
The other instance when heat may be needed is if you’re bringing in new goats to your herd from a hot area and your temperatures are frozen. In this instance, a goat will need to acclimate a little so it’s worth giving the newbie some overnight heat for a few days to help them settle in.
BEDDING
You and I both know there’s nothing like snuggling down into a warm duvet on a cold winters night. When it’s hot and dry, goats will happily lay out in the sun, stretching on the dirt or grass quite contently without the need for any kind of ‘bed’. But in the winter as well as being offered all their various ad-lib hay, plenty of fluffy, thick bedding should be used.
You never know when a goat might be feeling a little off, or catching the chill more than normal. And by offering some thick, nice bedding, your goats can snuggle down at night - often together if it’s really cold - and keep warm and dry.
A warm bed and the everyone will snuggle down
WATERPROOF ROOF
Which leads me on to my next tip; get those shelter roofs dry. If there was a leak in summer, or the guttering has broken and runs out into the corner and down the wall, now is the time to fix it. Goats absolutely hate the wet as you probably know. And a damp shelter in winter is a recipe for disaster - wet bedding will not keep goats warm and higher humidity with warm goats is likely to cause mold to grow and illnesses to become present.
DRAUGHT-FREE SHELTERS
Hand-in-hand with waterproof shelters are draught-free shelters. A 3-sided paddock shelter might be fine through the summer, but when the frozen winds of winter arrive, if the gusts are in the wrong direction, no amount of bedding and water-proofing will help.
If you do have a open shelter, use some hurdles, pallets or bales of hay/straw to build a small wall across. That will give your goats plenty of places to snuggle down without affecting ventilation.
HAY AND FEED
We all know that when it’s cold, a hot drink and a warm supper in our bellies makes a cozy night in. It’s no different for goats - your herd will be much happier and able to properly regulate their temperatures when they have full, healthy stomachs.
I graze my goats on forage for most of the year. As a result, they have ad-lib hay only and barely eat that because they’re too busy munching on hedgerows and bramble thickets. But in the winter when natural forage isn’t available, I start giving a lot more hay. I also begin feeding a complimentary goat mix. As long as your goats have lots of food and fresh water within their dry quarters, they won’t have to venture into the cold.
BOREDOM BUSTERS
And finally, though this won’t necessarily keep your goats warms, it will help them pass the cold months. We’ve all watched our goats playing around in the fields, reaching up to get leaves on trees, skitting around with one another and having a give stand-off. The winter months can be pretty boring, especially if it’s so frozen outside the goats don’t want to even leave their shelter.
It’s a good idea to put a few boredom busters in their house to keep them busy. Not only does this pass the time, but it will also keep them warmer in the long run because they won’t be going outside and getting cold or snowed on. You can hang treats from the ceiling so they have to reach up, hide treats in bales of hay or straw and attach brushes to the walls for them to scratch against.
Amazon has a few ideas; this goat feeder ball toy, for example. You could also try hanging up Himalayan salt which not only supplements their diet but will give your goats something to lick and chew. And goat treats such as these licorice flavored ones on Ebay can be hidden around. And you make your own, of course!
I hope this has helped you realise just how easy it is to keep your goats warm in winter. They really are super hardy and with a little thought and effort, you won’t have to worry about them at all.