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| Belle and Lacie are 6 months old already! |
So far this winter the only time I can get the goats into their hut is when it's raining or snowing. I've tried locking them in at night but they hate it so much that the next night they won't come near me for fear of being locked in again. Any other time they're right at your side. It can rain all day or be snowy and if it's stopped at night, even though the ground is wet they sleep outside on the wet ground. It makes me crazy.
So today I drove a couple of T posts into the ground and hung a tarp for a little bit of shelter. I figure it has to be better than nothing. I added an entire bale of hay on the ground for bedding and put their feeders in there to encourage them to use it.
They were sure that big green tarp was really some kind of toy. I'm not real sure if it will last all that long but at least I'll know before I build another more permanent structure if they will actually use it this time.
When I was putting the feeders on the fence I was surprised that it was noticeably warmer under the tarp. With all that hay to snuggle down in they should be more comfortable.
I put boards along the bottom and then covered it with 18" of leaves to help with the wind. Lacie isn't at all sure about going in at this point. On...yes. In....not so much.
After we went in the house they decided to give it a try. I think if they don't tear it down trying to play on it they'll use this alot more than they have the goat hut.
Happy New Years!
Elizabeth
Hello, Thank you for leaving a comment on my blog about the Premier Heat Lamp. I ordered one. While I have two stalls for my goats I made another shelter in the pasture out of discounted privacy fence. I got the fence for 5 dollars a panel since the panels were broken or such. We made three sides and a tarp roof and they use it all the time. I had to put together another shelter for the bucks and used Pallets. Screwed three pallets together then made a roof out of some left over plywood we had on hand. We could have used a tarp. I picked the pallets up behind CVS. They said I could take them but to leave the blue ones as they go back to the warehouse. They have some nice pallets. Your feed store should have some as well. While my feed store usually sends them back I told them I needed a couple for a goat shelter and they gave me some. The nice thing about the pallets shelter is I stuff the pallets with hay for the bucks and they eat the hay that way since they do not eat hay off the ground. Thanks again for visiting my blog.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, thank you for all the great idea's to get supplies to build a more permanent lean to for the goats affordably. Affordability is a big deal these days....in my house and many others I suspect. I am sure you and your goats and their kids will like the heat lamp!
ReplyDeleteSounds like our ducks!
ReplyDeleteLove the post Elizabeth
ReplyDelete