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11/13/05, 10:42 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Vancouver Island BC
Posts: 1,013
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Wood chips in pen??
I have my 2 female's in a very large pasture/pen, probobly near a 1/2 acre. The gate where I come in to feed in getting very muddy and they tend to like to hang around on that side too as they can watch everything that is going on, now I live on the west coast and it has been raining solid for pretty near 3 weeks and that part of their pen is getting mucky, i have sheets of plywood down but was reallt wanting to bring in yard of woodchips or something to fix it once and for all. What type of chips /shavings could I use if any? I am planning to call the local gravel yard. Thanks in advance, i will not do this if it's a health issue.
corry
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11/13/05, 11:19 AM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: north central Pennsylvania
Posts: 3,680
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Being that it is outside and not where they will be eating and sleeping I wouldn't think there would be a problem. I do know that you must be very careful with wood chips in horse stall. Different types of chips are dangerous to horses. I usually use a little sawdust in my goat pens inside the barn. I totally understand your mud situation. I always say we have 5 seasons..one being the mud season in early spring in these mountains of PA. It sure wouldn't hurt to give a vet a call or if you happen to know of a breeder in your area. But as I have found out..the animals seem less concerned with the mud and the mess than I do. Good Luck !!
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11/13/05, 07:38 PM
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Formerly 4animals.
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: south alabama(Hartford)
Posts: 1,023
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want something free that has other uses? if so next time you see crews grinding up an old asphalt/concrete road and they will come dump a load for free were ever you want it
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11/13/05, 07:41 PM
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kathyh
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: California
Posts: 393
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There is something called cedarrest, you just flatten mud and put it over top, works good.
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11/13/05, 09:01 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Dyersville, Iowa
Posts: 231
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I think that some gravel would work nicely. A added bonus is that it will also help keep your Goats Hooves worn down.
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11/13/05, 09:27 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northeast Kingdom of Vermont
Posts: 2,680
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Another added bonus tho using gravel is it keeps parasites down...
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11/14/05, 06:42 AM
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Pook's Hollow
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 4,570
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We went to our local municipal dump last year when we had the horses in the back yard. They have piles of shredded wood that you can take for free. Some was more like woodchips, but the stuff we took was fairly coarse, long fibres, which had the advantage of "interweaving" so it didn't shift around. It packed down and matted together really well and we haven't had a mud problem since.
I like free stuff!
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11/14/05, 10:10 AM
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Slave To Many Animals
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,970
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by pookshollow
I like free stuff!
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I think that everyone does. By the way, i am not sure if all tree businesses are the same, but my parents own one, and if you are close enough they will truck FREE woodchips. It is a BIG favor to the tree business as well as to the people that get the chips, if people did not want them, the chips would just be put in a land fill at my grandpas and make fertilizer which he sells, the business USED to be his so he has the set up for it.
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11/14/05, 10:32 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Vancouver Island BC
Posts: 1,013
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I do get woodchips dropped off by the dumptruck full to do paths and the like, but i'm unsure as to what type of wood is in it, it's a mix. my goats will go on the ground and eat stuff, so i'm concerned about that, is that a valid concern or am i overreacting ?
also the gravel idea is excellent, I don't have a clue who to call but will look into that!!
thanks!!
corry
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11/16/05, 08:47 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Stuart, VA
Posts: 312
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Wouldn't you need to be careful that the goats don't start eating it? Whenever I lay bark in my landscaping and let my goats out, they always run over to eat it. I know they love bark but I thought the wood might be tempting as well.
I have the same problem in front of my goat barns...I tried some extra hay to absorb the excess water.....it didn't work. I was going to try large gravel soon.
__________________
"If you understand, things are just as they are; if you do not understand, things are just as they are."
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11/16/05, 09:31 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 7
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what difference does it make if they eat it? They eat bark. Bark is full of fiber.
Fiber is good. So what difference does it make. I asked the same question on the Goatweb when mine started eating the straw. I was told it's normal behavior. It won't hurt them. Just throw some more down, because they'll move on to something else in a bit anyway.
Wife of Chicken Farmer
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11/16/05, 09:54 AM
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Slave To Many Animals
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Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Florida
Posts: 1,970
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My dad said that you should NEVER put hay down to be used as flooring in any open area because it will rot, I quess, and turn into a sludge, unfortuntly me and my brother put hay flooring in ALLL the pens before my dad told us, and sure enough SLUDGE, very gross stuff.
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11/16/05, 11:59 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Merced, CA
Posts: 182
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Wool and Gravel
This sounds weird but we use wool and gravel. We don't have a huge market for our sheep wool and since we have 40+ sheep we have stockpiles of wool. We found out that wool does not break down in soil for many years. About 15 years ago we had a mud problem on our alleyway and pasture entrances. We put down wool fleeces and then sand or gravel on top and it has held all these years, not even a rut. If you can get wool it works great. 
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