I know goats hate water but...

livestockmom · #1 07/23/06, 10:08 PM

Can I hose them down? It is so hot we are beating records! The troughs are being changed a couple times a day because it turns too hot, they have shade,fans, but they are still panting.. Can I water them down? A couple times a day? They act like water will kill them. Can it make them sick to be wet a few times a day for days?
Silly question, I know. I guess my fear is because I washed the goats for a show and days later they were all sick with colds and I blamed my giving them a bath... I stopped washing them before a show and no more colds..
so that leads me to this silly question.

mary,tx · #2 07/23/06, 10:18 PM

I know others have differed with me on this, but I would not dream of hosing down my goats. Goats seem to be more prone to respiratory illness and pneumonia than other animals, and instinctively run to the barn at the slightest sprinkles, or even the sound of thunder in the distance. I don't believe it is be accident that they have that instinct

nduetime · #3 07/23/06, 10:23 PM

I know mine would rather be hot than hosed down lol. I just make sure they have plenty of shade and water available. It has been so hot this year I thought about clipping some of mine but it is far too hot for that struggle!

livestockmom · #4 07/23/06, 11:59 PM

I suspected that to be the case. I'm glad I asked.
I installed misters and put up fans in another area, if they choose to be misted, they can.
Also froze water in extra feed bowls ...nice big ice cube to lick or lie next to...doesn't last long though! <grin>

GoldenWood Farm · #5 07/24/06, 12:37 AM

I hose mine down. If any start panting I hose them down. I have one Boer X doe who is feeding twins and she gets over heated MUCH easier than my other does. Even her own mother doesn't get that bad. I have to hose her off daily otherwise I worry she will overheat.

You touch her and she feels like she is on fire. Goats naturally cool down through their horns so when we dehorn them (don't get me wrong on the dehorning thing...I won't own a horned goat here so don't think I am knocking dehorning) and it gets hot like this they can't sweat and loose the heat that way like most animals. I have found my goats are very hardy. I have only had one doe get sick from Phnemonia(sp) and that was from sudden weather changes. The most I do is hose down their belly and legs. With my one doe I do get her whole body wet but my others normally are ok with belly and legs.

MotherClucker

goatkid · #6 07/24/06, 01:03 AM

It's hot here, too. The other day, I was bathing some in preparation for their show clip. They seemed to feel better when they were wet. Your goats may have picked up the colds from other animals at the show, rather than their baths.

livestockmom · #7 07/24/06, 01:14 AM

Thank you Mother Clucker and GoatKid...i'm sure the cold was from the exposure at the show but when I thought about wetting them, the bath=cold, came to mind...
I know if it stays this hot and they pant despite my best efforts, i'm going to HAVE to wet their bellies and cool them down - I don't want to lose them just because they don't like it...they will die of heat stroke otherwise.

If I have to end up wetting them a few times a day for a couple days (105* in shade today - we don't normally have hot weather) do I follow up with Pen G to be safe? We go to a show in 10 days. Or am I worrying too much about wetting them?

I hate to make a big deal out of something so simple...It just worried me to go against an animals instinct to not be wet -

GoldenWood Farm · #8 07/24/06, 09:30 PM

Well....if we all worried about wetting ours down because of getting sick we would never be able to wash them. I wash mine all the time in the heat and they LOVE it (once you get them wet). I would worry if you get them wet and its cold or a cold snap comes.

Go ahead and wet them down. Don't worry about meds or antibiotics unless one starts to show symptoms of being sick. I have never had a goat get sick from being wet down ever. And I have raised goats for 5 years and same with my friend who has raised goats for 20 years. I say go ahead and don't worry. Maybe give the ones who are going to the show a bath. Nobody LIKES getting wet unless you choose to. Most critters hate I mean HATE getting wet but it doesn't mean they can't get wet. So don't worry to much about it.

MotherClucker

livestockmom · #9 07/24/06, 09:46 PM

Thank you MotherClucker...

Queen Bee · #10 07/24/06, 10:43 PM

To keep the water cool longer,--- fill with water and freeze several 2 liter drink bottles and place them in the troughs. We do this with our dogs buckets.. and I used to do it with out goats.

jill.costello · #11 07/25/06, 04:59 AM

I compromise with the water thing: instead of hosing the goats themselves, I water the shady spot next to the barn wall where they all nap! It's hard-packed dirt, and I water it just to where it's wet, but not muddy. All four crowd into that shady spot and lounge on the cooling ground as the water evaporates! Even the herd queen allows the others to enjoy "The Spot" with her!

livestockmom · #12 07/25/06, 11:59 AM

Great ideas! Thanks!!!