Advice please - what would you do?

[hoggie]

My friend dropeed her goat off to my place this afternoon. She is a young nanny who has come to see Wilfred

I agreed that she could leave her with me for a few days so that when she comes into season I can arrange a "visit"

Now her goats live out, but I think have some access to shelter in the winter. She has dropped her at my place and put her on a tether. She left a tub of food which she gets a couple of handfuls am and pm. Didn't leave her any hay - said "yes if you have any to spare" when I asked if I she wanted me to give her some hay.

Now we have a cold snap here. Nothing compared to what some of you are getting, but cold for here. Temps dropping to freezing overnight, wind only force 5 but Easterly (which is always a biting wind here).

I am worrying myself stupid about this goat. She is usually kept with two others and she has been brought to me on her own. She can hear mine, but they are all inside ats the moment. She has some shelter as one of my haystacks is acting as a windbreak for her.

Should I try and fix her up with a temporary stall in my workshop. Do any of your goats stay out when it hits freezing. Bearing in mind she is tethered and doesn't have a run-in. i am a strong proponent of tethering, but it has its own special responsibilites and one of them is watching the weather. I have never left animals out at night like that, but her owner knows where she is and seems happy with it.

What should I do?

hoggie

[susanne]

i would not have allowed it to begin with. goats need to have a shelter where they can go out of the weather. if you can find a place in your workshop, it would be nice for her.

[Liese]

Hoggie, If I was in your situation I'd be concerned too and would put up a temorary shelter for her - if only a couple of walls and a tarp roof, the workshop sounds even nicer. I'd also be feeding hay to make sure she can keep herself warm. Certainly doing something will at least help put your mind to ease!

[hoggie]

Thanks - on reflection, I probablly didn't think i tthrough properly. When I agreed to this, just a couple of weeks ago, it was MUCH warmer (I was still working in a t-shirt). She suddenly texted me at work today and said could she drop her off and I said yes. I suppose I assumed that she would bring a rug or something for her

I loaded her up with plenty of hay in the lee of the haystack before I came away tonight. Tomorrow I will sort out some accomodation for her. I have materials to put up an 8' x 8' pen in my workshop, which I keep on hand to cover emergencies - just need to move a load of stuff out of the way first. hay is no problem as I have masses of the stuff (just for once )

Another lesson there for me

Thanks

hoggie

[needstoknowmore]

If she is where she is protected from the wind she should be fine. Mine slept outside, their choice, with temps down into the teens and even with a breeze. Protection from the wind, precipitation and some bedding is all they need. And of course, hay and/or feed!

[moonspinner]

I'd bring her inside for sure. No need for you to worry about the health of someone else's animal. Not sure what she meant about the hay. Did she maybe expect this doe to go without it?
I'm not a fan of tethering unless I'm supervising this at all times.
Hopefully this doe will come into heat quickly and you can send her home soon!

[Gailann Schrader]

Can you fix up a tarp with poles and strung from the haystack?

She really DOES need in from the weather. It doesn't matter if it's cold outside (unless she's not used to that), but she can't have WET.

Good luck!

[hoggie]

Thank you. I am a day late in posting this - i fell asleep last night

Anyway... When I go tthere yesterday, she had seemed to be in season so i am hoping she wo't be with us for TOO long

So I had a flash of inspiration and made her a shelter up against the haystack, from some sheets of corrugated tin arcs left over from pig field shelter building. I put down a bed of hay for her, ain addition to her pile of hay for eating, her tether reaches into the shelter, and she seemed really happy. She went straight in and had a good look around, and was in there when I came away.

The little B then broke ehr collar (when I looked at it it was a really flimsy one, no way strong enough for tethering on) so I had to do a juggling act with Wilfred and she is now wearing his collar until her owner brings me a new one for her.

Anyway thanks again

hoggie