Management opinions please

Minelson · #1 03/14/08, 11:07 AM

Ok, I'm wondering if I am doing things to maintain a healthy environment without going overboard. I have 3 goats (plus 2 horses, 5 chickens, 5 cats that live outside). Currently, the goats are in a 12X14 stall at night. During the day they have the run of the property unless I have to leave for some reason, then I put them back in the stall. So far they stay real close to the house and the barn. I know that we are going to have to build an outside pen for them this spring because it gets very hot in the barn in the summer months. Plans are in the making.
Right now there is straw, hay and shavings in the stall, along with a 4' X 6' stall mat. The floor is road base (dirt/gravel mix) and completely covered with heavy bedding. I clean the poops and urine out 3 to 4 times a day. I don't get it all, but I get most. With all the scratching going on I think we may have barn mites so tomorrow we are gutting all the bedding out of the stall. I don't want to use straw anymore...too hard to clean. I'm going to use DE along with barn lime on the floor once it's gutted. I'm wondering if I should cover the entire area with shavings....or just an area and leave some of the area bare. Right now they mostly sleep and rest on top of a large wooden box or the large spool I have in there. I'm thinking it will be healthier to not have so much bedding...less chance for mites and such. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Alice In TX/MO · #2 03/14/08, 11:44 AM

Surely you didn't mean that you clean 3 to 4 times per DAY.

TennesseeMama23 · #3 03/14/08, 12:03 PM

If I were you I would get 4 cattle/goat panels for any daytime/pretty weather fencing until you get your regular fencing done.

When a goat has a full belly they find all kinds of trouble to get into. It would be good to at least have a goat jail to put them in instead of having to put them in the barn.

Minelson · #4 03/14/08, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rose

Surely you didn't mean that you clean 3 to 4 times per DAY.

Yes..I clean 3-4 times a day. any droppings in the stall or on the floor in the barn. I use a cat liter scoop and bucket in the stall and I use a broom and dustpan on the cement in the barn.

MB · #5 03/14/08, 12:55 PM

Holy cow wanna come to my house?

cathleenc · #6 03/14/08, 01:01 PM

Are you sure they aren't doing normal scratching to remove their shedding winter coat?

Rub their coat where they are rubbing - pulling loose hair out. Take that loose hair and go into bright light and look for nits. No nits - probably no lice.

If you use a brush or curry comb on them - are you getting a lot of loose hair out? Does it look like a shorter coat underneath?

I virtually never pick up loose poops in the bedding and certainly never go after wet spots (to remove) ... just toss more bedding on top. We're using corn husks and they are super absorbant. We'll shovel everything out and clean within the next month.

Backfourty,MI. · #7 03/15/08, 11:17 AM

Minelson, we clean their pen's & houses twice daily so I know what you mean. I like it to be as clean as possible. We use straw also & since it's getting warmer too only put the bedding where you want them to go since they don't usually sleep on it anyways it doesn't sound like. In the warm weather I quit putting straw in the houses unless we have rainy days & have found they don't go potty in the houses if there's no straw to go on. Save's alot on bedding & much less to clean, Can't wait for warm weather!
Mine are all loosing there winter under coats & rubbing because of that, no lice.

Minelson · #8 03/15/08, 03:58 PM

Thanks Backfourty....The only reason I'm cleaning more than twice a day is because they are so dang cute I have to visit them several times a day! Since I'm out there I might as well clean up what's there so it doesn't get spread all over the place...or stepped on and squished so it's harder to clean up. Only takes a second and they LOVE to help me

Well, we just got done with the major clean out...If there were any bugs they are crackling in the fire on our driveway. Turned out to be a good day to burn too. Not too windy. I only used one bag of shavings and just spread it in the center...no straw. I do think that they did have something biting them because Mama Gretta already lost her winter coat (undercoat). I did do what Cathleenc suggested and didn't see any "nits". It's mostly their legs and feet. One of the babies has a bare spot above the hock that is scaly looking. So hopefully they will be more comfortable now. Thanks everyone!