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Author Topic: Should I shut the goat house door at night?  (Read 9060 times)

laurelrus

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Quainton,Buckinghamshire
  • Hobby farmer
Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« on: July 30, 2014, 09:10:34 am »
Another question from a pygmy goat newbie!
We've had our goats for 4 weeks now and every night we shut them in their house. They are happy to go in and have got into a nice routine.
I'm wondering though if they need to be shut in overnight, as we have lambs in the next paddock who sleep out happily all night. They have a shed to go into which they do during the day when it's hot but they sleep outside.
We started shutting the kids in at night as we were worried about foxes but if they'd be happier being able to go in and out of their house themselves then I'll stop shutting them in.
Thanks very much
2 pygmy goats, 3 Ouessant sheep, 19 chickens, 2 donkeys, 2 Shetland ponies and 2 dogs

kelly58

  • Joined Mar 2013
  • Highlands, Scotland
  • Home is were my animals are.
Re: Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« Reply #1 on: July 30, 2014, 10:21:58 am »
Hi,we have anglo nubian and british alpine goats.  :goat: We leave the shed door open, unless its stormy weather and then we close it to keep the snow out. Granted ours  will be bigger than your goats, is there a problem with foxes in your area ?
If not l wouldnt worry.  :thumbsup:

Brucklay

  • Joined Apr 2010
  • Perthshire
    • Brucklay Pygmy Goats
    • Facebook
Re: Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2014, 10:28:08 am »
We shut everyone in at night (except the billies) - even when they are bigger. When they are little because of foxes and when they are older just because it's their routine and they get fed separately so I know who's getting what. Also makes doing and hoof trimming/injections easy - if they were out and saw trimmers in my hand they would be off!!
Pygmy Goats, Shetland Sheep, Zip & Indie the Border Collies, BeeBee the cat and a wreak of a building to renovate!!

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« Reply #3 on: July 30, 2014, 05:18:40 pm »
Mine have two doorways in there shed, one with a door and one without. In bad weather I do shut the door to keep the worst of the weather out but they still prefer to sleep in the other doorway looking out. They hated it when I did shut them in.

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« Reply #4 on: July 30, 2014, 05:39:05 pm »
Yes, because badgers have been known to "move in" - someone on the GGGS member's line posted a photo of a couple of badger cubs all cosied up in her goatshed - she just had had goats kidding too  :o

Anyway they are safer inside overnight.

Trixie

  • Joined Mar 2014
  • Lincolnshire
Re: Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« Reply #5 on: July 30, 2014, 06:53:15 pm »
Ours are in large pens with sheds in each, we shut them up in the colder weather but as the weather got better we started leaving the doors open for them to go in or out as they please - as with their warm bodies in there through the night (well part of it as we let them out each morning at 4) it seemed like it was getting a bit too warm when we opened the doors in the morning. It seems to be working ok. We have 1 pen with a nanny and twin kids that were kept in for a week or so and then the door was left open for them too now 6 weeks old and no problems so far.

Treud na Mara

  • Joined Mar 2014
  • East Clyh, Caithness
  • Living the dream in Caithness
Re: Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« Reply #6 on: July 30, 2014, 10:10:19 pm »
We have 2 Pygmy girls, originally from Brucklay  :wave: , and at the moment and since the warm weather started here, we don't shut the door from their sleeping quarters, in an old stone byre, to their field. It is a divided door so we can vary ventilation depending on the weather and if there is rain from that direction, westerly, we close them up. They did take a while to get used to Caithness Coastal wind and haar but they are pretty well acclimatised now and the wind has to be above about 15 mph and or cold/wet to chase them inside. And just for contrariness, if it's very sunny they sometimes prefer to sit inside! Even though it's not really hot! Oh I should have said - no sign of foxes or badgers hereabouts. Mind you I would back Buffy against either!
With 1 Angora and now 6 pygmy goats, Jacob & Icelandic sheep, chooks, a cat and my very own Duracell bunny aka BH !

Lesley Silvester

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • Telford
Re: Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« Reply #7 on: July 30, 2014, 10:24:57 pm »
My kids were outside from day one but they have their mum and their surrogate mum to keep an eye of them. We are also in an urban area so less risk of badgers and foxes (although I know it's no guarantee).

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2014, 11:20:56 pm »
we have kept first goats in before due to scald/wet grass etc. but our present ones live out during the summer.

Brucklay

  • Joined Apr 2010
  • Perthshire
    • Brucklay Pygmy Goats
    • Facebook
Re: Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« Reply #9 on: July 31, 2014, 09:15:23 am »
Treud na Mara - I agree, Buffy would win any fight  :thumbsup:  Better protection than an alpaca I would guess.
Pygmy Goats, Shetland Sheep, Zip & Indie the Border Collies, BeeBee the cat and a wreak of a building to renovate!!

sokel

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • S W northumberland
Re: Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« Reply #10 on: July 31, 2014, 10:07:33 am »
Ours all get shut in at night, infact if they are out they create big time if we are late getting them in  ::)
Graham

Melmarsh

  • Joined May 2014
Re: Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« Reply #11 on: July 31, 2014, 05:03:18 pm »
Having read all the previous replies, I think it's a case of whatever suits you and your goats. They are creatures of habit so start as you mean to go on. I had large dairy goats and because of the area I was in I had them in every night after milking. I did offer them time out after milking a few times but they looked at me as though I was bonkers !!!  Goats will do what's convenient to you but if you need to change your routine its better done in small steps. Good luck with whatever you decide to do :eyelashes:

laurelrus

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Quainton,Buckinghamshire
  • Hobby farmer
Re: Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« Reply #12 on: August 01, 2014, 08:25:39 am »
Thanks for all the helpful replies.
I'm going to carry on shutting them in at night, as they're used to it now and seem quite happy with their routine!
2 pygmy goats, 3 Ouessant sheep, 19 chickens, 2 donkeys, 2 Shetland ponies and 2 dogs

NormandyMary

  • Joined Apr 2011
Re: Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« Reply #13 on: August 12, 2014, 09:35:11 pm »
Ours all get shut in at night, infact if they are out they create big time if we are late getting them in  ::)
My boys do too. They actually love going to bed, its when they get their nightly treat..but only if they are good!

jaykay

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Cumbria/N Yorks border
Re: Should I shut the goat house door at night?
« Reply #14 on: August 12, 2014, 10:53:05 pm »
I shut mine in at night. I like the overnight possibilities for mischief to be limited!

 

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