[fifixx]

I am going to get the goats in today - they really don't like this rain!  One question:  shall I house the billy and wether when time to separate in a different barn or can they be in a pen next to the girls?

They have to be apart as I have 4 8 mth old girls to put in with the other girls

[Anke]

Ballingal will know the answer - she has billies and I think they are in the same house as the girls...

I also know other people have their males in with the females, in separate pens with HIGH metal hurdles in between. As their boys are horned - it makes for a good amount of noise if the boys think one of the girls needs "seeing to..."

[ballingall]

Ours all live in one shed, and its generally fine. Make sure the boy can't get out- and that the girls can't get in to him!

Only downside is does tean to make the boy smellier and more interested in the females, because he can see and smell them, and he will know when each of the young ones comes in season all through the winter as well.


Beth

[egglady]

our goats have a shed with access from the field through a hatch type door.  how big should it be for 2? and also how important is it that it has daylight?  they can come and go from the field as they choose though the entrance is a bit poached so i dont know how often they'll go out.

should i just maybe pop them in one of the horse stables?  but that means they cant go out at all unless we take them out so not sure if that's a good thing or not.....

hmmm, dilemmas dilemmas...

[Anke]

I still let my girls out when it is dry from above, the grass here is always wet atm. The goats do not eat much, except the two on the diet, who graze as soon as they are put out. The rest just messes about just outside the door... so will stop soon and keep inside until the spring...

Egglady - it would be good for them to have daylight, and even better for you milking and feeding etc in the Scottish winter if there was electric light... I couldn't do mine without light in the winter. If you have light, water (not frozen) and horses for company I am sure they would love to live in a horsebox during the winter, and it may be a lot easier for you to give them hay, water etc etc...

[jinglejoys]

My girls go out during the day and the boys go out at night

[ballingall]

Our girls have stopped going out, but the big boys were still had free access into the field until last week (when they both went to their new homes). We will go back to putting them out for a couple of hours a day once we start getting frost regularly to harden up the ground. But that's only to make sure that the pregnant females are getting some more exercise. Again, the females don't eat much- its for exercise more than anything.


Beth

[Lesley Silvester]

My girls are yarded and have free access from their shed.  Tos start with I used to shut them in at night or if it was very cold but now I leave the door open all the time and they seem to prefer it.  The only time is is shut is when I want to shut them out so I can muck out.

They do have nice warm coats for the very cold weather though.

[jinglejoys]

Never bothers my girls

[salopman]

What breed are they - are there some English??

[jinglejoys]

They are all OLD English (No AN's X BA's allowed )

[jaykay]

Great pic jinglejoys 

[SallyintNorth]

Great pic jinglejoys 

I'll order some Christmas cards with that on!

[Anke]

Beautiful pictiure and the goats look really happy!

I don't rug mine over winter, but they do not like to go out either very much... I also usually worry about bloat when the grass is still frozen... but I guess it all depends on what they are used too - after all the sheep are fine with frozen greenery!

[Cinderhills]

I'll order some Christmas cards with that on!

What a brilliant idea. I remember seeing that pic before and thought it looked magical.