[princesspiggy]

do anyones goats wear jackets? our kids are visibly shivering today. the adults are fine. i was wondering where to get them from? maybe a dog jacket would be ok.
they are in stable with plenty of straw and feed but it is pretty cold!

[plumseverywhere]

Ask Wytsend, Princess piggy - she makes them 

MIne don't wear them - in fact, last winter I was so worried about Reggie the togg because he stood in the snow catching bits on his tongue...I contacted a breeder friend to ask for help, she said hers are the same, some just love winter! all are different though 

[cuckoo]

Some of our goats have coats - the GG and BG's wore them all through the worst of last winter and my BG girly who is thinner than I would like has been wearing hers for a few weeks now  - altthough on milder days I have been taking it off for a few hours to brush her and to let her "breathe".  I have a couple of dog coats - waterproof outer and fleece lined and the goats are always warm underneath.  I also have 3 which my mother in law made last year using a pattern i downloaded from the internet.  These are good but I think the dog coats are better - all be it pricier

[Anke]

Mine don't. The coats wouldn't stay on for a minute....

My goats house has deep bedding, so it's really quite warm, if at times a bit fragrant in there.  .. My kids just snuggle up with the older nannies (not their mums), the GG's are always together in a big heap...

Mackenzie goes on at length about how goats need to eat more and rougher hay during the colder part of winter, its the hay which keeps them warm rather han concentrates.  I certanly have noiced that mine eat more hay the colder it gets.

That said, if they are cold and shivering I would put coats onto them. I would just worry that would mean you have to keep them in coats through the winter.

Depending on the sizes of your goats - large dog coats should fit, also there are loads of patterns on the web. I think Ballingal uses pony rugs that were on special offer... I have also seen a gorgeous BA male at a show who had a hand-crocheted coat/blanket on - very colourful and so 1970s...

[princesspiggy]

thanx, i think i wil go shopping, the wether is quite tiny so shouldnt be a problem finding him one. they have plenty hay, and eat like theres no tomorrow.

infact the little wether needs to put weight on. hes on ablib hay, calf nuts and sheep crunch but has a tendancy for his belly to blow up. i put soya oil in his feed sometimes but i dont think he enjoys it.
hes bin wormed and had a couple of vitamin jab. any tips to fatten him up?

[Lesley Silvester]

Have tried to attach a picture of my goats in coats but it's too big.    If I can work out how to make it the right size, I will attach it.

[Penninehillbilly]

Hi PP
In the coldest parts of last winter my Toggs were shivering, I was giving them extra feeds of warm sugar beet with their mix, that helped, this year I've left more bedding in for a thick 'base'. I've thought about coats but I don't think I'd get mine a fleecy one, maybe just a showerproof one to help keep a bit of heat in, the kids seem OK so far, but it sounds like your little chap needs a bit of help, winter hasn't started yet! 
I also downloaded a pattern from the internet, someday (soon) I'll finish it!
What temperatures are you getting? (used to live up there, happy memories)

[Joseph]

My three girls sleep outside at night even with really low temperatures. They can go inside of, course but they prefer to sleep rough! Should I be locking them in I wonder. One of my girls last year did shiver with the sudden change in temperature, but so far so good this milder year.

[lachlanandmarcus]

If (big if) goats work like horses then 80% of their warmth comes from eating, and only 20% from whatever you put on them. But they might not be the same as horses of course!

[HappyHippy]

My granny used to put a cardigan on our billy when the weather was bad.
It's not perfect - but would maybe do as a stop gap til you got something better ?
One of the kids ones would do fine  Just put their front legs into the sleeves and zip or do up the buttons.
HTH
Karen 

[wytsend]

Yes I do make goat winter goats which are also waterproof.     Dog coats are fine but they tend to slip being for a different shaped animal.    Other peoples experiences with my coats are they DON'T slip !!!

Give me a ring and I can go torugh the pros & cons for you.... takes about 1hr to make a coat from start to finish

Tel 01647 231456.

[jaykay]

One of mine wears a padded, waterproof dog coat when it gets very cold. The others are all woollier and seem to be fine.

I've insulated the tin roof of their byre though, to help when it gets really cold here in winter (-18C for quite a while last winter).

[Penninehillbilly]

I was thinking about this as I watched my babies, they are in a pen 4' x 8', at that back is a slightly raised (about 3"?) area of wood which they sleep on, so their bedding isn't on concrete. Across the top, coming out about 3'+ are some boards with bale of hay on, this makes an open fronted 'den', don't whether this idea would help?

[NormandyMary]

Ive noticed that over the last couple of months, the boys coats have got very thick indeed. You could almost lose your fingers in Toby's coat its so thick. The last few days here have been terrible, so wet and cold. Its so muddy underfoot. The boys have been staying inside their house for most of the day. Their house is of double skinned wood construction, with fiber glass insulation between the layers. There is also a think coating of hay on the floor (thanks boys!) and they now have a bed off the ground which they cuddle up in at night. (The picture of them cuddling up together at night really makes my heart melt!) I just worry that they will get bored. If it looks like a dry day, we shut the gates so that they can roam free in the gardens and the house but those days have been few and far between lately. Any ideas (apart from TV, radio, Nintendo DS or Xbox) gratefully received as to how we could keep them amused.

[princesspiggy]

we use to hang swedes for the ponies on a rope when they stayed for long periods, i suppose u could do it wi cabbages, use a corer to make a hole thru the middle and poke string thru.

i have decided to get jackets for the 2 kids. gruff looked liked he had been electrocuted this morning (wot r those round electric balls u touch at school which makes ur hair stand on end - van der gra?), his long hair was sticking out horizontally so far to keep him warm, he was shivering too and hes not skinny. their stable faces north which is shame as its really sunny today.