[langdon]

how often do ye guys change the bedding of your goats.
please dont get me wrong, its not that i never change it.
it was just today that i changed it and seen there was still quite alot of good straw,any how tho
i changed the lot anyway.
also what do you guys do with your straw that you take out?
ive just put it to oneside in the veg garden, hoping to use it as a mulch and maybe dig some in when it rots
down more
langdon

[Anke]

In the winter in particular deep bedding is very good, like "underfloor heating". I haven't cleaned mine out since october, but now getting difficult to open the door (opens inwards) and they start to reach the height of the water bucket with their back ends, if you get my meaning...

But seriously, only take off any droppings from the top once a day and put a bit more straw (or similar) on top to keep it dry, if it starts too look wet. Especially if you have concrete floor, very cold!

[langdon]

nice one anke 

[ballingall]

We "deep litter" as well, I muck out the pens about once every 6-10 weeks, depending on the time of year or how many goats there are in a pen. I know people who clean their goats out every day, but Anke is right, it does keep them warmer.

Still, you do need to find something to do with the dung. And remember the more goats you have, the more dung you will get. Putting it on the garden is good, but you may want to designate a "compost heap" area to put it until you get to spread it.

Beth

[langdon]

 

[Anke]

Oh yes, I have a couple of dung heaps for rotting down over a period of about 18 months, also has some chicken stuff in it too plus polytunnel veg composting material. Grass goes on it in summer too, so makes good compost for my VERY VERY clay soil. But you probably need to let it all rot down for quite a while.

[ballingall]

I just realised this morning I forgot something else you can do with the bedding. When I muck out a pen, I have started giving the chucks in their runs, the top of the bedding. So the nice dry bits of straw off the top, not the mucky wet dung from below. The chucks love to scratch it through, and they can eat up any little bits of split food the goats have split into the straw. And just now, it has the added effect of helping to soak up some of the mud in the chucks run. My Hamburgs are having dust baths in some as I type, despite there being 4 inches of snow!

Beth

[langdon]

i started to through the old stuff into the pigs and let them trammple it
into the groung to improve soil structure as we might sometime grow veg on the ground.
good idea too about putting it into the chucks, just might steal that!

[ballingall]

Yep- recycle, recycle, recycle!!!


Beth

[Cinderhills]

This was great advice.  I was going to start a new topic about what to do with goat bedding as we have loads and it takes ages to rot down but this answers my question.  Also frequency of cleaning I was unsure about but not now. 

[little blue]

just be aware that deep damp bedding, especially in warm wooden building can be a breeding ground for maggots and therefore flies...

and when it comes to cleaning out time... it can be REALLY heavy!!  )

[Cinderhills]

Thanks LB.  Our stable is stone with concrete floors so hope that will be better.  Also, maybe I'll do this in winter only.  I'll get hubby to do the lifting I think. 

[little blue]

Good thinking!  they have their uses.. when they're willing   

[bazzais]

Let the hubby buy a mini digger then he'll clean it out on weekends for fun

To be honest we couldnt afford to clean everything out and provide sufficient insulation again on a frequent basis, I think as long as whatever you have is not in squalor its ok.  Clean bedding can be provided on a base.

Ta

Baz

[Declan]

I am relatively new to goats and am currently bedding them in wood shavings- 2 10 week old nubians and 2 8month old pygmys. I have the wood shavings for the hens. I find that after 5 days or so it gets very wet and soggy and so i am changing it every week. Would straw for the goats be a better job or is it any more suitable than the shavings.