Goat Housing

I still haven’t sold anymore kids from this year.  That means I have twenty-six goat under the age of one year in addition to my herd of twenty-four adults.  That is a lot of goats.  Not only do I need to really put some kids on Craig’s List or take them to the sale barn, I have to have more space.

Since I have the cows shut up north, I opened the door between the goats big section of the barn and the cattle lean-to.  I’d like to remove the hog panel reaching half way across the doorway, but I have to have something in that next open space, or they goats would be in nibbling on all the hay.

Now they have this much more room.  I did get plastic over the windows today, but it was not easy–goats and cats tried helping me and there was still a stiff wind blowing.  After getting the windows done, I quit working out here for today.  I still want to move my tarp from the doorway to the big sliding door at the far end of the lean to.  That way I can block out the north winds.

There is a sliding door on this end also, and I want to try and close it most of the way, leaving just enough room for the goats and llama to walk through.  That will block a lot more of the wind.  I still have the south door inside to get shut back up and covered with a tarp also.  Then the goats will be ready for winter.

Millie seems to be struggling to maintain the weight she had gained back with our nasty weather the last few days.  I put her with Kizzy and Muffin, whom I’m trying to get weaned.  She’s kind of nasty about that, picking on Muffin and Kizzy, but she really does need the extra care.

Poor Heather is not feeling well.  I’m not sure if it is the colds that everyone had that has developed into something more or if she hasn’t gotten enough herbal wormer (her mother won’t let her eat with her, and I haven’t been able to catch her the last couple of weeks and put her in to make sure she gets enough).  I have her shut in and gave her a chemical wormer.  If she doesn’t seem better tomorrow, I’ll have to call the vets.