How to Keep Goats Thriving in Winter

[@brianphilbrook5262]

That’s what I tell people full belly, deep bedding and plenty of water. We had temps -35 a few days back my goats were fine.

[@michaelleprieur7720]

That's comforting. But I know it was -44 here last winter right before we moved in... I'll most likely be bringing them into the barn when it gets like that... I dunno 😕

[@amberpierce2274]

-35!!! Whew!!! I don't even have any words for that. Lol. Where do you live? Is that a pretty common temperature there?

[@DanyalMKhan]

What would you say for kids?

[@pygmy-goats-kevin]

WOW AMAZING VIDEO VERY EDUCATIONAL 👍

[@theresab2123]

This video put me at ease,Moved my goats from NC To PA.and was panicking to make sure they are warm..Thank you

[@PackGoatscom]

I’m glad

[@goatsofwar7181]

Marc you got some good looking boys there! Cheers homey!

[@richardhuston4240]

Thank you for opening my eyes to seeing how wonderful goats can be.

[@robincarrico2007]

This winter our weather has been below zero now for 3 months mostly -15-20. Our goats have hay bedding, full access to heated water and hay.3 and half walls with a roof. I plan my kidding for April -May. I raise Full Blood Boars and they do beautifully. Thank you Mark for all you share. The snowboarding video has been my favorite.

[@johnbell1391]

Thank you so much for the info. You put our minds at ease!!

[@PackGoatscom]

@@johnbell1391 I’m glad.

[@tonibercha7045]

This video was so incredibly helpful for me as a new and worried goat owner. Thank you!

[@freedomartwork6950]

I used a deep-litter (wood shavings) method for my chickens when I had them. It kept them nice & cozy all winter with only a small supplementary oil radiator on the coldest nights. Hearing your chickens cluck in the background really made me miss my girls and the 2 super-friendly roosters. Your goats look so healthy & comfy in their shelters.

[@HoneyHollowHomestead]

I hang a tarp over my barn doorway to help keep the wind off them. I have seen some of my goats shivering when it's in the low 20's and colder, especially the kids. Yes, I feed at night. My nursing does get a smaller amount in the morning as well. And they have free choice hay.

[@Goaterd]

Are you feeding something besides hay to all the goats?

[@HoneyHollowHomestead]

@@Goaterd Yes. They get a mixture of alfalfa pellets, a sweet feed, and a supplement like calf manna. Sometimes I add BOSS. Trying to get things to where I will have suitable browse available for them longer into the fall/early winter so I can reduce my dependance on commercial feed and hay. I raise Kikos.

[@timothyjacks4490]

How do yo keep your goats from tearing the tarp to shreds and eating it?

[@HoneyHollowHomestead]

@@timothyjacks4490 LOL! I have found that if I use a tarp that mostly fits the door way and doesn't have exta pooling on the ground, it seems to last better. A better quality tarp helps as well.

[@georgejackson3249]

This just HELPED, HELPED, Yes! Three sided with a roof...

[@terencechandler845]

Very helpfull thakyou

[@labreeskarogers1102]

I am always nervous on winter with my goats. Even though I know they are good. but it's just I guess loving them so much and wanting them to be comfortable.

[@LionMartell]

Extremely helpful Marc. Love it

[@mr.mikesart7111]

I appreciate this video. Not a lot out there on it.

[@GoatsBows]

I’ve only had one time I needed a goat coat for cold weather. The goats got their winter coat late fall just like always and we had a super warm January mid 40’s and high 30’s for 3 weeks and I had one goat loose his winter coat and then it got cold again in February and he would be shivering all day long no matter how much bedding. So he got a coat.

[@eco35758]

Great. One change, or addition, is that yes, keep belly full of HAY. Grain doesn’t digest the same way as long fiber hay and that is what produces the heat.

[@rainacherienne1010]

Does it matter if it’s Bermuda hay or peanut/leaves hay?

[@vikingmountainranchlife7447]

Thank you so much for the good info! I was doing it right after all! I felt like Alpine's were able to handle cold temperatures given the Alps. I live in the Ozark Mountains in relatively winter is mild. My goats are doing beautifully and their winter fur has come in very thick. I milk my does and the nipple cups barely fit now because of all the fur! I love your channel and I love seeing all of your beautiful goats!!!

[@kurtjay2114]

I’ll have to show my wife this. She is always worried about them freezing

[@michaelleprieur7720]

Yeah we did our herd some harm by trying to keep them too warm in the barn

[@onthefarm_4880]

I am a worrier about the animals in winter, for some reason now (never worried unnecessarily about animals in winter when i was younger). . Though, MUST worry about keeping their water bucket from freezing. The water bucket is what needs the electric blanket. The constant iced water is a pain. Water in winter is just as important as in the hot summer. . Always love looking at the goats at PackGoats and their long BEAUTIFUL horns.

[@labreeskarogers1102]

so the clicking the horns do they use hooves as well like we have a doe who sticks her foot through the gate whole and pulls her foot back and forth to rattle the gate.

[@42N8_1]

Great video. Thank you

[@smsmoof8128]

👍on the info and I'm assuming having a cover on may create some trapped moisture from body heat that would actually accelerate the body freeze if not watched properly?

[@foxmulder7616]

What about in the mountains.. When it's -20? Would you do a goat coat?

[@johnstjean1422]

I’m in Canada-25 to -40 should I feed grain/corn during the evening for the colder nights

[@PackGoatscom]

@@johnstjean1422 a good belly full of hay is still the way to go if you’re worried your hay is low in protein then potentially supplementing with a balanced feed is a decent idea.

[@Mysfit_Oasis]

Can you tell me howuvh an average size goat should eat? I've been giving alfalfa but at $26 a bale I can't afford a bale a day on SSI.... So I've been letting them graze my 5 acres of lush green desert ... Yes green desert :) I live Arizona .... But I don't want them hungry but I feel like I over feed hay when I do give hay....

[@pdfico]

I’m planning on raising meat goats. Do you weigh your goats before and after winter. Do you know if the cold weather causes the goats to burn more calories and loose weight. Thanks for all the great informative videos.

[@rainacherienne1010]

Meat goats?? You’re an awful person.

[@Sarfrazali78600]

❤❤❤❤🎉

[@bytezoomllc7577]

Where can we buy a roof like the one pictured on your 3-sided shelter in this video?

[@PackGoatscom]

We make those for folks. As far as the roofing it’s pretty standard metal roofing that u can find almost anywhere.

[@tarronreed4893]

So it’s ok to leave bedding? What about the urine and feces do you try and pick that out before adding more bedding?

[@PackGoatscom]

Your shelter should have good drainage can’t be on concrete or it will pool up. But with that just add on all winter and clean spring and fall.

[@coltrutledge8509]

Which goat is that standing at your hand at the end of the video he is huge

[@PackGoatscom]

That’s Buster. He is big but I have about 5 goats bigger than him.

[@amberpierce2274]

Is Buster Alpine?

[@vegtamvanderveg]

do you mean Fahrenheit or Celsius?

[@Goaterd]

Is mild shivering a sign that they are too cold or is that a normal and healthy method for warming up?

[@PackGoatscom]

Yes normal method for warming up. No need for a coat.

[@taylorbrown2320]

What temperature can baby goats tolerate ? I have 3 that are about a month old and I’m in Montana

[@PackGoatscom]

They are pretty hearty, but if it’s getting below freezing at night, I always have a heat lamp for them

[@jessicaduncan5478]

What kind of goats do you have

[@ldog8495]

I had a goat die from eating fermented bedding. How would you keep that from happening?

[@진용준-z5w]

How big your goats are^^ How many kg is it? Sir and what breed is it?

[@foxmulder7616]

Do you have a link to the video/podcast of the guy, Brian, who you talked about who lived in the woods with his goats, on pub land? You said he only comes out of the woods to check his email etc . Lol couldn't find anything in your channel.

[@PackGoatscom]

No sorry that podcast no longer exists

[@gcgopro6912]

My goats come into the barn at night. I noticed my wether was shivering when he was out of the barn first thing and it was zero degrees.

[@lucyxodonoghue]

Do you ever put a coat on any goats to keep them dry? I’m thinking of getting them for mine

[@roxannerosel9678]

what do you think about goats in milk during the winter? they're nubians....

[@stephanelaumonier8298]

Hello from France, what breed are your goats ?

[@PackGoatscom]

Mostly alpines but mixed breeds as well.

[@amberpierce2274]

THANK YOU! That's why I came here to post. I LOVE the big one staring at him, and he pets it. Lol. I have one that has Alpine, but she's also mixed with a few other things. Lol. I now need closer to full-breed Alpine and still want a Nubian, as well. Lol.

[@amberpierce2274]

​@PackGoatscom Is the large goat staring at you an Alpine mix or full-bred Alpine, please? I need one. I have an Alpine cross (Small percentage of Alpine). How do you think Alpine, Nubian, Kiko, and Boer compare, please, mostly as far as healthy and hearty, Marc?

[@AngelaSchansAuthor]

wil this protect nigerian dwarf goats?

[@PackGoatscom]

@@AngelaSchansAuthor yes

[@ExploringCabinsandMines]

It's 32 Degrees and I was worried ! so I shouldn't put a heat lamp in their shed ? lol

[@dawnporter1171]

No heat lamp.

[@blacksinglemomhomesteadont6454]

Really, only a 3 sided shelter? It's been about 25F for the past 3-4 nights and windy here in the New Orleans area as that Artic Blast comes through. I built my goats shelter from pallets and 2x4s. The top has openings on the sides and cracks . I went out yesterday and covered all gaps with roofing tarp and more pickets and spare lumber. I also covered the entire shelter with black plastic sheeting to block out the wind. Tonight I bought a tiny heater) humidifier and placed inside tied to a ladder. It has a tip safety bottom also. I also laid wool rugs on top of each goat and they have double bedding. One goat has lost weight over the past days but still eating where the other is getting bigger by the day. I don't know we hy one is loosing w we might. Her poops art brown or black pellets but she's weak andc didnt want to walk in the sun during the day when it was in the 50s. I put food and water next to her and she ate . Tonight I also cut lots of fresh tree branches and hung them in their stalls. They both are hearty. Reasons goats loose weight fast and only want to lay around?

[@PackGoatscom]

Sounds like possible parasites to me but that is only a guess. Have you wormed them? Their shelter is more than adequate. No heater needed or blankets. Their health on the other hand is where your efforts need to go. Calling a vet is your safest bet.

[@blacksinglemomhomesteadont6454]

thanks for your fast reply and so sorry for the long text. yes I collected several of her pellets over the days and hopefully the farm that is open and I will drop them off today. they quoted $10 dollars to do a poop test I'll ask how much to do labs. the goats, two Nubian adults or given to me by a friend of mines. she says she wore them last January and will come to me to warm them this January and a couple weeks. I've told her over the month that this same goat has had several bouts of diarrhea and mashed potato poop and she told me not to give them greens. I gave both of them the same grains plus hey plus free grazing. the other goat loves the greens and it doesn't change her poop at all and she's gained weight since she's been here for the past six or eight months. the other go on the other hand with the same diet and regiment keeps losing and gaining weight over and over. right now she has a regular poop pellets. yesterday evening we noticed some blood on one of her front hose so I put some peroxide and Neosporin on it. I'll try to get some good pictures for the vet and I have the poop samples in my truck just waiting to be dropped off. I also suspected some type of parasite but the previous owner swears they are fine but since I'm extremely attempted to my animals I highly suspect she has a disease or parasite.just a few weeks ago she looked almost as big as the other goat with her big fat belly but over the past 3 days or so she's really dropped a lot of weight. I'll try to keep you posted. thanks again for the fast reply and good suggestion. kindly

[@joepaullawncare7222]

Hahaha he kicked the chicken out

[@lotusconsultations9925]

Slightly off topic here but... I am just suuuuuper angry about the Argali. You can get a permit to kill them but you can't own one. Not only that but people breeding their does with wild rams for large horn genetics are saying that this was originally started because there weren't enough bucks to keep the while sheep population going. Why this upsets me? I was looking for an animal with the loyalty of a goat that is also bigger, stronger, and more capable of pulling a cart and hauling saddle bags. The Argali is 400lbs and for just 25 bucks people are getting permits to shoot them... but you can't own, raise, breed, or protect the species from going extinct. This sickens me and I think its is a combination of sexism (men like to kill, women like to nurture but the hunters win) and intentionally removing a useful animal from the human population before we realize how we can benefit. I'm putting this out there for the other goat lovers to think over. You guys seem like an organized group of people and possibly capable of making a big huge stink, gaining publicity and putting an end to Argali Genocide. You spoke of one day having a specific breed of "Pack Goat" which is a combination of all the best qualities... well, I know the Argali is a sheep but goats and sheep BOTH have the desire to stick with you. I think the Argali is potentially and outstanding pack animal. Just my opinion. Talk amongst yourselves.

[@emdadulheadteacher3348]

বাংলায় বলুন তাহলে উপক্রিত হব

[@nicolepettis5533]

I’m a new goat owner and want to know how to keep my goats warm