As the weather is chilling here, and knowing that I am such a poor papa, I want to make sure I have things covered for our first winter together.
I have a shed that is the size of a two car garage. It is open on one side and the second side where the triangle shape of the roof is is open. There is a 'closet' in there about 4ft x 12 ft where they can huddle if they want. The floor is dry and has twigs and straw.
The roof doesn't leak.
I have a water bucket with a heater under it that will keep it from freezing and I think it is secure enough they won't tip it.
They will be browsing on fallen leaves and apples much of the winter probably, since rather than tilling them in this year I will put them in a piles and keep them dry.
I will be supplementing them with some goat pellets and timothy hay.
I intend to use the timothy hay as a gauge of how well everything else is keeping them fed. If they only pick the leaves, I'll figure they aren't hungry.
I intend to hike in the snow, so I am planning to watch them for shivering, keep them dry and carry some rolled oats or chicken feed to help warm them up if they get shivers.
I am not sure how well they will keep under a cover since they have torn down the tarps I have put up on previous trips. I'm hoping the presence of the older goats will settle the younger ones enough that I can actually go in my tent without a panic. We still need to figure that out. I assume they can lie in the snow OK. But I am tempted to take some moving blankets and put them between plastic tarps.
I have purchased some wool blankets that I am cutting down to fit them for use on the trail, but don't intend to use them when at home. I am thinking to spray some waterproofing on one side.
I have tied them to a ground line at home, to get them used to the idea, but have to keep the lead real short or they tangle their legs real easy.
Do I worry too much or too little? What am I forgetting?
I have a shed that is the size of a two car garage. It is open on one side and the second side where the triangle shape of the roof is is open. There is a 'closet' in there about 4ft x 12 ft where they can huddle if they want. The floor is dry and has twigs and straw.
The roof doesn't leak.
I have a water bucket with a heater under it that will keep it from freezing and I think it is secure enough they won't tip it.
They will be browsing on fallen leaves and apples much of the winter probably, since rather than tilling them in this year I will put them in a piles and keep them dry.
I will be supplementing them with some goat pellets and timothy hay.
I intend to use the timothy hay as a gauge of how well everything else is keeping them fed. If they only pick the leaves, I'll figure they aren't hungry.
I intend to hike in the snow, so I am planning to watch them for shivering, keep them dry and carry some rolled oats or chicken feed to help warm them up if they get shivers.
I am not sure how well they will keep under a cover since they have torn down the tarps I have put up on previous trips. I'm hoping the presence of the older goats will settle the younger ones enough that I can actually go in my tent without a panic. We still need to figure that out. I assume they can lie in the snow OK. But I am tempted to take some moving blankets and put them between plastic tarps.
I have purchased some wool blankets that I am cutting down to fit them for use on the trail, but don't intend to use them when at home. I am thinking to spray some waterproofing on one side.
I have tied them to a ground line at home, to get them used to the idea, but have to keep the lead real short or they tangle their legs real easy.
Do I worry too much or too little? What am I forgetting?