I live in Texas where this time of year the average temperature can range from 96-113 it’s HOT. I need some tips on keeping my herd cool. They have a huge shade tree and a large shelter in their yard. During the day they are allowed in and out of the horse yard and their own. The horse yard has shelter and trees so they have shade no matter where they are. They have clean fresh water (i water everyone once a day). Im concerned about my babies right now. I have seen my younger ones panting a lot even some of my newborns (less than 24 hours old) The newborn are in the barn with mom and a fan but the fan just seems to blow hot air around. The high for this next week is 104 with an extreme (11) heat index. What can i do to keep everyone cool and comfortable?
EXTREME HEAT!!
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We are in central Texas. Been pretty toasty. We use smaller buckets and keep water cool and fresh. If we wont be home we set up larger buckets since we dont want them to be without. We may wet the grass area where they like to lay..but mostly we try to keep everyone calm. We don't do hooves or anything like that. Acv in a few water buckets can help with stress.
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I have a barn fan as they stay in there to get away from flies. And I give them fresh water and electrolytes when it's super hot. I've noticed during this heat wave they are drinking a lot more of both. And I give them a handful of hay so they keep the guts moving and get outside to pee and poop - barn door is open, but sometimes they need a reason to go outside! And I've been giving them and the chickens watermelon, try to limit goats to the rind mostly and the chicks to the innards.
I freeze 2 liter plastc bottles, milk jugs 1/2 full of water. I put them in my waterers, and lay.some on the ground for the goats to lay next to. Just in the shade where they lay. I wash them off at night & refreeze for the next day.
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This makes me think of the foster pup I have right now, he's so hot at night! No issues, he's just a furance and can't get comfortable and then I wake up...so my sleepy brain decided to get one of the ice packs out and wrap it in a cloth and lay it for him to cool off too next. It took a couple movements and a lot of chewing, but finally got it next to a pillow and then he found it and laid down!
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Shade, clean water, fan.
And other things mentioned.
And other things mentioned.
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We had a week of 90+ in early May when we had pregnant ewes with full wool coats still. Poor mamas! We pulled our hay wagon (we don't use it for hay but had another use in mind) out to the pasture for fast, portable shade. We plan to use it in out farther pastures, install a couple of i-bolts and tie on a triangular shade cloth to it and put the third point in a tree/fence post, etc, for more shade.
I just got back last night from a Farm Food and Health Freedom event (Sally Fallon, Joel Salatin and Del Bigtree spoke!) and they had these fancy schmancy things. They only cost 14k.
Shade Haven - Mobile Shade Structures for Grazing and Events
I just got back last night from a Farm Food and Health Freedom event (Sally Fallon, Joel Salatin and Del Bigtree spoke!) and they had these fancy schmancy things. They only cost 14k.
Shade Haven - Mobile Shade Structures for Grazing and Events
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Man, don’t tell my goats!! We’re in Texas also and they all have access to good shade of course, and plenty of water... but that’s it. My keeper goats all have their horns, which is supposed to help. They pant a little sometimes when it’s really hot, but they seem to do just fine - they go out and eat for a while, and come and lie in the shade a while, and then go out again to graze and browse some more.
Nothing wrong with what.they are selling.. @littleheathens ...but that design would turn into a🚁.helicopter in Oklahoma winds! Lol. We have to anchor small sheds down...😂🤣
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They fold up like an accordian so if winds go upwards of 60 they should be folded. Otherwise they are remarkably stable. Plus it's shade cloth, more permeable to wind than those trampoline-copters or a run-in shelter (ours blew over and impaled itself through the roof on fence posts). It's a pretty cool design!
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Per advice of this forum I am putting out electrolytes in buckets here in my pastures for goats and cows. My Aussie thinks the world is about over so I have to keep fans running for her when she is not working. She has her on AC unit but thinks her Freon maybe low. See pic attached, she has 2 ceiling fans running on back porch and her squirrel cage blower on top of her house that blows in her house and in front of house. She loves it❤ These pics were taken tonight and don’t show as clear as what I had taken. I had to delete some pics and wouldn’t you know they were the ones I wanted to attach but their gone.
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Per advice of this forum I am putting out electrolytes in buckets here in my pastures for goats and cows. My Aussie thinks the world is about over so I have to keep fans running for her when she is not working. She has her on AC unit but thinks her Freon maybe low. See pic attached, she has 2 ceiling fans running on back porch and her squirrel cage blower on top of her house that blows in her house and in front of house. She loves it❤ View attachment 232014
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View attachment 232013
View attachment 232012
We are in Texas and pretty dan hot. Our girls will have a day here or there they will pant. I've taken to filling small buckets or such with water and electrolytes and freezing them so I can put them in their water buckets and keep their water somewhat cool so they drink more. Our ilk is down a bit with the heat. I think probably because they aren't drinking AS much as they normally do.
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What am I doing wrong? Only when I post pics do I get a double post. Most of the time it’s pictures that duplicate. This time I am seeing a post with my pics and I scroll down and see same post but with links to the pics. This just started about a week ago. ????
Thanks for all the help. They have two water troughs, one has electrolytes and the other is plain. I’ve noticed my buck and some of the older does stay in the shade most of the day until about 5:00 they go and graze till dark. The others, mostly the younger does and bucks graze during the morning and stay in the shade all afternoon. My buck, who is very hairy, stays in the shade all most all day i rarely see im graze. I had a barn for them but they started to DESTROY it. It was mostly the buck but i may open it up again since he has calmed down and I’m no longer milking. Im looking into solar powered fans for the barn. For me and the goats.
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