Courtesy of Danielle Langloism, Wikipedia CCLThe weather outside is frightful
No, I’m not going to burst into song, but I’ve seen a lot of questions on forums lately about weather and goats. Yes, it’s cold. In many places the recent nasty winter storms have buried everything deep in snow and ice and people are voicing concern over the well being of their goats.
Goats evolved to live in mountainous terrain. Terrain where humans certainly wouldn’t thrive but where goats fared just fine. In our modern society, we keep our goats in shelters of one sort or another. We protect them from the cold, rain, snow and sleet, unlike our postal workers.
Frigid temperatures can be a concern but goats are very hardy. Sub-zero temperatures over a long period of time might suggest that some kind of temporary heat be used, but for the most part a healthy, adult goat won’t be noticeably bothered by the mercury hovering around, or even below, the zero mark. Naimhe’s goats have a lovely barn to live in but the temperature in there has fallen below zero more than once over the past couple of years. The goats did fine. Keep a nice layer of bedding down so they have something to snuggle in if they choose and keep them well fed and watered. Food = energy = warmth and resistence from illness and the elements.
Kids are a different story. If your does are getting ready to kid and your ambient temperature is below zero, the babies are going to need some heat for the first couple of days. Once they’re up, dry and eating well, they should be fine but you’ll want to watch them for a few days to make sure they aren’t shivering or sniffling.
Given their own way, the vast majority of goats will avoid being wet so they tend to avoid rain, snow and sleet. They’ll stay indoors when it’s nasty out or if they think it’s too cold. If forced to go out in wet weather with frigid temperatures, watch them for signs of discomfort and act accordingly.
While no one wants their animals to be uncomfortable, unless there are obvious signs of distress, normal care and common sense should ensure your goats get through the winter just fine.
