We are going to have our first Hard Freeze tonight and I am wondering how my goats are going to take it...We are supposed to get as cold as 18F overnight....I realize for many of your farther north this is not big deal but we are in Florida and not really well equipped to deal with such a dip in temprature...
We do not have a barn...Just a small wooden shelter inside a partially tarped 10x10 dog pen (we have added a tarp on the Northern side of the pen and it is no longer under the tree since this photo was taken)...I intend to give them a bunch of hay inside the shelter and hope they do not eat it all again...I will also put another bale in front of the shelter to close part of the opening to try and keep the wind out and their body heat in...Will this be enough do you think?
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yes, I had lulled into the belief that my goat barn was totally leak proof..... sigh. I stapled up house wrap (some folks call it "repurpose", I call it, use what you've got, ^^) and it might wrap a house real well - but with that kind of rain will eventually drip through to my safe haven. Thankfully it is only 3 spots - this year everything seems to be leaking. But except for standing out in the fog hollering for a buck - I think they know one lives at the corner LOL - the goats are staying dry and sassy. In this heat season - everyone seems to be having trouble getting along - siblings and mother and daughters - go figure. ^^ goats.
Cheryl K. Smith said:
I had almost forgotten that it was supposed to be rainy here until we had the downpour last week!
Melissa Johnson said:
Had not even thought about freezing parasites...bonus :)
And no rain! ^^
Cheryl K. Smith said:
Thank you Deborah...You are correct the prevailing winds do come from the north which is why I tarped that side of the pen...We have the shelter facing West now because then it is facing the house which is less than 50 ft from them and creates a wind break from that direction also.
I am not thrilled with the timing of this hard freeze as both Hubby and Older daughter are working till after dark tonight and tomorrow night and I am left to have to get everything ready with just me and our ornery 3yr old...I am not even sure where the heat lamp for the well was stashed after last winter.
They should be fine, especially following Deborah's tips. I LOVE our intermittent hard frosts here in Oregon, because it means that parasites are freezing!
I'm thinking that your prevailing wind will be from the north, so the important thing is that the opening of the shelter NOT be facing north. If you have straw, they wouldn't eat much of that, and it would help keep them warm. You can give them warm water to drink -- body temperature or up to about 110 degrees. Goats love that when it's cold out.