Hi Everyone, I currently have a small barn 20ft by 20ft, its eaves are open and fresh air gets in that way, it also has three windows that I covered with plastic, I did not have time to build wooden shutters that will close in bad weather yet. Three small goats live in the barn, should I remove the plastic from the windows, will they get cold and what about drafts? The windows face the north and south, should I open them all, most of the time the wind comes from the west. Don't want my goats to get sick.

-- Barbara (vozarbi@sensible-net.com), January 14, 2002

Answers

That would depend on where you live. I live in Arkansas and I would cover the north window and leave the south window open. Keep your nose alert to strong ammonia smell from urine, if it is strong at your nose level just think how strong it is laying on the ground. Three small goats in a 20 X 20 barn shouldnt get bad as far as soaked bedding.

-- sherry (chickadee259@yahoo.com), January 14, 2002.

We open the barn up during the day to air, and close it at night from the cold.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), January 14, 2002.

We have large shutters if that is what you call them to open and close all around the outside perimeter of the barn. When it is cold I close off the north ones, really nasty they may all get closed. The west section of my barn is completly open. You are the only one who is going to judge this. But if you go out to the barn in the cold to do chores and can take your jacket off in your barn to finish chores, it is to warm in their. If you have condensation on the inside of the plastic, it is to warm/tight in their. Get down to the level of the goats, do you feel a breeze? What does it smell like? And the knee test in winter, get down on your knees, how wet are your knees and what does the air smell like? Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), January 14, 2002.

We have a barn that houses our goats and horses. We live in Northern PA where it can get mighty cold and very windy. Been lucky so far this year...weather been mild...so far. We have both ends of our barn open. Leave the doors wide open year round. The horses only have the lower half on the outside doors from their pens..and couple old windows I cover with feed bags near the goat pen when we have kids born. Do place a heat lamp in the kid pen when born. Never had a real health problem. Our vet once told us that this was the best thing to do for our animals. Not keeping them shut up to tightly only causes problems...let the air pass through. Once knew a women who had goats that actually put a kersone heater in her goat pen with her goat...fire hazard ?? Had quilts hanging from the rafters and even a little hot box with a heating pad for the kids. Don't think she is in the goat business anymore. Hope this helps you some..Good Luck !!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), March 09, 2002.