The Joy of Keeping Goats by Laura Childs

Author:Laura Childs
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2017-05-25T16:00:00+00:00

A lack of water, sullied water, or dirty water buckets can result in health problems. Some are fatal.

Water buckets must be kept clean. Watering bowls or buckets need to be emptied and rinsed daily and refilled as many times as necessary throughout the day. Sanitize all buckets or automated water systems weekly to prevent bacteria-related illness. I give our buckets a quick light spray of household bleach and then rinse thoroughly inside and out until the smell of bleach is gone.

The best way to supply water to goats is by head access only. Place water buckets outside of their pens where they cannot spill or soil them, but where can reach their heads through to drink.

Goats prefer lukewarm water, so provide it whenever you can. It is believed that feed quantity and nutrient requirements increase when goats only have cold water to drink. Although I haven’t found any supporting research on the topic, I have almost always given our goats warm water during evening chores. Not knowing whether or not it made a difference in feed costs, it just seemed a small act of kindness to animals bedding down for the night in a cold barn.

If the water you draw is from a well and it is hard—leaving deposits in your sink or buckets—it might be worthwhile to have it tested, especially for high levels of calcium or phosphorous. If found, you can filter the water at the barn or adjust the amounts given in dry mix mineral supplements.

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