The Girls Quarters
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The does all live in a covered barn with open sides. I have 6 pens that are 12'x 24' and we keep 3 does per pen. I then have 4 pens that are 6'x 24' we use as maternity pens. The barn has misters for cooling in the summer and lights. We bed the stalls with shavings that are cleaned out once a month.
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We have igloo style dog houses for them, either one very large igloo or 2 smaller igloos per pen.
When it rains the girls duck for cover even under a roof! Plus it makes a great lookout spot. |
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The girls get free fed Alfalfa/Bermuda fortified horse pellets in buckets that are placed in milk crates. These are easy to take out and clean and they don't get knocked over. Each doe has a feeder. They get a small amount of grain in the buckets at night.
Very spoiled girls ! |
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We feed alfalfa hay 2 times a week in wire feeders. By feeding only twice a week, they will eat the hay under the feeders. They get the hay for long fiber roughage. We have two salt blocks, one plain white, one Himalayan Pink in each pen.
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We have found that the metal baby pig feeders work well for the loose minerals (we use Sweet Licks Milk Maker) and baking soda.
I only put a small amount out and refresh it once a week. In the picture above we have taken two airline dog kennels and fastened a piece of plywood on top. Makes three cubby holes and a large platform for layin'on.
I have some yearling does in that pen.
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We use auto waters in all pens, but the kidding pens. They have buckets that can be put up high enough
so new babies don't fall into them! |
Turn Out Pen
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Since we live in the desert, we do not have a pasture, but a very large fenced area for the does to get exercise. They get turned out when we are home and it is not too hot out. It is fenced with 4 foot non-climb horse fence and has a shade cover and several Little Tykes play houses. We also have a street sweeper brush on the fence for back scratching and face rubbing!
Yes we have an alpaca, his name is Alberto :)
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