Spring cleaning

Spring cleaning advice for goat owners

source: Jenny White
Country Smallholding March 2000 p45

All smallholdings with goats benefit from a planned procedure for springcleaning and maintenance. Goat owners can draw up a list of tasks to do, with a tick sheet, when they are less busy in the winter. Jobs can be sorted into those needing good weather, and tasks which can be done indoors. A shopping list of materials and equipment is also useful. Priorities should be established using criteria of urgency, manpower requirements and cost.

Pens should be cleaned before the weather is warm so that they dry and do not harbour infective agents. Phenol-based cleaning compounds can taint milk, so should be avoided. Feed stores should be checked, and stale and spilled feed removed to avoid attracting rats. Clutter allows rats to take refuge and prevents cats from catching them, so should be tidied. Goat owners should also check straw and hay stores.

Fence posts and gates should be checked, and paths can be repaired using stone, since goats do not like wet feet. Milking equipment should also be checked, and muck should be spread while it is useful and before the weather warms and muck heaps attract flies.