For those of you with run-in sheds...

[DuckDuckSook]

Hello friends!

We upgraded our sheep shed to a new run-in shed and I'm not exactly sure how to maintain it. We had been using an old garden shed and because it had a wood floor, I used to muck it out every 3-4 days, put down a new layer of lime to dry it out, and replace all the straw. Our new run-in shed has a dirt floor. I plan on still using straw. This may seem like a ridiculous question, but how do you clean a run-in shed that has a dirt floor? Do you keep adding straw and then do a few big clean outs each season? Do you clean it out every week? Should I still put lime down? Any input, advice, and assistance is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[BullChick]

Dirt floors can just be raked out as needed. Deep litter method is what a lot of us use, so once or twice a year works. I do think it’s good to let it air out, and do what you must if there’s an ammonia smell. If you want a floor without laying down wood, feedbags work. Btw, even in PA, sand works for bedding. It doesn’t need changed, and doesn’t freeze up as long as it’s dry sand. A landscaping company will have moist sand, so it’s not a good idea this late in the year.

 

[DuckDuckSook]

Dirt floors can just be raked out as needed. Deep litter method is what a lot of us use, so once or twice a year works. I do think it’s good to let it air out, and do what you must if there’s an ammonia smell. If you want a floor without laying down wood, feedbags work. Btw, even in PA, sand works for bedding. It doesn’t need changed, and doesn’t freeze up as long as it’s dry sand. A landscaping company will have moist sand, so it’s not a good idea this late in the year.

Thanks for the info. I wasn't sure how to change up my cleaning procedures for the new sheep shed.

 

[lomine]

I tried deep litter with my goat does. They urinate in the stall so it got wet and compacted and was a nightmare to clean out. And that was after just 3 months. It worked okay with the bucks since they urinate outside. But I stopped using that method.

I've got a couple stalls with wood floor and a couple with dirt (previous owner put wood down) and I use the same method for all. I muck out dirty hay weekly. I put down Sweet PDZ for any wet spots. Lay down a thin layer of clean hay. Through the week I pile on any alfalfa stems left in the feeders that the goats can't eat. In winter I'll add a deeper layer of hay.

 

[DuckDuckSook]

I tried deep litter with my goat does. They urinate in the stall so it got wet and compacted and was a nightmare to clean out. And that was after just 3 months. It worked okay with the bucks since they urinate outside. But I stopped using that method.

I've got a couple stalls with wood floor and a couple with dirt (previous owner put wood down) and I use the same method for all. I muck out dirty hay weekly. I put down Sweet PDZ for any wet spots. Lay down a thin layer of clean hay. Through the week I pile on any alfalfa stems left in the feeders that the goats can't eat. In winter I'll add a deeper layer of hay.

Thanks for your reply. I think I'll just continue what I've been doing I guess. I clean out the current sheep shed 2x a week and I put down fresh lime with straw on top. I might switch over to PDZ but the lime is just so much cheaper. My sheep do urinate in the current sheep shed so I'd imagine that will continue in the new one. Do you have a hay feeder in the run-in shed? My feeder currently is not in the shed, but I'm thinking of moving it inside. Would that be a mistake? I don't want to make the shed messier by doing so.

 

[lomine]

I use the slow feeder type feeder bags and they are inside the stalls. I do this because I have a mini and pony in the same barn yard that would eat all the goat's alfalfa. The horses are blocked from getting in one stall and that's where the goats eat. The feed they waste just becomes extra bedding. The good thing about the feeder bags is that the goats can't pull out huge chunks of alfalfa and drop it on the ground.