The simplest solution is to just keep the water away from where they ordinarily hang out, then.
This will remove the impulse to poop in it, and keep the water cleaner for longer.
For a more robust solution, there are many bespoke water feeders that they simply won’t be able to poop in.
Let’s look further into this.
Why do goats poop in their water?
There might be a number of reasons.
For one thing, animals often have a natural instinct to poop in water since, in the wild, this is essentially a good way of disposing of it.
It will be carried away by a river, or sink to the bottom of a lake.
Goats often have this instinct, too, and that’s the simplest answer.
It’s almost like a natural toilet!
On the other hand, they most likely don’t even realize they’re doing it.
If their water trough is nearby where they often lounge, then eventually they are going to poop in it one way or another.
Given how picky they often are with fresh water, they aren’t necessarily doing it on purpose—even if it is instinctive.
Either way, it’s unclean, and poses a number of potential risks to all your goats.
So, let’s look at what you can do to stop it.
| Related Articles |
|---|
How do I stop goats pooping in their water?
The best solution is going to be to establish better habits.
As I said, one of the reasons your goats might be pooping in the water is just that they are hanging out near it too often.
So, the first thing you need to do is move the water to a spot far away from where they normally lounge and rest.
Also, be sure to put it as far away from their food as you can.
Being goats, they will spend a lot of their day eating.
They will tend to hang around their food a lot more than their water, then, and keeping the two separate is a good way to prevent manure getting in the water.
If this doesn’t seem to be working, though, there are still a few things you can do.
One thing often recommended is to put the water up on cinder blocks, such that it is high enough for your goat to get its mouth in, but not low enough for them to poop in.
Depending on the breed of goat, this may be easier or more difficult.
The last thing you can try is a water feeder which they can fit their mouth in, but which they wouldn’t be able to get any poop into.
You might have to make it yourself, or have it made specially, but when all else fails it is certainly a possibility.
How do you clean goat water?
Start by draining the water completely.
Don’t just dump it out where your goats stand—they won’t like this.
Then, take a stiff brush and make sure to scrub the entire bowl.
Be sure to feel around the bowl before and after you scrub it, so you can be sure that any foreign matter has been removed.
Depending on how dirty the water was, you may want to consider disinfecting it, too.
You should do this regularly, although you don’t have to do it every time you change their water.
Be sure to very thoroughly rinse the water, too, especially if you have disinfected it.
Keep rinsing until it looks good as new.
And the bowl is clean!
Will goats drink dirty water?
No, they won’t, and you shouldn’t wait to find out, either.
Goats can actually be really picky about the water they drink.
It’s an understandable instinct.
They need clean water to be healthy!
So, if your goats are pooping in their water, don’t wait to see if they will continue drinking it.
Replace it with fresh water immediately.
Ideally, you should give goats clean, fresh water every day.
This is the best for their health and wellbeing.
So, no, goats will not drink dirty water and you shouldn’t wait to find out, either.
The solutions are actually quite simple, then.
It starts with attempting to change their behavior. If they need water, make them walk for it.
This will prevent them from hanging around the water, since they spend most of their days eating.
If this doesn’t seem to do the trick, then you can look into a new method of getting them their water.
There are plenty of options for things they won’t be able to poop in.