I have a herd of about 80 goats. The different herds have a three sided shelter or just a cover with no sides. The goats definitely use the shelters in wet weather. I have never had goat health problems due to minimal shelter.
I have two pgymie goats that live in the barn and the surrounding area. I can tell you they do not like to get wet! They don't even want to get their dainty little feet wet. They have their own stall and they are shut in at night. If it's raining those goats don't step outside the barn if they can help it. They are several years old and are very healthy/
Mary S.
A friend of mine just got a few Nubian goats and because she knows little about them she got a book on goats. soo When I called her today she mentioned how unhappy they were all penned up. but she could not let them out with all the rain. I asked what she meant and she said the book she read said not to let goats get wet because they were very susceptible to pneumonia. I had never heard of that. I told her I would ask around. I always though goats were very hardy.... Thanks
My 5 goats (nubian/alpine crosses) lived in the same corral and/or barn and arena area with the horses, and they got wet during the winter rains. They seemed more inclined to go under shelter than the horses (shelter often being a horse body <g>), but they weren't fragile flowers. I don't recall any illnesses, they were good milkers, and they all lived into their early teens. Found a good article on pneumonia: http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/U/UNP-0091/UNP-0091.pdf).
If the weather is cold and the rain might chill them, there are goat blankets that one can get.
