Is the three sided shelter situated so the prevailing winds do not blow into the door? Sometimes shelters are built facing the wrong way, and the wind blows in, making it quiet cold and drafty.

We have a three sided shelter built onto the side of the our barn. It was built by previous owners, and poorly designed. It faces the ocean, the direction nearly all wind and rain comes from. Our goats were completely miserable, and pneumonia was indeed an issue. We put up plywood, so it was an enclosed shelter, for 2/3rds of it, and left the last 1/3 open.

When the weather is bad, the goats all crowd down to the enclosed end. When the weather is good, they all want to lay about in the open end, and chew their cud. Goats are extremely currious creatures, and love to watch what it going on. My guess is, that is what is going on with your goats. They want to see everything, and their other shelter does not allow them to see.

Bedding it deep, warm and comfy with straw or wood chips will go a long way to encouraching them to use that shelter. Build a little shelf and install their salt and mineral blocks in there as well. That too will encourage them to use the shelter.

If all else fails, concider removing the 1/2 enclosed front (I assume it’s wood) and replace it those stiff, clear pannels they build greenhouses with. This will allow in a lot of light, and let your goats see out better. You may have to put up a wood bar, so they cannot lean on the greenhouse pannels and break them.

Pneumonia is indeed a concern with goats. However they can withstand a VERY cold climate (Idaho taught me that), with no ill effects. A goat’s worst enemy is another goat when it comes to pneumonia. Them sleeping in a shelter that has plenty of fresh air exchange may not be a bad thing.

If they simply insist on the A-Frame, bed it with straw, so they are not getting chilled from the ground.

Munchies (LaManchas) are wonderful goats, aren’t they? Great personalities! I didn’t like the "no ear" look, and resisted buying them for years. When I finally added them to my herd, they won me over in just hours they are so sweet!

One other thing. I got a deal on some of those round polydome calf houses from a dairy that went out of business. My goats LOVE them! They are easy to clean (hose and a scrub brush), easy to tip on their sides and roll where-ever you want them. Lots of air exchange to cut down on pnuemonia chances. They really warm up in the sunlight in the winter, making a very comfortable house for the goats. Drawback is that wasps like to nest in the top part of them in the summer.

You might think about watching your local Craigslist, and see if you can purchase a use, inexpensive calf hutch for your goats. Bed them with staw or shavings, and the goats are thrilled with them. 4-6 adult does will use one hutch (or just one bossy doe and her offspring).

~Garnet
Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years
Raising meat goats since 1999

Since one side of the A-frame is completely open, could you put that side next to the open side of the three-sided shelter? If you can’t move the shelters around, bed them both up to give your goats a choice of places to sleep.

If you do put an elevated floor, it will make the floor colder so you could insulate the floor or something. Maybe a safe (no fumes) heat source could be put under the floor.

The other thing is goats really like a view, is the view blocked? That could be why. Face the opening for their view so it is out of the wind, of course.