Why the height of feed and water matters so much now
A stiff goat lives in a neck and shoulders that no longer swing through their old range. Reaching up into a high hay net pulls on sore joints one way; driving his head down into a deep, narrow bucket hurts the other way, and both make him eat and drink less than he needs. His natural grazing posture — head down, neck level — is the one that still costs him nothing. Ground-level feeding is not about spoiling him; it is about returning his meals to the angles his body can still manage all day, every day. You can see the difference at the first meal: a goat feeding at a comfortable height settles, chews steadily and stays at the pile instead of snatching mouthfuls and backing away.
Setting hay and hard feed at ground level
Put hay in a low pile on a clean rubber mat, or in a rack whose bottom edge sits near the ground, rather than on bedding he has soiled — goats refuse contaminated forage and an old goat cannot afford skipped meals. Refresh little and often: a senior picks through hay slowly, and fresh small piles keep him grazing instead of sorting a trampled heap. Hard feed goes in a shallow, wide bowl that will not tip when he leans on the rim, set on the mat where dropped feed can be picked up cleanly. Scatter a handful of feed across the mat too — nosing for it keeps stiff legs and neck gently moving.
Water within a few steps, at ground level
Old goats drink less when every drink costs a walk and a stretch. Stand a wide, stable bucket directly on the ground beside his favourite resting place, and add a second one if a pen-mate tends to guard the first. In cold snaps, check for ice more than once a day and top up with warm water to encourage drinking — dehydration creeps up on seniors who find cold water unappealing. Keep the ground around the buckets level and grippy; a stiff goat who slips once at the water may stop going to it. If he drinks from a trough outside, set a low bucket indoors as well during the worst weather so a drink never requires a journey across a muddy yard.
Protecting his share from younger herdmates
Ground-level food is easily defended by a pushy companion, so watch a full meal rather than assuming he ate. Many keepers feed the stiff goat in a corner pen or a hurdles section for his meals, close enough to see the herd, alone enough to take his time. Old teeth chew slowly, and a goat who is shouldered away mid-mouthful loses twice: the feed, and the confidence to start again. Weigh him in your hands — or run a hand over his ribs and spine — weekly, because fleece and a thick winter coat hide weight loss until it is well advanced.
None of this setup is complicated, but it has to be identical at every feed, whoever is on duty. Recording the layout and the twice-daily checks as Care Teams duties in KinsLe gives each helper the same instructions — mat down, bowls low, buckets checked — and the timestamped completions show you the routine held even on days you were not there to see it.