Barn Catchment safe for Goats?

Would my goats be able to drink the water safely if I made a catchment system off their barn? Is it necessary to have a first flush or other filtration devices?

It depends upon what material you use to catch and store the water. Here in Hawaii, metal roofing is by far the most common. Some materials, such as tarps or asphalt rooves, leech toxic chemicals.

Catching rain off the roof of a shade house out in a pasture is common here. The water runs directly into the water trough from the rain gutter. No first flush, but if the roof is apt to catch leaves, then most people put screening of some sort over the gutter. Keeps the gutters relatively clean and no rapid muck build up in the water trough.

...Su Ba
www.kaufarmer.blogspot.com

Thanks Su Ba. There are a few trees nearby, and when we reroof, we are using aluminum siding, so I'll install a screen.

Celia,
Do you have any options other than aluminum? There is some concern that aluminum is not that great to have in the food chain. I don't know much about it, really, but thought it was worth mentioning.

Thekla

We nailed some corrugated pvc panels to some rafters. I hope these last a good while. They were expensive.