# Goat in the chicken coop... on purpose?!



## sarahc8 (Jun 22, 2013)

Had this posted in the backyard chickens forum, but I wasn't seeing a lot of action, so I thought i'd try here!
Hello all! I am most likely getting a pygmy kid (goat) in the near future, and am thinking of wintering it (not sure of sex yet) in the chicken coop! We have a barn on the property, but I worry about the goat becoming lonely, and cold with no barnmates to keep it warm in the winter. My chicken coop on the other hand is well insulated and has a heatlamp for extra cold days... the coop measures appx. 9x13 ft and I currently have 1 Silkie rooster, A rouen hen and 5 ISA brown chicks. All my internet searches turn up articles on keeping goats OUT of the coop due to feed issues... my question is if anyone out there has helpful hints or tips on co-housing these guys, and how I could keep the animals noses in their own feed?


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## Southern by choice (Jun 22, 2013)

First I think it is great you are entering the world of goats. You will love them.

Second...  

Now for the response... LOL... goats should never be alone. By alone I mean without another goat. They are herd animals and honestly do not do well alone. Most breeders will never sell a single goat to a new owner. I cannot stress this enough.

As far as the chickens... feed is the big issue, goats can bloat very easily on chicken food... they love the stuff. Most goats do not want to be nor do well in a completely closed up environment. They are not like chickens that need to have that extra warmth in the winter. Of course this depends on your location. 

They do need great ventilation, shelter from wind, rain, snow, and sun. Often an open 3 sided shelter works well. For those that have barns etc, that is great, you just do not want too warm of a barn then the outside very cold. That can get them sick. Goats acclimate well to the seasons.

I will add goats lay wherever they want... chickens roost... I would think about where the poops lands.


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## Pearce Pastures (Jun 22, 2013)

And you are definitely going to love goats.  But yes, you should get another goat pal for your sweetie.

If you can come up with some kind of creative way of putting the chicken feed out of the reach of your goats, keeping them together  might be done (though I personally don't like when my chickens decide to visit my goat's house....yucky poo everywhere).  

Better though might be to hold off and get you place ready for them, make a separate home for them, and then get two.   Wethers make great pets by the way and does are good too.  Hold off from getting a intact male your first time out.


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## Moonshine (Jun 23, 2013)

First of all I have no chickens, I want chickens but I was told no lol. 

Now let me tell you about my goat experience! I was told I could get 1 goat. So I went and got her and every time I left her alone in her pin she cried like she was dying. Oh it was bad. It only took me 4 days till I was on my way to bringing another goat home. I read about goats doing so badly alone but didn't really think to much about it. I read the do even worse in the winter if they are alone and might even die if they are alone. On day 4 my baby escaped her pin. Luckily it was just before I can walking out to check on her and the dogs (new to goats as well) hadn't noticed. Since we got our 2nd goat everything goat has been wonderful! My girls don't try to escape at all and they are very happy to have one another. Please don't get one by itself. You would be making a huge mistake. 

You will love goats. They are so funny and wonderful to have.


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## sarahc8 (Jun 23, 2013)

moonshine, i have a feeling that might be me!! we're getting the goat at a couple days old... so it will be staying in the house with us for the first little while... i have time to stew about it a bit more and build something in the barn if i have to.... thanks all!


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Jun 23, 2013)

My first goat was a 2 week old bottle baby. Lived in the laundry room for a while. It took me about 2-3 weeks to get him some friends but by that time he was soo bonded to me he wanted nothing to do with the other goats. He would just SCREAM for me when I wasn't around. When I came outside he would do anything to try and get to me which included running full speed at a 7ft fence and jumping at it to see if he could get through. I had a home lined up for him but the people had kids and he was too out of control so I ended up sending him to the freezer instead. :/   I have since raised a nigerian buckling in the house but he had daily visits and play time with the other goats(supervised visits!). I think the house kid can be done but they do need contact with other goats otherwise they just think they're human.   

I also dont recommend the chicken coop thing. I've always done everything I possibly could to keep the goats out of the chicken coops. They're totally destructive when they get in. Think the nesting box material is food you put out _just_ for them. Squirt, my lamancha, has been know to "pop" eggs if she gets the chance. She just squeezes them in her mouth til the break, then she spits them out and the chickens come running.   I've heard of them getting a taste for eggs too.    I also have a few cockerels that thought she was a roost towards the end of her pregnancy.


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## sarahc8 (Jun 23, 2013)

Oh yoi! the nesting boxes?! that's awful! lol my nesting boxes are about 4 ft off the ground... but i've read goats are determined! lol... i do NOT want a goat that goes psycho for me... happy to se me, greet me when i come home, yes... freezer bound... no lol... i only asked for one bottle fed because i didn't think i could handle bottle feeding two, especially if they weren't on the same two hours in the beginning!! lol


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## woodsie (Jun 23, 2013)

sarahc8 said:
			
		

> Oh yoi! the nesting boxes?! that's awful! lol my nesting boxes are about 4 ft off the ground... but i've read goats are determined! lol... i do NOT want a goat that goes psycho for me... happy to se me, greet me when i come home, yes... freezer bound... no lol... i only asked for one bottle fed because i didn't think i could handle bottle feeding two, especially if they weren't on the same two hours in the beginning!! lol


If you are bottlefeeding one, it makes very little difference feeding two. You can get them on the same schedule within a day or two especially if they are pretty close in age. Once they are off colostrum (2 days old) they are on the same milk. I fed mine every 3 hours during the day and they slept through the night...and that was only for the first week or so. 

You will be glad you got two, I can't imagine one by itself...and they do start to think they are human and cry endlessly if you leave them alone...please hear the voice of experience goat owners - they know what they are talking about. I have a couple of goats that share the chicken run and they work out well, but it is a disaster if they get in the coop. If you have two you can easily put up a 3 sided shelter against the coop which will do them just fine.

If you really don't want two, maybe skip the goat thing and look for a puppy...they are much more likely to be the greet you at the door, happy to see you then a freaking out goat left alone.


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## Moonshine (Jun 23, 2013)

Let me just say that I am loving these stories!


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## sarahc8 (Jun 23, 2013)

lol!! we have a puppy too would a three sided shelter be enough protection in -30 celsius weather.... i just have a hard time seeing them staying warm! do NOT want to come out in the morning to frozen goats.


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## Pearce Pastures (Jun 23, 2013)

Yeah, really not bad at all to feed more than one.  After the first day, we do three feedings a day at 9, 3, and 9 and they do great, never wake us up to eat.


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## danielburns271 (Jun 24, 2013)

Why not try this site, they do have  cool and reasonable priced coops .. http://www.cheapsheds.com.au/chicken-coop/


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## treeclimber233 (Jun 25, 2013)

-30 Celsius!! what does that equal in Fairenhit?(sp)


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## elevan (Jun 25, 2013)

treeclimber233 said:
			
		

> -30 Celsius!! what does that equal in Fairenhit?(sp)


Converter....

http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/tempfc.htm


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## FallViewFarms (Jun 26, 2013)

treeclimber233 said:
			
		

> -30 Celsius!! what does that equal in Fairenhit?(sp)


I believe the conversion is:  -30 = WAY colder than I EVER want it to be.  Ever.


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## sarahc8 (Jun 26, 2013)

lol i don't need a shed, i have a barn and a coop... but thanks! and it get's VERY cold here... -30 was the norm last winter.. but it gets colder... welcome to canada! lol the summers are nice....ish!


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