# Animals that do well with goats



## RubThyNeighbor (Apr 7, 2013)

Hi! We are looking to add some more animals to our very small ranch. We currently have 4 Nigerian Dwarf goats and expect to keep up to 8 of them. Due ot the layout of the land, we can only really separate maybe one other animal if we want to have a bit of free pasture for the goats. At some point somebody is going to have to be combined into a pasture (maybe even shelter?) or just not brought here. 

The list that I am most eager to learn a lot about - 

Alpacas
Chickens
Ducks
Pea Fowl

I am loving what I have read but am looking for even more advice / experience on housing any of these combinations.


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## Fullhousefarm (Apr 8, 2013)

Our chickens and ducks do fine with the goats. (We also board two horses and the goats graze on 3 acres with them when we are home.) They need separate "shelters" and fed separate, but they get along fine. Sometimes the birds- especially the ducks- will try to steal the goat's food, but we feed 2xs a day, so we just throw food for the birds while the goats eat and that usually works. Our heard queen won't share her food with the birds, but the others don'e do anything really. Since our chickens free range all day and are just locked in at night we feed AM and PM, so we don't have the problems with goats gettting the chicken food, but they LOVE that stuff, so it is sometimes hard to keep them out of it.

Right now we have 5 Pekin ducks free ranging, and 6 duckling that are about to be large enough to free range too. We have around 12 chickens. Two horses, four goats and four human kids.


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## ThornyRidgeII (Apr 9, 2013)

my recommendations is other goats go well with goats.. I would be leery of putting any other kind of "legged" animal in with them as my nigerians can be quite feisty and goats are somewhat built for beating around and headbutting and unexpected pot shots.. I would be absolutely fearful of an alpaca or something else getting taken out as nigerian would be leg level!  just thinking horrific trauma to be had.. not saying it couldn't be done but I would not recommend it.  as far as ducks.. they need a pond!  and MESSY!!!!!!  keep them away and out of any housing you have for goats.. any bird/fowl will poop poop poop all over everything so if you want any grazing area at all.. birds of any kind are no no!  I have chickens who I constantly battle to keep out of my barn.. this summer they are getting a fenced in coop makeover where try as they might they will have built a no fly over fence!!!!!  I love my chickens but they literally crap all over everything: supplies, hay, and the goats.. grrrrrrrr      so goats are good with their own kind!  chickens are lovely if they have their own space not messing up the space of others.. ducks well I like the look of them but wouldn't have any!  also keep in mind that all these animals need different food requirements.. goats in particular and what a goat needs is may be toxic to another species or vice versa.. or at least cause sickness and distress.. think it through, plan carefully and enjoy whatever you end up doing!  I vote goats~!!!!


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## The Grim Raker (Apr 9, 2013)

ThornyRidgeII said:
			
		

> as far as ducks.. they need a pond!  and MESSY!!!!!!  keep them away and out of any housing you have for goats.. any bird/fowl will poop poop poop all over everything so if you want any grazing area at all.. birds of any kind are no no!  I have chickens who I constantly battle to keep out of my barn.. this summer they are getting a fenced in coop makeover where try as they might they will have built a no fly over fence!!!!!  I love my chickens but they literally crap all over everything: supplies, hay, and the goats.. grrrrrrrr      so goats are good with their own kind!  chickens are lovely if they have their own space not messing up the space of others.. ducks well I like the look of them but wouldn't have any!  also keep in mind that all these animals need different food requirements.. goats in particular and what a goat needs is may be toxic to another species or vice versa.. or at least cause sickness and distress.. think it through, plan carefully and enjoy whatever you end up doing!  I vote goats~!!!!


Well some good points above but you can still have them and work round above mentioned issues by simply coosing the right breeds to match your main game which in your case is goats
Ducks = free range Muscovy who unlike any other duck do not quack and dont need a pond of any type. They breed easly laying baskets full of eggs and will hatch out large cluches of ducklings(beware mother will on the first day walk out with 20 ducklings and come home with 3) they roost in trees or on barn roofs unlike other types who sit pondside waiting for coyote to come by. Our Muscovy's live with and in between the legs, heads and jaws of cattle, sheep and pigs, without any issues.

Someone else might come up with a chicken sollution as you have to have free range eggs

Edit to add 
Wonderful user name - Gone into my top 10 cool byh names almost as funny as EmmaDipstick - love that one


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## Fluffygal (Apr 10, 2013)

My goats free range with chickens, peafowl, and tolerate 2 barn cats.
If the area is big enough to support them the pooh is really not a big deal at all.
The biggest adjustment was working a schedule that would allow the chickens to have their food without the goats trying to steal it.
The chickens will go into the goat pen to scratch for buggs in which they turn the bedding for the goats daily in a way that would make a bull dozer jealous. I believe they both benifit from each other.

If pooh is an issue then more than likely you have more critters then what your place can handle


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## ThornyRidgeII (Apr 10, 2013)

Fluffygal said:
			
		

> If pooh is an issue then more than likely you have more critters then what your place can handle


Nope.. pooh is a fact of life.. the point is that no matter what space you have your animals in, unless they are totally separated with no chance of contact then there will be risk for fecal contamination which will up the chances of internal parasites or illness.  It is not a matter of space.  I have 27 acres and only 18 chickens.  Space is not an issue.  The fact is a free range chicken or duck or turkey or peacock or any uncontained critter will go wherever they want if they are not contained and poop.  My chickens who do spend time free ranging like to take siestas in my goat barn and while in there poop.  Advice was asked for.. I gave it.. I have both chickens, cats, goats, and a dog.  I recommend housing/keeping chickens and goats separate!  Thankfully my ducks stay down in ponds and don't venture near barn!


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## babsbag (Apr 10, 2013)

When I start my dairy the chickens have to get out of the pasture, but I will miss them. Yes, they do poop on the hay now and then, and like to sleep on the edge of the feeders, but for 4 years it has never been a problem and the composting and fly patrol that they provide in my pasture will be sorely missed when they have to move out. I have about 50-60 chickens with 20 goats. I do have to keep the goats out of the coop, hot wire did that job, and the chickens like the goat grain, but it doesn't hurt them. I have to feed the dogs when the chickens are in the coop as the chickens love dog food and it is too expensive to use as chicken feed. I also have to milk with the barn door shut to keep chickens out, but IMO they are still worth the trouble.

I suppose my goats could get worms from the chickens, but my goats are pretty worm free and the chickens have never been wormed so I don't see that I have a problem in that area and cocci is species specific. 

And yes, the chicken will occaisionally poop on a goat, but the goat doesn't seem to care and I just brush it out when it drys or wash it off.

All in all I like my mixed barnyard.


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## The Grim Raker (Apr 11, 2013)

I think you will find your goats will be fine as species specific comes to mind regarding chicken poop


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