# Baby goats and Chickens together??



## BigRed (Jul 13, 2009)

I received in a trade two nubian boys born July 5th. They will be bottlefed by us but my question is this:  they love to hang out with the chickens in the yard: where ever the chickens group together, there go the two boys. they all just chew, cluck, laze around together. no body misbehaves.  My GP sits over them on watch for any problems and herds them to the house at dusk.They even like to go into the hen house but they can't reach the hen egg boxes.  While this is cute now, anyone have any words of caution for me or do we just let 'em hang and not worry about it.


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## helmstead (Jul 13, 2009)

Do not let them eat chicken feed - it is basically toxic to goats.  Also, make sure the goats have access to water that the chickens do NOT have access to (they will spread cocci into the water source).

We do not keep our goats and chickens together.


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## BigRed (Jul 13, 2009)

helmstead said:
			
		

> Do not let them eat chicken feed - it is basically toxic to goats.  Also, make sure the goats have access to water that the chickens do NOT have access to (they will spread cocci into the water source).
> 
> We do not keep our goats and chickens together.


Glad I asked - like a dummy i didn't think about the water, only remembered to separate the food...off i go to take care of the waterer's.


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## TxMom (Jul 13, 2009)

I got 2 boers 2 weeks ago and they get along with my chickens just fine.  My problem is the food...the goats are desperate to get to that chicken food.  It's driving me crazy...we tried to cut a small pop door for the chickens to get in and out, but the crazy goats somehow managed to get into the coop through the tiny little 10 inch square door.  We were right there and saw them, so they didn't get to actually eat the food.  We had to close off that door.   Every time I open the run door...the goats try to charge in there, almost knocking me over in the process.

We are about to fence in a separate area for the goats...I'm already tired of the food struggle, and other issues with keeping them in that yard.


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## Rockytopsis (Jul 14, 2009)

Coccidia is usually species specific, which means that our contact with a Coccidia which comes from an animal wont infect us. So, the species infecting dogs will not affect humans. The exception to this is with Toxoplasma, another Coccidia species, which comes from cats. 

This also means that the species that is in chickens will not affect goats.

That has always been my understanding.


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## helmstead (Jul 14, 2009)

This is true, however when chickens/ducks/geese share a water source with goats they walk and root through goat cocci in the soil, then hop up on the water/jump in the water/wash their beaks in the water and VOILA, tainted water.


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## Gatorpupsmom (Jul 14, 2009)

TxMom said:
			
		

> I got 2 boers 2 weeks ago and they get along with my chickens just fine.  My problem is the food...the goats are desperate to get to that chicken food.  It's driving me crazy...we tried to cut a small pop door for the chickens to get in and out, but the crazy goats somehow managed to get into the coop through the tiny little 10 inch square door.  We were right there and saw them, so they didn't get to actually eat the food.  We had to close off that door.   Every time I open the run door...the goats try to charge in there, almost knocking me over in the process.
> 
> We are about to fence in a separate area for the goats...I'm already tired of the food struggle, and other issues with keeping them in that yard.


We had the same problem with our Nubian/Alpine doe getting through a chicken door that it could NOT have been physically possible for her to get through!!!  We remedied that problem by affixing a square cut from cow panel to the inside of the opening.  Chickens can get through it but goat can't......

My husband is thinking of authoring a book....."You Can Build ANYTHING with Cow Panels and/or Duct Tape."

Kim


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## Rence (Jul 14, 2009)

My chickens visit my goats in their pen all the time. I never see them on the waterers, but I see them drinking out of the waterers. I guess it's at the right height


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## dkluzier (Jul 16, 2009)

Our pregnant nubian cross also somehow got into the chicken coop, then couldn't squat down to get back out.  When I opened the nest box, there she stood and she looked at me and said "Baaaaad."

DH built an "L" shaped wall about 12" high inside the door of the coop, making the foyer entry a right-hand turn and that seems to deter the adult goats. The kids are another story.


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## TxMom (Jul 16, 2009)

That's a GREAT idea!  Right inside our new pop-door, we can put up a little wall to keep the goats from getting in, but still let the chickens in and out.  Woohoo!  I can't wait to do that now    Thanks a million!


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## jettesunn05 (Jul 16, 2009)

Gatorpupsmom said:
			
		

> TxMom said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ha Ha so true lol!


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## Chirpy (Jul 16, 2009)

This is what my hubby and son finally came up with to keep our Nigierians out of the chicken coop.   This has worked perfectly for over a year now.

Outside view...







Inside view:






It took the chickens about a day (except for one girl... it took her about three days...:/) to figure out how to jump up and get outside.  The goats just can't bend their bodies to get through it.


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## freemotion (Jul 16, 2009)

Cool!  I wonder if my boneless goat could figure that one out.....


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