# Is Chicken feed bad for goats?



## tim1970 (Dec 8, 2009)

I don't mean an entire diet of chicken food, but I carry food to my chickens, and food to my goats in the same bucket.  Plus a few chicken feed pellets might drop on the ground every now and then when I am on my way to the chicken coop.  Can this hurt them?

Thanks


Tim


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## cmjust0 (Dec 8, 2009)

If you're talking about a few pellets here and there, then probably not.  I can't think of anything that may happen to be in various different chicken feeds right off hand that would be acutely toxic to goats.  Not in the sense of the whole rumensin/horses  issue, anyway, if that's sorta what you're getting at..


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## ksalvagno (Dec 8, 2009)

I would be careful if it is medicated feed.


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## Bunnylady (Dec 8, 2009)

I would also check the label to see whether any of the ingredients are animal-based (things like meat by-products or bone meal). Chickens are omnivores, which means that they'll eat anything that doesn't try to eat them! Goats are herbivores, they should only eat plants. You've heard of mad cow disease, right? How about scrapie? The take-home lesson from these things is: don't feed meat to herbivores.


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## FarmerChick (Dec 8, 2009)

regular old chicken feed---just some small amts. falling on the ground or a little left in the bucket?

nah, should not hurt them at all.

If you put the goat chow in the bucket first, then feed them and a few grains of the chicken feed at the bottom of the layer gets into their feed, all should be fine.   

Then again---it would be simple to use 2 separate buckets right?  if it concerns ya.


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## mully (Dec 8, 2009)

Get 2 buckets that will fit inside one another then you won't have to mix feed which is not a good practice.


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## houndit (Dec 8, 2009)

Our feed is not medicated.   The goats broke into our chicken pens several times and gorged.  If they only get a few pieces now and then they should be fine.


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## mossyStone (Dec 8, 2009)

My goats want my chicken food.... they will drool at the sight of the bucket when i feed the birds. The did once get into the chicken yard but ate very little.... Now my puppie wants the chicken food shesh!!!!!! LOL!

Mossy Stone Farm, Pygora's


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## Carolina Chicken Man (Dec 15, 2009)

I feed my goats and hens the same feed.  

I used to buy layer feed and goat feed in 50lb bags from a local farm supply store but this got way too expensive.

My father in law raises cattle and grows corn.  He had a really good crop this year and has a tractor trailer load stored at a milling company.  He said we could have the corn for free to get some feed made.

They will only make the feed in 500lb lots, and I didn't want to get 500 lbs of chicken feed for 9 hens, and another 500lbs for my 3 nigerian dwarfs.


I just get them to mix goat feed and add some calcium carbonate to what I feed the hens.  I get 500 lbs for about $48 dollars.


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## Rock Farmer (Dec 15, 2009)

Anything will eat chicken feed!  My goats have been snacking on chicken feed for years with no ill effects.  I think they would eat it untill it was coming out of their noses.  If they snack on it now and then, I am sure it will be alright.  If you are drinking the milk, watch out for the medicated feed.


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## BDial (Dec 16, 2009)

So far I have not had issues with them getting sick. My goats will get out and RUN for the coop. I have to lock up the feed to keep them out of it.


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## landis1659 (Jan 25, 2010)

I've had my goats for about a year now and I heard that chicken feed wasn't good for them, I wasn't sure why.  My goats share the same barn with the chickens, I've started using the layer pellets and throwing them on the ground, its the only way to keep my goats out of it.  I worry more now because my doe is pregnant now, but she has never had any issues with eating it that I know of.  The person I got my goats from had them on a 10% sweet feed mix and now its the only thing I can get them to eat besides the chicken feed.  They eat hay & brush too of course.  But I've been wondering what it would do to them from eating chicken feed???  Hoping to get them in their own barn soon to feed them separate.

Pepper


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## freemotion (Jan 25, 2010)

If you scatter grain for your hens twice a day and stand their while they clean it up, your goats will not get a significant amount and they will be just fine!  So will your hens.  I have my hens and turkeys and guineas all sharing a common area with my goats and things are just fine.  Just keep the birds from pooping in the water and feed/hay.

I just put up some chicken wire to keep the birds from roosting over my kidding stall, so it will stay clean.  I bring fresh water out twice a day so the goats can drink water that has not had a beak in it, if they wish.  It works for me.


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