Goats & Chickens

[freemotion]

My chickens live in their own coop but free range with the goats. Keeping them out of each other's feed is not an issue because I scatter whole grains for the poultry twice a day and wait as they clean it up, throwing down only as much as they will hoover up quickly. The goats get a little of it, but it is what they eat anyways.

I did have to rearrange a few things to keep the hens from the hay racks but that is all solved now, and it has been working out. New hens usually need to be trained to go sleep in the coop as they seem to prefer the goat's stalls, but if I hand carry them to the coop each night they eventually get it. It works even better if I can be there when they go in for the night, and herd the stubborn chickens into the coop. After a few days, they give it up and sleep in the coop.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

I agree with thoe others. My chickens live with my goats. The goats have never bothered eggs, but definately want to keep the goats away from the chicken feed. I lost a really nice LaMancha doe because she got into the feed room and ate a bunch of chicken feed. She died within 24 hours.

 

[naturalgoats]

I guess my goat is just really weird.... when a chicken lays an egg in their manger he will bite a hole in it and suck/lick out the inside..... It is just one of the goats so he probably learned it by accident and decided that eggs were yummy :/

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

I accidentally stepped on an egg that had been laid on the floor of the stall and had my hands full at the time. I went back in a minute later to get it and the soiled bedding out and couldn't find it! Even the shell had been devoured. That's the only time they've eaten one.

I don't fuss about the chickens scratching around in the goat pens, but I don't want them in the stalls, near feeders, water buckets, or roosting around the goat barn. Chickens are not discriminant about where they poop and can track all sorts of stuff into feeders with their feet.

 

[savingdogs]

We got very annoyed at the chickens for standing on the side of the goat water bucket and pooping, you guessed it, right into the water! When that started up we locked them away from the goats, I just let them go in the goat pen once a week while the goats are out, so they can clean up any spilled grain and get the bugs in there now. And I can clean the water AFTER.