Keeping Chickens & Goats together

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Their Other Mother

Their Other Mother

Songster
11 Years
May 1, 2008
757
5
151
Arizona
We are getting ready to expand. So far we have converted stalls in the barn to accomedate the goats, chickens, duck, dogs.... untill now we are out of room for the horses which the barn was built for! I would like to build a big fenced, covered yard for the chickens, duck and goats with the intention of getting turkeys and some more geese and ducks. I want to build little houses and sheds for each species but let them all run together in the yard area. Maybe build a little pond somewhere down the line too. Should we build seperate pens or can they all live happily and nicely together? Right now everyone is seperate.
 
I have my chickens and goats together right now, and while most of the time it is a good situation, there are times when it is a huge pain in the tail. My goats are still fairly young, and as young goats, they are prone to getting a little crazy every now and then and just running amuck, and up and over and around and through anything and everything, including chickens. I have had a few of my chickens get stepped on, and though no one has been seriously injured, there have been some close calls. I also have to deal with the goats eating the chicken food and then getting constipated, or the chickens pooping in the goats food and water, but like I said, most of the time it is an ok situation. They were great for keeping each other warm when we got the late winter storms.
 
I let my chickens run with the goats and donkeys, (I keep donkeys and goats separated)
We have a small fenced in area for chickens, and chicken feed with a small hole in the bottom of the fences so the chickens can pass through but the donkeys and goats can't, keeping them away from the chicken feed.
I have heard that chicken feed is not good for goats for sure!!! I don't let the donkeys get it too. it is good that the chickens can pick through the fields. they sure are happy.
 
I never thought about the goats eating the chicken food. Which they absolutley would - they eat everything else! I will put their food in the coop with a small door like Zatsdeb suggests. You think it would be ok to throw some turkeys in next year? My kids are wanting Turkeys. I don't know why, they won't want to butcher them for Thanksgiving and they make rotten pets, we had one years ago. It picked on the kids, the dogs, the cars....

Thanks for the reply Flagstaff, wish I were up there in the cooler weather with you. We live in Cave Creek. It's nice in the winter... We have a place north of Ashfork too. I wish we could just move up there for the summer.
 
I have turkeys in with my chickens, some people keep them separate, some don't. I have been reading up on blackhead disease and they get it from chickens, but I think they have come along way since then. I would research it if I were you, I have them together because I ordered them together, and having chicks with turkey babies helps them learn how to eat and drink. they are kinda dumb when they are little like that.
but cute as the dickens.
I may separate them when they get bigger.
 
Quote:
I have a 12' X 16' stall for 2 Alpine goats. They are fine there. I let them out occassionally to run and play - as long as I have not cleaned the cars or the porches recently. They make a mess on the porch and jump up on the cars. I would be really ticked if we had new cars. My husband teases me around our friends. " She would rather have farm animals than new vehicles" True! He wants a corvet but I always ask him "Can you milk a car? Will a corvet lay eggs? And what if the goats jump...."
 
Their other mother said:
I will put their food in the coop with a small door like Zatsdeb suggests.

My pop hole is 12x14 (I think) and my two ND's easily go through it to get to my chicken feed. It became a game to see who was smarter ... my hubby and son or the goats? It was goats - 4 and people - 0 until we came up with a design that keeps the goats out and still lets the chickens in. I finally don't have to worry about the goats getting into the feed.​
 
Quote:
Don't even think about it! When looking up the Tacoma's code for chickens, I noticed that all goats are illegal with in the city limits. (And they're a lot harder to hide then hens!) It's a shame, because I sure could use one to clear out my yard!
smile.png
 
Quote:
My pop hole is 12x14 (I think) and my two ND's easily go through it to get to my chicken feed. It became a game to see who was smarter ... my hubby and son or the goats? It was goats - 4 and people - 0 until we came up with a design that keeps the goats out and still lets the chickens in. I finally don't have to worry about the goats getting into the feed.

So what's the design to keep the goats out of the door? Just make it smaller or bars across? I really liked the idea that gopherboyfarms has with the pull cable that opens the little hatch door.
My goats are Alpines and almost as big as our Great Danes but they have Houdini blood in them and can get into and out of almost anything. The last thing I need is a goat that gets sick from chicken food. Although if they eat the lay pellets maybe they will give me milk and eggs..........HMMM
 

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