Goats and Chickens

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Thornhill Farms

Thornhill Farms

In the Brooder
5 Years
Aug 4, 2014
36
3
24
Cottontown, TN
Is it safe to keep a dwarf or pygmy goat or two in the same fence as my chickens? The run is 300sq ft and they would have seperate sleeping quarters and the chickens feed and water will be kept away from the goat(s). Any advice? Thanks
 
I'm not real sure about goats, but I keep mine with sheep. They get along great. I would think the same would happen with goats. Hope it works out for you.
 
Thornhill Farms said:
thank you i have decided to go for it now just have to find the right goat for our family.
Click to expand...

You will need to get two. They are herd animals, and no, chickens don't count as a herd. It has to be another herd animal.

Just make sure the goats cannot get the chicken feed. And make sure the chickens cannot soil goat feed, water, minerals, or hay.
 
^ This is not necessarily true, that they have to be with another goat. Goats are very personable and enjoy attention, mine annoyingly so.
tongue.png


Anyways, my goat had a herd mate since birth and she died a few years ago. My goat has actually been happier without her. She gets all the attention and food. She was kept alone until we got the chickens this year. I have one RIR that will ride her around, it's hysterical! I really need to get a picture of it. I think she thinks it's a back massage.
lau.gif


Just my two cents, of course!
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I should add that my goat is "crippled," she cannot bend her front legs. Doesn't "play" as often as a healthier goat would, but does get wild hairs every now and then...
 
mama2molly said:
^ This is not necessarily true, that they have to be with another goat. Goats are very personable and enjoy attention, mine annoyingly so.
tongue.png


Anyways, my goat had a herd mate since birth and she died a few years ago. My goat has actually been happier without her. She gets all the attention and food. She was kept alone until we got the chickens this year. I have one RIR that will ride her around, it's hysterical! I really need to get a picture of it. I think she thinks it's a back massage.
lau.gif


Just my two cents, of course!
wink.png


I should add that my goat is "crippled," she cannot bend her front legs. Doesn't "play" as often as a healthier goat would, but does get wild hairs every now and then...
Click to expand...

99% of goats need another goat or similar herd animal as companion in order to be healthy and stress free. Yours is the exception, not the rule. Most goats, when alone, scream loudly and pace fencelines. And no, it isn't just observations from my herd, but other herds as well. A goat separated for quarantine, for instance, is usually miserable.

New goat keepers should learn how to keep goats properly. And that means planning to have two goats.
 
No need to get pissy with me. I wasn't being rude, just saying it isn't always true. I've know many people around me to own ONE goat without them being unhappy. In fact, there is one just down the road AND one across the street.

Genuinely sorry I put a bitter taste in your mouth.
 
mama2molly said:
No need to get pissy with me. I wasn't being rude, just saying it isn't always true. I've know many people around me to own ONE goat without them being unhappy. In fact, there is one just down the road AND one across the street.

Genuinely sorry I put a bitter taste in your mouth.
Click to expand...

The first goat I ever had was a single goat. Big mistake. We named her Bouncing Genevieve because she could bounce over every fence we put up no matter how high. She was lonely and she would get out any way she could and then come running up to the house. When she wasn't bouncing she was hollering. If the people you know can make things work with a single goat fine, but I certainly would not suggest anyone try it.
 

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