Goats are some pretty awesome chicken protectors

Date sort Score sort
Kaitie09

Kaitie09

Crowing
15 Years
May 28, 2009
1,206
37
316
South Central, PA
Just wanted to say how awesome our goats are at protecting the chickens. We let our hens and a rooster "free range" in the goat pen and we have never lost one in the past 5 years. We live in an area where there are a ton of hawks, but they never go near the goats. Also, the goats are so curious that even when a squirrel come into the pen, they run right on up there to see what it going on. Our dogs have killed on of the hen when it got out of the run, but they will not go near the goats. When the dogs were younger, we took them to meet the goats and their herding/hunting instincts took over. They chased those goats for about 5 minutes before our oldest goat turned around and headbutted one of the dogs right in her side. We don't have any coyotes, just raccoons and opossums, but those goats take care of our chickens.
 
that's a great thing to know for when i move out to the country. i was planning on getting a goat anyway, but now that's just another great reason to get one! thanks for sharing!!!
 
I will definitely keep that in mind for when I am in a place where I can have more animals! I have always wanted goats so that's good to know- thanks for sharing
smile.png
 
So maybe I should build a goat pen that surrounds the chicken village? We want goats but have not had the time to build the fencing to keep them in......now to convience DH that we need to build thier fence around the village.
 
I too have a couple pygmy goats that are out with my chickens, ducks, and now rabbits. I don't know if mine are all that protective but they do get along well with everybody. I sometimes let the goats out into my larger fenced in yard where my dogs are. I had very much the same experience with my dogs taking a couple good head butts. Now when the goats are out with the dogs the dogs are off in the corner as far away as the can get. I would recommend goats for everyone as they are just crazy fun little buggers. For Chiknut you should always get at least two goats. They are extremely social animals and need that friend to keep them happy. A lot of people will refuse to sell just one goat unless you already have one for that very reason.
 
I think goats are great pets. We don't use them for anything, but we lose to sneak peaks out the window to see what they are doing when they think no one is looking. I have never seen them "go after" anything other than the dogs, but I know they become verryy alert when a hawk lands in a tree above them. I'm sure that if they felt threatened, or if they were around a bunch of screaming hens and something chasing them, they would go after it, or scream themselves. Their calling can be heard down the road and they are very good at making it as annoying as possible. Also, we do lock up our chickens at night, but they pop door stays opened to their covered run. We only let them in the goat's run during the day. The only way for an animal to get into the coop at night would be to go through the goat's side, and I know our little pygmy would not tolerate any animal near her food.
 
Goats are awesome. I have two Myotonic does that free-range with my chickens in the woods. We have hawks and barred owls around all the time and they are totally protected when they all free-range with my girls. My chickens groom them and use them as feet warmers as especially my bantam bar rocks.

4132_family_485.jpg

4132_family_208-2.jpg

4132_family_173.jpg

4132_family_441.jpg

4132_family_442.jpg

4132_family_477.jpg


A couple of the pics are a year old but why keep on taking the same type of pic when the old ones are still new.
smile.png
 
We never lost a bird with our goats. They do a real good job. For the most part they get along, except when it comes to feeding time.
big_smile.png

HHH035.jpg

Yeah, he's screaming.
 
We have a pen for the girls at night but not fencing at all anywhere else. Myotonics are very people oriented. Mine love to just lay on one of the three porches- to be as close to us as possible. My Tinkerbell learned how to pop the hook on the sliding door and make themselves at home in the house, so we had to put another lock on the door. She comes to the side door and hooves at it, at dusk so I can come out with graham crackers and walk with them to the pen and feed them their treat before I lock them up. The problem is, the chickens know the routine also and instead of heading straight to their house, they wait for me to come with the crackers for the goats and then they are all in the goat pen waiting for a crumbs. That means I have to scoot them all out by rustling a tube of saltines, so they follow me over to their house. There never seems to be enough to satisfy them. They are always stealing each other's crackers and crumbs. Then I go back inside and wait about 15 minutes and go out and close the doors to the house and tractors. I could probably do all these actions in my sleep now. LOL
 

Similar threads

lindy
    • Sad
possibly a raccoon?
2
Replies
11
Views
1K
Sunshine_Chick
Sunshine_Chick
A
Goat House to Chicken Coop. We doing ok?
Replies
8
Views
521
rosemarythyme
rosemarythyme
P
    • Sad
What has attacked my chicken?
Replies
2
Views
411
NewcoopNewpoop
N
annabobbob717
    • Like
What killed my hen?
Replies
2
Views
394
McChooky
McChooky
B
Geese Flock Protectors?
Replies
2
Views
862
Barredbeak
B

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom