can i put one dwarf goat in with my 6 chickens

[new&learning]

we are finishing adding on to the chicken pin and my husband says....
"lets get a small goat to put in here with the chickens for the kids"
will this work?....new run area will be about 30 x 50.

 

[muscovy94]

We used to have a Pygmy goat in with our chickens and everything was fine

we never had any problems.

Good luck!

 

[Stacykins]

Your one dwarf goat will be very lonely. They are social animals and need companionship.

 

[The Lisser]

Chicken food (crumbles or pellets) is toxic to goats. If you put them together you'll have to goat proof the chicken food. In my experience goats are very clever about opening latches and doors and they are good climbers.

Two little goats aren't that much more expense than one - and Stacykins is right - one will be lonely. Two goats together will be less likely to escape and will probably be quieter, and instead of doing their goat "pecking order" on your kids, they'll do it to each other.

 

[dutchhollow]

goats don't do well alone. And yes the chicken food is bad for them.

 

[Duck Keeper]

My goats and chickens, ducks, and geese all live together, in basically a run-in barn. The only thing is I have to feed the chickens in a bowl twice a day when I can leash the goats and feed them separate from the chickens, since they'll vacuum that stuff up like you wouldn't believe! The chickens stay thinner in cold weather without any other type of forage, which isn't really all that good.

But... It can be done.
The chickens pick at the goat's feed too, so I have to stay on top of shielding their bowls from the little greedy beaks.

 

[jason_mazzy]

Make the chicken feed seperate and ur fine. It is not toxic in general. but they will eat till they get sick on it.... that can be a prob. But usually the problem is they eat it and the chicks don't get enough.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

yeah just watch the chicken feed and get that little goat a friend

 

[sweeterdeeter42]

We had our chickens and two sebastopol geese in with our goats and they were fine. The goats ate the chicken feed all the time and were fine too. They never got sick. I had them all together for many many years. They will attempt to eat it all though, so you have to make sure your chickens get some of the food.