Chickens and Dairy cows

[TheHoustons]

All,

Ice been looking high and low for an answer and have come up with nothing, maybe you know.

We have a chicken wire chicken coop built into the corner of our barn. It houses 20 chickens and a few ducks (all layers) we have been offered a dairy cow and wanted to put it on the other side of the barn (probably about 20-30ft away) but were told that chickens cant live near dairy cows because of bacteria.

The chickens wont have access to the cow stall or the milking area, but i dont want to take chances, or turn the cow away, or rebuild the coop, unless we have to.

Do you know, can cows and chickens live together? And if not, do you have any links where i can read up some more about it so i can make another plan?

Thanks all, sorry for the long post.

 

[Jensownzoo]

From what I can find, it would be okay. Here are two links where I found info:

http://articles.extension.org/pages...nd-backyard-poultry-flocks-with-other-species

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/farming-other-animals-with-freerange-chickens.html

 

[Jensownzoo]

I thought that the bacteria might be Salmonella, so I did a little extra reading. If the chickens are in their coop, the cow is in her stall, and you have good hygiene practices particularly where water and feed are involved...I still don't think there would be a problem. But here is another article on Salmonella and dairy cows:

http://www.hoards.com/E_animalhealth/ah2

 

[donrae]

I don't have links, but historically chickens roamed the entire farm, dairy animals included.

Before I got sick, I was buying raw milk from a family who kept a few milkers. They had free range chickens and no one ever got sick from drinking their milk. Their cows were beautiful and glossy and productive, and they grazed the same area the chickens roamed.

I miss raw milk, I'm jealous you have the chance to get your own cow