Goat and chickens?

[MisfitRanch01]

For people who keep goats with chickens, how do you keep you chickens from eating and scratching the pasture to dirt? I don’t want my hens to make a pasture of dirt My goats like the occasional nibble of grass

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

When I was planning to get goats (I decided against it in the end) I planned for a multi pasture system with a chicken coop on skids so it could be moved. I planned to put the goats through first, then the chickens, so the goats got the grass and the chickens got the shorter grass and bugs. I planned on 6 pastures as I also planned for pigs but it could be done with 3.

 

[MisfitRanch01]

I’m hoping once I down size on my chickens (35 to only 10) it’ll be better. Main reason is, I really like my chickens and goats but I’d have to keep the chickens in there barren coop and run, but I love to see them mingle with each other. Hopefully the grass will grown in, as even before I got chickens, it was not growing whatsoever, when it used to be pretty lush (even with the goats chowing down on it)

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

I've resown a pasture grass and legume mix back into a winter-stripped chicken run and it came in better than before. Can't tell the run was ever there. It took a wee while and I had it fenced off away from any chickens for probably 2 months. It isn't part of their run anymore, but I may well add it back in at some stage. I would have to rehab it again aftwerwards if I did though. The chicken poop from the afternoon free ranging has done absolute wonders for my lawn (which I manage as a pasture really not a traditional lawn, right now it's about 30% clover and 20% herbal ley as well as weeds I'd rather not have and 50% grass).