Goat biting chicken ??

[coldinnh]

I recently added two young male goats as weed control - they share the hen house. Lovable boys who act more like dogs in wanting attention. I recently was out socializing with the group and was petting a pullet on my lap when one of my boys came over and stuck her foot in his mouth. There was no crunching or blood thankful just a very upset girl. When I wouldn’t pet him he went a pulled a feather out of the tail of another bird... please tell me I don’t meat eating goats. I assume he is trying to get my attention but has anyone had this happen?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My goats leave my chickens alone mostly. I occasionally find a chicken riding around on a goats back, but I've never seen anything that would be aggressive towards the chickens.

I have seen my goats intentionally bother my muscovy ducks so the ducks will turn and nibble on the ducks in response, which the goats enjoy, so perhaps it's something like that.

Goats can accidentally hurt chickens by stepping on them. Goats in general enjoy chewing and nibbling on stuff. They also can be pushy about what they want, and come up with ways to get what they want.

I guess I wouldn't worry unless you continue to see bad behaviors. Than you may want to separate out the chickens from the goats.

 

[aart]

@oldhenlikesdogs do you have any issue with goats gorging on chicken feed?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

@oldhenlikesdogs do you have any issue with goats gorging on chicken feed?

My chickens get fed on the other side of the fence where goats can't go unless I forgot to hook the door, than they clean me out of feeds.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

My chickens are constantly in the goat pen, pecking around. The goats never bother them. However, I have one goat in particular (Charlie) who will nibble/bite humans if he believes he's not getting the attention he deserves

 

[coldinnh]

I am seeing a theme - love me and not her.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Ha! That could very well be the case!

 

[cassie]

@oldhenlikesdogs do you have any issue with goats gorging on chicken feed?

I am not oldehenlikes dogs, but I can tell you that goats gorging on chicken feed, or any grain, can be lethal to the goats, especially if they are not used to it.

 

[cassie]

My chickens would occasionally ride on the goats' backs and occasionally a goat would grab a mouthful of tail feathers from an unwary chicken.

 

[aart]

I am not oldehenlikes dogs, but I can tell you that goats gorging on chicken feed, or any grain, can be lethal to the goats, especially if they are not used to it.

Read that long ago when thinking about getting goats...it really stuck in my mind.