Milk goats and chickens?

[loves2spin]

Hi. I'm new here. I have a small barn where we keep two milk goats. They have a big fenced in pen outside and can go in and out of the barn whenever they like (no closing door.) I am wondering if it would be possible to keep chicken in there as well and let them share the same space? If I were to build a small chicken house and put it out in the pen, would the chickens go into it at night? I was thinking perhaps I could elevate the chicken house and have a pen underneath where I could feed and water them, but then let them run with the goats otherwise. Any thoughts from you folks would be most welcome. Thanks.

 

[bj taylor]

i'm not very familiar with goats, but i can't see why the two specie wouldn't get along (unlike pigs). since goats are herbivores, i don't see a conflict.
the chickens would very definitely use a coop to sleep in at night. it sounds like a good idea to me.
by the way, i applaud you for having milk goats.
and also by the way, welcome to byc. i hope you enjoy your chickens. they are just wonderful to have.

 

[dancingflower68]

I think they would get along fine, but I read somewhere that goat feed is not ok for chickens (medicated feeds anyway), and or vise versa, so I would feed them separately.

ETA: Sooo jealous! I want some goats!

 

[loves2spin]

Thank you both! We only give our girls grain when we are milking them, and the feed is not medicated. I would need to be very careful NOT to give the goats access to the chicken feed or it would at worst be all gone and they would founder, or at best, maybe they'd start laying eggs and I wouldn't even need chickens!

I don't have any chickens, yet. I did, years ago, but a fox got all of them in one night when I forgot to lock them up. Poor babies... I currently get my eggs from a friend who has chickens, and I want some very much!

 

[Daisy8s]

My brother's chickens had a lovely house built for them that they liked. Then, this spring one by one hen after hen began disappear. Finally they realized each hen had gone broody and had made a nest all over the farm. One hen moved into a feed trough for the goats, another set up her nest in the aisle under the horse trough, etc.

Anyway, now they have hens and chicks all over their barn roaming happily amongst the two cows, two horses, two llamas, and gazillion sheep and goats. The chickens LOVE all the other critter's manure as they find bugs and seeds that pass through. My brother and his family love that the chickens are keeping down the parasite load on the farm by going through the manure.

The roosters and hens without chicks roost in the rafters of the barn. And, the lovely chicken house is nearly abandoned except for a few ducks who moved in after the chickens vacated.

So, yes, the critters can all live happily together. I'd build a separate area for the chicken feed (make a box with an opening down low so the hens can go under and in but the goats can't) and of course provide a nesting box, but other than that they'll probably roost in the rafters and be quite happy.

 

[loves2spin]

Thank you! That is very encouraging.