The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: firemansam on October 29, 2013, 08:19:57 pm

Title: chickens with goats?
Post by: firemansam on October 29, 2013, 08:19:57 pm

We move house next week and Im planning our 1.25 acre .
I am going to fence off around 1/4 acre for our 2 pygmy's although at times they will have the run of the lot. I am buying a mobile double stable for them to sleep in so I can use it for lambing in the spring.
Could I let 6-8 chickens roam with the goats and roost in the same stable? Would the pygmys be a deterant for mr fox??????????????? As the door would be open at night.

Title: Re: chickens with goats?
Post by: ScotsGirl on October 29, 2013, 10:16:19 pm

My hens spend most of their day in the goat sheds and there Are no problems but the goats do eat the eggs.  You would need to shut them up as fox will not be scared of the goats.


I saw my goats cowering t the end of the field while the fox killed my hens..

Title: Re: chickens with goats?
Post by: Anke on October 29, 2013, 10:21:35 pm

I don't see why they shouldn't share some of the pasture (depends on the number of chicken I guess), but definitely different houses. Goats (and sheep and dogs) also go crazy for layers pellets... god knows what's in them, but it does give the non-chickens eating chicken food bloat, so I wouldn't really keep them in the same field after all...

Title: Re: chickens with goats?
Post by: firemansam on October 29, 2013, 10:38:33 pm

that's another idea out the window. I was hoping not to have to buy another shed!
oh well :thinking:

Title: Re: chickens with goats?
Post by: tizaala on October 30, 2013, 06:08:01 am

Chicken pellets are poisonous to other animals , It's the preservatives in them. They will kill other livestock .

Title: Re: chickens with goats?
Post by: plumseverywhere on October 30, 2013, 08:03:31 am

I bought my first 4 goats from a home that had kept them in the same barn as chickens. Took me an age to scrape the chicken poo out of their hair where the hens roosted above the goats.  The toxic chicken feed woudl worry me too much as well.
As for the fox, I'm not sure how much of a deterrant goats would be - we have foxes mooching int he goat field daily and the goats don't bat any eyelid - llamas on the other hand....!

Title: Re: chickens with goats?
Post by: ScotsGirl on October 30, 2013, 07:37:30 pm

I wish someone had mentioned pellets being poisonous . One of my kids managed to work out the treadle feeders while I was on holiday and ate all the food. He is still alive and looks none the worse for it although house sitter did put a stop to it quickly.

Title: Re: chickens with goats?
Post by: tizaala on October 30, 2013, 08:57:13 pm

I think you will find it has been mentioned on here several times before

Title: Re: chickens with goats?
Post by: jinglejoys on October 30, 2013, 09:26:21 pm

As foxes eat goat kids I don't think the goats would be a deterrent