[firemansam]

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.

[ScotsGirl]

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..

[Anke]

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...

[firemansam]

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

[tizaala]

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

[plumseverywhere]

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....!

[ScotsGirl]

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.

[tizaala]

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

[jinglejoys]

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