[mojocafa]

my chickens are in coops at night and goats in goatsheds and never the two are mixed, however, just this week I have 3 "flighty" chooks that have started to roost in the goat shed. Is this ok or should I discourage

[Anke]

I really wouldn't want to have chicken poop all over the hay, in water buckets or on the goats themselves - I am sure the goats wouldn't either...

[ballingall]

And they scratch up your open bales of hay and straw too.... I try and keep ours out .


Beth

[plumseverywhere]

and they lay eggs in the hay!  Puffin, my Togg nanny found a white star hen had taken to nesting in her shed. The poor goat was so terrified that this white bundle of feathers might be in there that she would stand outside in sheeting rain rather than go into her shed.
Took weeks of goaty therapy to get her over that. Sadly 'maud' the white star is no longer with us. 

[mojocafa]

cheers for that folks, will put a stop to it
mojo

[ScotsGirl]

Apart from the eggs in the hay which stops the goats eating it my goats and hens get along fine.  If they hens get too near the food the goat butts them out the way.

[jaykay]

My chooks spend rainy days (ie most of them  ) in the goat byre during the day. They do make a mess and they have perfectly nice houses, but still. I can't leave open the door so the goats can come and go, without the chooks doing the same. I kick them out at dusk, back to their houses so at least the goats get some peace then.

[Hermit]

My turkeys live in the next stable to the goats. It is wired from wall to roof to keep them in at night with their food but they wander in and out freely in the goats part and paddock all day.I have a board over the hay rack and the hay is away anyway. It does get poopy but I have more problems with starling poop.One of my hill cats has just returned after her Summer away and taken up her Winter quarters in the shed so she should keep the starlings down now.

[Ina]

Apart from the eggs in the hay which stops the goats eating it

Does it? I remember one Easter morning when I found a young billy with egg all over his face...

Wherever I worked on farms which had both goats and poultry, the latter was very free range and it would have been impossible to keep them out of the goat sheds. Never seemed to be a problem.

[ScotsGirl]

lol, forgot about that.  Yes I have had my sheep chomping on the eggs, however, in this case the goats can't each but for some reason they won't eat the hay if chooks have walked all over it.  Might explain why no eggs for a few days though!

[sokel]

Our lot get into the goat shed every time they get the chance, One of the goats actualy waits for them to start clucking after they lay an egg and eats them if we dont get there first !
Last year we had a Polish bantam  chick that was chased away from the rest of the clutch by its mum and it moved into the goat shed, it was convinced it was a goat and followed them everywhere,even sitting on the goats backs 

[goosepimple]

Och your all meanies, they're just trying to get cosy and have a bit of company, who can blame them on these frosty nights.  Maybe a wee mouse comes along to read some bedtime stories to all of them - or perhaps they're rehearsing for the nativity play.     Your spoiling all the fun!

[Lesley Silvester]

Our lot get into the goat shed every time they get the chance, One of the goats actualy waits for them to start clucking after they lay an egg and eats them if we dont get there first !

I hope the goat only eats the eggs, not the hen.

[Hermit]

I agree with goosepimple , it is lovely to see the Nativity! Last year we had a poorly ewe in that shed as well, so ducks turkeys, sheep and goats. The ducks have their own seperated spot as do the turkeys so the food does not get mixed up  as ruminants are not to have chook food but they all get on and it is as clean as I can get it.

[goosepimple]

...just needs a star of David for the top of the shed Hermit and you never know, someone might stop to look for a room at the inn