Housing goats with chickens?

MaritimeFlock

Chirping
Jul 20, 2022
65
92
81
We have been looking at getting a goat. And we know somone who is getting rid of the entire herd. They have offer us one dwaft male. We can’t place a separate shelter with the amount of snow of the ground though. Does anyone house their goats with their chickens?
 
One goat most likely will be very lonely. Is there any way you could get two?
With housing, I think it would only work for them to share a space if there is lots and lots of room.
Have you got any photos of your setup?
I don’t think I have any full photos of inside of the coop. But it is a shed
One goat most likely will be very lonely. Is there any way you could get two?
With housing, I think it would only work for them to share a space if there is lots and lots of room.
Have you got any photos of your setup?
Sorry, I got cut off before I could finish. It is a shed (8ft by 10ft). There is two runs we have as well. The one attached to the coop is 8ft by 16ft.
 
It is a shed (8ft by 10ft). There is two runs we have as well. The one attached to the coop is 8ft by 16ft.
My feeling is that that is too small, but I have never had dwarf goats.
I was thinking about it, and came up with a few problems.
1 I'm not quite sure how big he is, but there is a definite possibility the chickens could injure the goat. Like wise, could the goat injure the chickens?
2 This is a big one, how would you keep the goat out of the chickens food? If your chicken food has got any meat in it (quite a lot do, it should say on the back of the sack) it is a big no no for a goat to eat it.
Even if it doesn't, he still shouldn't eat it, as chicken food is formulated differently from goat food.
3 I know both chickens and goats can get coccidiosis, but what I don't know is is it the same form of it? If it is, you may have problems with the goat catching it from the chickens.
Maybe someone else can commented on that.

My overall feeling is that is a bad idea, but that doesn't mean its impossible, and in the right set up could work well?
 
Do you know why they are getting rid of them? And is this male castrated? If not, you're going to have a very smelly and very hormonal pet. And unless he's still young, it isn't recommended to castrate them past 6 months.
Goats are also herd animals, so you should really get at least two or three.

As for keeping one inside a coop, I personally would not for many reasons. Space could be an issue. But I'd mostly worry about cleanliness. It wouldn't be very healthy for a goat, much less two or three, to be eating and sleeping in bedding with the chickens waste. Goats tend to be picky about their food, and if it were soiled by the chickens they would not eat it. Salmonella is also a concern, as it can spread to goats.
The goats eating the chicken feed would be an issue too. I'm sure the goats would love it, but it could cause serious bloat.

Overall, even if only temporary, I don't think anyone would be happy in this situation. Chickens and goats can certainly co-exist, but they're better off with their own spaces.
It would be best to wait until you have a complete setup ready before bringing goats home.
In the meantime, BYC's sister site, BackYardHerds, is a great source of information.
 
In the winter I house my two large sheep with 8 chickens in a 10x12 barn and have not an issue. I use the deep bedding method (the sheep add layers of hay for us) and it stays relatively clean on top. The chicken feed is kept in a separate area that only the chickens can access.

However, I agree with what the others said - your run/pen is too small and you need more than one goat.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom