Goat in Chicken Pen!

[southrngardngal]

Yesterday afternoon when it was feeding time, hubby went into the chicken pen to water hen and baby chicks. The door to the pen opened up enough for the goat to follow hubby inside the pen.

Once Mr. goat was in the pen he wasn't happy about it. LOL I don't know which was most upset. The chickens or the goat. I thought the goat was going to climb on top of the chicken coop before we could get him out.

The chickens were going crazy. It was comical to watch. But we were both tired out before we got hold of the goat so he could be removed from the visiting with the chickens.

They are together in the pasture but the chickens sure didn't like the goat in the pen with them.

When we got the goat outside, we gave him some blackberries and petted hinm to calm him down but when we let him go he went running around and around the pasture. I don't think he will be visiting the chickens any time soon. LOL



southrngardngal-Jan

[BlueHeronFarm]

OUr always want to go into the coop, too. Just be careful not to let them eat chicken scratch - very bad for goats.

[PETSNEGGS]

Why is chicken scratch bad for goats? I was at someones house the other day and she had all kinds of chickens and goats all together and eating all the same stuff. I do know some of it was chicken mix, only because I saw it and know it because that is what I feed my chickens.

[BlueHeronFarm]

Too much grain is bad, anyway - but the scratch is already small, so can be eaten faster in dangerous, bloat-inducing quantities and it gets compressed in their rumen.

One of the members of this forum recently lost goats who got into the chicken feed. Very, very sad.

[Idahoe]

Originally Posted by BlueHeronFarm

Too much grain is bad, anyway - but the scratch is already small, so can be eaten faster in dangerous, bloat-inducing quantities and it gets compressed in their rumen.

One of the members of this forum recently lost goats who got into the chicken feed. Very, very sad.

That was me . . . five of my seven does busted open the latch to the chicken house, and DH had just put 100# of whole grain chicken scratch into a rubbermaid 'lock top' garbage can. The five goats made short work out of at least half of the scratch. I lost two dams, each with twins, and three other goats SOMEHOW survived.

It happened so fast, and I am relatively inexperienced. Scratch is just whole grains, and usually goat feed is cracked or ground and mixed, so less actual grain per "serving".

It was the huge amounts the poor pigs ate. Grain on it's own is OK in controlled amounts.

[christij]

The other day I couldn't find my milker -- she was in the coop laying down chewing her cud!

[PETSNEGGS]

Wow, to very interesting. Thanks for the info. I really am anting to get some goats so I really need to learn lots! I don't want to loose anything. About a year ago the neighbors dog came over to my property and killed almost all my chickens. Out of 40 or so I ended up with only 3 left. I was crushed. Still cry when I think about it.