Goats housed with Chickens???

[PrincessFerf]

Has anyone here ever housed their goats with their chickens? Someone I know is looking for a home for a dwarf goat. While we want to have a few dwarf goats (more as pets than for food/milk) eventually, we don't have the building finished yet.

I don't want to take him if he would 1. be too lonely as the only goat, and 2. there would be problems housing him with chickens.

Our coop is plenty large and the goat would eventually have his own space (and companion), but since this would be our first, I'm not sure how to proceed.

Note: He would be alone and not in his own pen/housing for about 2 months.

Thanks!

[Backfourty,MI.]

I would think it would depend on the particular goat if he thinks the chickens are enough company for him or not. Is he a buck or a wethered male?
I would think he would still need a goat companion because goats are very social animals but if he's not used to being with alot of other goats he might do alright for 2 months.
I know some people here let there chickens roam in the goats pen's so I don't know what the difference would be. You wouldn't want him eating all that chicken feed though.

[PrincessFerf]

Eating chicken feed was my worry, too.

I'm going to suggest that he give him to someone who already has goats. I don't want him to be lonely at our place, especially since we don't have our setup complete yet.

[Freeholder]

It's one thing to have chickens roaming through the goat pens, and another to have a goat IN the chicken pen. As has already been mentioned, he'd be getting into the chicken feed, which is NOT good for goats (they can founder on it, not to mention it contains animal by-products that a ruminant shouldn't eat, although it's perfectly okay for chickens). He'd also be getting a big dose of chicken dust, which could cause allergies or breathing problems.

He'd also be alone, and lonely goats are noisy goats! I don't know if he'd consider the chickens to be sufficient company, but suspect not. If I were you, I'd turn this fellow down, unless you have a real use for him (he could go in the freezer, unless the people are adamant that he go to a pet home).

Kathleen

[betsy h.]

Besides the problem of goats eating chicken feed, the chicken poop is very 'hot' and can cause kidney issues in the goats- particularly 'red water', clostridial issues- having the chickens up in the hay feeders or where they poop in the goat food, etc. and goats ingest it, this can be a real issue esp. for kids.

A few chickens- like maybe 6- is not going to be the problem that a dozen or more is going to be though.

[Minelson]

I was mostly thinking they might poop on him lol!!
I wonder if they could hold him for you until you get set up. It also depends on the goat about being alone. I had Gretta for 4-5 months before she had her twins and she did great being an only goat. But I spent A LOT of time with her because I was obsessed with trying to figure out when she was going to kid...plus, they are just so much fun
Any other options? horse stall? Make shift corral using cattle panels?