Goats and Chickens...

bluemoonluck · #1 07/19/09, 09:55 PM

I'm going to be getting goats and chickens soon, and they are going to be sharing a pasture (the chickens are going to be free-range).

Here's my question: I'm going to be setting up a chicken feeding station, with chicken feed (obviously

) and I'm going to have to set up a loose-salt pan for the goats to use. So.... how do I keep the goats out of the chicken feed, and the chickens out of the salt pan?

I know too much salt is really bad for chickens, and I can't imagine that eating calcium-rich egg layer feed is going to be good for goats and their bladders.

For those of you who have both chickens and goats, how do you handle this?

(I'm going to cross-post this in the chicken forum too.)

Bricheze · #2 07/19/09, 10:38 PM

You could set up a shelter with a small opening that the chickens can only get into, and then inside you could put their food, water, and setting boxes

steff bugielski · #3 07/20/09, 05:09 AM

I would not let the goats eat the chicken food. And I bet the goats will be able to get into a small opening for chickens. Why not let the chickens have their own pen.

Rockytopsis · #4 07/20/09, 06:20 AM

Our coop is set up outside the fenced area where the goats are. When I let the chickens out for the fall/winter season they have full run of the farm, but the goats can't get to any of their food. The minerals are in a PVC feeder so the chickens can't get to that.
Nancy

jill.costello · #5 07/20/09, 07:16 AM

Yes, a "chicken-sized" entryway to another area (even a wired-off corner) will keep the goaties from gorging on chicken feed. As for the chickens eating the goat food & minerals, etc, you can discourage this by making gravity dispensers out of 4" PVC pipe with a elbow at the bottom and mouting the vertical pipe with pipe clamps to the shed/barn wall or a fence post.

I'm sure someone has a picture of this!!

Cheryl aka JM · #6 07/20/09, 07:19 AM

My goats can go through a door too small for the chickens to be willing to go through it........I was amazed as I watched a goat fold itself right through that tiny opening! So finally I put a small 4 foot tall dog kennel around the chicken door~ then built a little ladder like a stepped up chicken roost out of 2X2 wood. The chickens hop up step by step and then over the fence~ or just fly over it for those able~ the goats TRY to step up the ladder but the 2X2 is too thin and the angle too steep for them to get over it without falling off.

I have no idea if the chickens eat the goat minerals......
I've never seen them doing it......but if they do it doesn't seem to hurt them.

Buster · #7 07/20/09, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steff bugielski

I would not let the goats eat the chicken food. And I bet the goats will be able to get into a small opening for chickens. Why not let the chickens have their own pen.

Well, the opening for the chickens in my coop is about 15" high and 14" wide. If a goat can get through that, it is more than welcome to any chicken feed it can find.

Because it probably needs it.

steff bugielski · #8 07/20/09, 11:05 AM

14" by 15" is a huge opening even for my full sized Nubian buck with horns. Mine would run in and out of that all day long. The point is the chicken feed is very bad for goats.

Buster · #9 07/20/09, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steff bugielski

14" by 15" is a huge opening even for my full sized Nubian buck with horns. Mine would run in and out of that all day long.

Then you got some little bitty goats if they can fit through that thing.

ETA:
I was trying to picture a goat fitting through the tiny opening for my chickens, and so estimated the size of it. To be fair, I checked at lunch and it is actually 9" by 17".

bluemoonluck · #10 07/20/09, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jill.costello

Yes, a "chicken-sized" entryway to another area (even a wired-off corner) will keep the goaties from gorging on chicken feed. As for the chickens eating the goat food & minerals, etc, you can discourage this by making gravity dispensers out of 4" PVC pipe with a elbow at the bottom and mouting the vertical pipe with pipe clamps to the shed/barn wall or a fence post.

I'm sure someone has a picture of this!!

Anyone have a picture or a link for this? It sounds interesting......

Bricheze · #11 07/20/09, 04:25 PM

What if the openning for the chickens was smaller at the top and larger at the bottom so the chickens can barely fit in, but the goats don't have a chance?

My chickens know how to go through a little flap that my goats are afraid of lol

jill.costello · #12 07/20/09, 06:14 PM

Here is a link to the "pvc mineral feeder"!! and a picture
http://goatdairylibrary.org/PDFs/Min...er%20_PVC_.pdf
Goats and Chickens... - Goats

steff bugielski · #13 07/21/09, 05:39 AM

I have a kid creep so the youngsters can have feed all day but the adults can't get to it. It is Maybe 9" wide by 12" high. Any wider and the adults will fit through or at least try and get stuck. And not itty bitty goats. Full size goats.

Buster · #14 07/21/09, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steff bugielski

I have a kid creep so the youngsters can have feed all day but the adults can't get to it. It is Maybe 9" wide by 12" high. Any wider and the adults will fit through or at least try and get stuck. And not itty bitty goats. Full size goats.

Right, and if you will check my amended post you will find the opening to my chicken coop is actually 9" wide. So, it is possible to have mix chickens and goats (at least adult goats) as long as you make it no wider than what a chicken can fit through, which I believe was what was originally suggested.