Moving in goats after chickens question

BamaSuzy · #1 06/11/10, 09:19 AM

I am moving about 75 of my laying hens in with the other laying hens in order to free up two small "rooms" for maternity rooms for some of my goats. I will be using plywood to completely shut them off from the chicken area so chicken "dust" won't be going in there. (that works out well for the back goat shed which is on the back of the chicken "house.")

I have to shovel out each of the rooms.

I will then bed them with clean hay.

Is there a waiting time between when I should get the chickens out and when I should move the goats in? is there a danger of parasites or other illnesses?

The chickens and goats kind of exist together with chickens flying over the fence and back and forth as it is so it isn't like they would be somewhere they'd never been before.

Also the goats would have a big fenced area outside the stalls too.

what do ya'll think? It is not economically feasible for me to build another goat shed right now but I could probably throw something together if I have to but the goats are getting fatter and I don't know when tey bred so don't know for sure when they are due (that is ANOTHER story!!!) help! THANKS!!!

Cara · #2 06/11/10, 09:31 AM

I've had them in a situation similar to yours, where the chickens come in as desired and haven't had any extra trouble with parasites or salmonella. It should be great!

TheLands · #3 06/11/10, 10:17 AM

So I have a really dumb question. After reading this I am second guessing myself.....

I thought chickens and goats could be together. I was going to build a wire front "coop" inside the back of my goat barn. Is that a bad idea? Is there some reason why there housing can't be together? I swore I read somewhere that this is ok.....

Confused-
~Lynda

BamaSuzy · #4 06/11/10, 10:23 AM

I just know the chickens generate a LOT of dust and I didn't want that to hurt the baby goat kids. Especially in this Alabama heat!!!

I have one Rooster who lives with the pygmy goats and I currently have three mamas, a set of triplets, and two sets of twins in their enclosure and small pasture. And they've (the mamas and the rooster) have all been in there together for about three years now with no problems.

But these are some nubian/boer crosses.....who got pregnant by a PYGMY BILLY....so that's why I'm needing the additional space for them away from the bigger bucks and wethers....at least they should have some interesting kids! And I should have some more good milkers!

TheLands · #5 06/11/10, 10:30 AM

Wow. That is an interesting cross. So babies in a barn with chickens probably not the best idea. It isn't so much the yard just the shelter? I am planning to breed my Lamancha girls this fall and don't wanna have a problem there.

Thanks for the info.

~Lynda

CaliannG · #6 06/11/10, 10:38 AM

My minis co-exist fine with the chickens. The coop is a renovated part of the barn, right next to the goat's main shelter area (a large, open stall in summer). The door to the coop opens into the goat shelter and every day, the chickens are let out and they "clean up" any grain the goats may have scattered before heading off to the barnyard to chase bugs.

When I go out there during the day, I am generally surrounded by a herd of goats and a flock of chickens, ALL wanting to get petted. There have been no problems yet.

TheLands · #7 06/11/10, 10:59 AM

CaliannG - So is it a solid wall between the goats barn and the chicken coop with a door between or is it wire?

CaliannG · #8 06/11/10, 11:07 AM

I have a solid wall and door, but that is because what is now the chicken coop used to be the tack room. *grinz* However, the chickens are let out on any day it is not storming, and they spend the day wandering about the goat half of the barn and the barnyard, with NO barrier between them.

The milking area, however, is closed to the chickens. It is separated by 6' chain-link panels. We used to keep that area open to them when not in use, until we started finding eggs in the manger on the milk stand.

We have water in the barn to hose everything down on a daily basis also.

saanengirl · #9 06/11/10, 11:34 AM

If you house goats and poultry together, you will have goats testing positive for TB due to Avian TB. After your goat tests positive the state vet has to come out and do a differential test. They don't consider Avian TB to be a problem, but they have to make sure that your goats don't have Bovine TB. This double testing can be a headache.

I'm not sure if there are problems with goats testing postive for Avian TB if they are going into a place where poultry have been. I would be more concerned about salmonella and other bacterial diseases.

CaliannG · #10 06/11/10, 12:58 PM

If you have Avian TB amongst your hens, you have bigger problems than your goats testing positive. The stuff is nearly impossible to eradicate in a bird or flock, it sticks around in dust particles for some time, etc. And you generally cannot be positive that Avian TB is the culprit of lost birds unless an autopsy is done on the dead animals.

This is one problem I do not worry much about, because there is very little that can be done to prevent it. Avian TB virus can be shed onto your goats just as easily by the passing Magpie as it can be from your well-managed flock of chickens. The bacteria is already in the environment due to it shedding from wildlife.

Small flocks are not generally at risk, as it is stress from such things as over-crowding, high production, reproductive stress, ect., that lower immune systems in birds and cause outbreaks in flocks. Such things are more of a problem for commercial industries rather than the small flock on a homestead.