Goats and Chickens

[randm]

So I acquired a pygmy buck that is a couple months old. I have wanting to get into goats, since I have my chicken flock established and they are growing well and are healthy. Pygmy is not really the breed I want to breed but he kind of landed in my lap, anyway. He is housed in the same yard as my chickens and rabbits but in a different barn. I put up a quick fence with some T posts and fence we had laying around. His side of the yard is pretty bare as its shady compared to the other side. I broadcasted some seeds this spring for the chickens and they really don't eat it like I imagined they would. Can the goat mingle with the chickens? The weeds and grasses are getting really tall and I hate to take a weed whacker to it if he would be ok in there with them. Thanks for any and all advice.
Matt

[mygoat]

He'll be fine as long as the chickens won't soil his water source AND if he CANNOT get to chicken feed. He will gorge himself on it and probably bloat up and die. Make sure he cannot get to it at ALL. They WILL bash down barriers or destroy feeders trying to get to it. Putting it where he absolutely cannot break in with it is essential.

I will say that if pygmy isn't what you want to work with, castrate him and don't breed him. He will get you nowhere towards your goals unless dozens of unregistered pygmies is your goal. Pygmies and pygmy mutts are a dime-a-dozen everywhere, and even registered quality stock can sometimes be hard to rehome. They're GENERALLY not selected very well for growth pattern, take longer to get to the ideal 40-60lb butcher weight range for good prices at auction (and that means less return), and they certainly are not fun to milk, with their tiny teats and 4-5 month long lactation. They are also notorious for having kidding problems. My minis - my original goats are mostly or full pygmy and EVERY KIDDING I was arm deep in every one. It was more rare for me to NOT assist than it was to assist. My boers and alpine manage just fine with no help 99% of the time.

He would possibly make a good pet. And he will make an ideal companion for your herd, as well. A wether makes a good companion for animals in isolation, a buck companion etc - and pygmies are ideal because they are small and don't eat a lot, therefore you're not paying out the wazoo for a non-productive animal. (Unlike me, with my well-over 200lb alpine wether, lol).

[randm]

Thanks Dona, I think I will wether him and find a way to keep him out of the chicken feeder and let him be a companion to my other animals.