# Goats eating LGD Food



## vigilguy (Dec 12, 2008)

I have two LGD's...I have tried a number of different methods to keep the two goats from chomping down on the dog food, what do any of you recommend that i can add to the food to keep it edible for the dog but unattractive to the goats? Without breaking the bank? 

The one forum I read tonight talked about adding eggs or vegetable oil to the dry dog food since goats don't like the slimy texture. Any other ideas?

I do not want to separate the dogs from the goats, I just want to find something inexpensive that I can add to the dog food that will deter the goats from tasting it.


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## jross (Dec 20, 2008)

Can''t you just tie up the goats until the dog finishes eating? Or are you concerned with the goats tearing into the dog food bag?


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## vigilguy (Dec 12, 2008)

Since there are only two out of the six goats that are the guilty ones, I think that is what I will resort to doing.

I just did not want to have to tie up all size and space them out...too much of a pain, but two would be okay.

I put a couple of raw eggs in with the dog food tonight, and it still didn't keep the yearling Alpine from going in to the food bowl and eating...can't believe it. I got him away from it immediately.


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## Hasligrove (Dec 10, 2008)

Did you get any other ideas? Mine do the same thing. First thing in the morning I head out and feed the goats and dog. I lock the goats in the barn while the dog eats. About 1 hour later when I leave for work I let the goats out and pick up the dog food bowl. What she didn't eat she doesn't get. Not a big problem until I leave town and need to have someone watch the goats. It would be easier if you could just leave the bowl out. I do every once in awhile but if I do it too much she gets pretty protective of her food and I don't want to promote any bad behavior from the dog or let the dog be submissive and let the goats eat her food. Would love to hear how others feed their LGD.


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## ryorkies (May 4, 2010)

I heard that there is doggy doors that only open to the dog wearing
the right collar that allows them to go through?


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## vigilguy (Dec 12, 2008)

Hasligrove said:


> Did you get any other ideas? Mine do the same thing. First thing in the morning I head out and feed the goats and dog. I lock the goats in the barn while the dog eats. About 1 hour later when I leave for work I let the goats out and pick up the dog food bowl. What she didn't eat she doesn't get. Not a big problem until I leave town and need to have someone watch the goats. It would be easier if you could just leave the bowl out. I do every once in awhile but if I do it too much she gets pretty protective of her food and I don't want to promote any bad behavior from the dog or let the dog be submissive and let the goats eat her food. Would love to hear how others feed their LGD.


@ Rachel - Actually the problem resolved itself. I have the female LGD (young) on a long chain for the moment, until she matures and settles down a bit. Once I put the full food bowl in by her (the goats seem to carry the empty rubberized bowl down the hill every night) she turns into a fire breathing monster and no one dares to come near her and her food. Which is what I was hoping for. The two guilty goats no longer approach the bowl, they have gotten the message that it is off - limits. Before, I did tie the two guys up while I fed her, but it is no longer necessary.


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## Hasligrove (Dec 10, 2008)

Yeah, that's what was happening here too. Which is fine until she started growling at me when I came to get her bowl. I had to stop that behavior. I have young human kids and others watching the goats at times and I didn't want her to de defensive at any time with humans. I might try it again for awhile and see because she is or was pretty young. She just turned 2 in jan. otherwise she is wonderful! It's the goats that are mischievous!


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## Hasligrove (Dec 10, 2008)

I'll have to look into the dog door thing. Thanks.


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## CASDOG1 (Feb 1, 2013)

You can put the dog food in small pens which the dogs can access by a jump gate. Here is link:

http://www.bountifulfarm.com/DOG%20SELF%20FEEDER.html

I feed raw, so my goatie boys have no interest in my dogs' food (although it is a little creepy if I happen to be _feeding_ goat meat to the dogs!) My co-breeder mostly feeds kibble to her dogs & she just brings them into the barn & closes the door while the dogs are eating, & grains the goats at the same time so they go under the creep rail (she has horses, too) into the sheltered feeding area. The feed boxes are accessible from inside the barn so she can scoop the grain without being accosted by the whole herd. They all finish up at about the same time, & it's a good opportunity to give the dogs a daily look over for ticks, cuts, injuries, etc.


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## SMaxwell (May 20, 2012)

Those remote control shock collars they sell for dogs, they sometimes come in handy for breaking bad goat habits. My LGD is very protective over his food so the goats don't mess with it to much & I have not had to use it for that, but it has worked for helping to break a few others of bad habits.


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## Nanno (Aug 30, 2009)

Haha! My goats would make quick work of that "jump gate"! Big as he is, I've known Cuzco to squeeze through holes that were far less than 1' square. He learned within 2 days of losing one of his horns as a 4-year-old that fences no longer posed a challenge, and if he could squeeze his head through, then he could force his body to follow.


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## CASDOG1 (Feb 1, 2013)

LOL! I've seen some pretty impressive variations to improve the "goat proofing". One gal has had success with the triangle gate by mounting a wide pipe (the same stuff used in drainage ditches, I think it's a little less than 2 feet in diameter & 3 feet long) at the entrance so the dog has to hop up into the tunnel, then crawl through it to the triangular opening. The dogs in her sheep pasture, on the other hand, just have the simple jump gate hole in the fence, as the sheep have never so much as noticed it. X-D


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