# What can you house with goats?



## riaketty (Feb 22, 2009)

We're looking at getting a menagerie, basically.  We want turkeys, pigs, goats, cows, sheep - you name it. So, what can you house with goats, either in-barn or just pastured? Also, can you house standard and mini goats together (female only)?

Pigs?
Cows?
Turkeys?
Sheep (besides the copper thing)?


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## nhsmallfarmer (Apr 14, 2008)

right now I have a couple hens, a rooster and a turkey hen wondering around the free range area with my does, I try not to let them into the goat penned in area as both does are due this month


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## lesserweevil (Oct 5, 2007)

My goats get fed exactly the same as the sheep, and all, sheep & goats included, get a copper injection once yearly.

They've always seemed to be ok on it. Besides, you can't buy goat specific food over here.

LW


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

sheep adn goats but be sure to top dress their feed with some loose minerals.

As to the fowl I wouldnt house them with the goats - do a search and you will find some threads explaining why people prefer to keep them separate.

I dont know about cows :shrug: 

Pigs can be very agressive, I would never leave them alone with goats. They must have a separate area


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I have sheep, goats, and horses together. And also standard goats with mini goats. I do be very careful with the kids and the horses, but my horses are VERY submissive and my paint is really good about watching for babies.

The only thing that I hate, is that the sheep and goats can not have the same minerals and it is very hard to take minerals in and let only the goats get into them and there is no way to keep sheep minerals to where only the sheep will get them as I have Blackbelly sheep and they are wild.


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## Amy Goatress (Oct 2, 2008)

Our ducks go in and out of our goat pens all the time here though.


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

I think everyone has given you some pretty good advice on this! I will say that depending on what type/size of pigs you are wanting.... I wouldn't house them with them. Pigs can be VERY aggressive (first hand experience here!), especially a sow with piglets! We had some we raised for slaughter a few years ago... Hubby had to go in and get one of the piglets for doctoring and when he grabbed it and it squelled the sow ran over and grabbed hold of his leg! Luckly she got mostly blue jeans AND his Dad was there to help get her off. I have also heard some horror stories of people leaving their goats in a pin with the pigs no knowing the goat was due to kid... and the pigs eating the newborn kid.... (sorry... don't mean to be too graphic) Now I didn't see this first hand, and don't know if it is true or not... but I DO know that pigs can be VERY aggressive! That being said... all of this applies to the standard/large breeds... I don't know about the temperment of pot bellied pigs or how they would react with goats :shrug: Maybe you could do an internet search or something to find out more info on the pig part :shrug: Hope some of this helps :greengrin:


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## redneck_acres (Oct 18, 2007)

We currently have a lamb in with one pen of baby goats and they are doing just fine together. Pigs need to be only penned with pigs. I had my minis in with the Saanens and LaManchas and they did just fine, and were able to defend themselves pretty good. I'd never pen bucks with does or Ewes though. Except during the breeding season. Sheep cannot have copper so if your goats get copper you'll need to feed it to them seperately-of course that fact has basically been stated already.


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## Amy Goatress (Oct 2, 2008)

We've had sheep and goats together before but we just seperated them when it came to the minerals and goat grain though because of the copper.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

very good advice from everyone..... :thumbup: 

I agree ..that the pigs are pretty risky to keep in with the goats.... :worried: 

with any larger animals ....goats are smaller than horses cattle ect...
and accidents can happen ....If little kids or even adult goats..chickens ect... gets in the way
of a spooked horse or cow... you know what the outcome may be....  
Or even getting aggressive at feeding time......

.... there are always risks....when mixing larger animals with smaller....it may or may not happen....... :hug:


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## sweetgoats (Oct 18, 2007)

I too agree with everyone. I have horses and goats together.

I know a lot of people do have birds and goats together, but I would NEVER do it just because I have heard of the goats getting Cocci from the birds. Some people swear it does not happen I I know for a fact it has.

I also would NEVER put a goat with a hog. Hogs are mean and will kill a goat. ALSO a 4Her that has pygmy goats just lost a goat to Cocci because when they rotated the animals, she put the goats where the pigs were and moved the pigs. Well she lost a goat to Cocci from the pigs pen.


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## Dreamchaser (Oct 30, 2008)

Pigs and goats do not get along at all (maybe if they were raised together?). I have both and have to keep seperate so they don't see eachother (BTW, my pig is a pot bellied pig). Chickens poop in the most inconvienient places and will eat the goats ration, don't know about turkeys. Horses seem to work out fine, though when kidding begins you will want to seperate them. I have had some heartbreaks due to babies being trampled to death. Sheep are fine to house together, and I imagine cows might be okay, though I have seen cows bully goats out of their ration. and they might trample babies too, I don't know for sure.


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## Epona142 (May 26, 2008)

Just to add AGAIN, don't keep pigs with goats

Pigs are omnivorous and WILL eat anything they can get their mouths around. I've seen them put feed at the edge of the pen, lure in a chicken, and grab it and eat it.

They will also eat fawns they find in the woods (free range pigs) so there is no doubt in my mind they would eat or harm a goat.


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## Coraxfeather (Oct 9, 2008)

we have our sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas, zebu, ponies and mini horses all together. Our breeding does are in a sperate pen. OOPP also our mini mules and donkies are in there also. When they are raised together they do fine together.


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