# Chickens and Goats?!



## countrygirl17 (Nov 4, 2012)

Hi There,
After wanting chickens for years, it looks like this year it is finally going to happen! =D
Anyway, I was wondering, does anyone rotate their goats and chickens when you rotate pastures?
If so, how well does it work and what benefits have you seen? I know people who have cattle have seen great benefits when they rotate their free range chickens in the cow pastures.
Thanks so much for any info!


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## ciwheeles (Apr 5, 2013)

I don't have much info on rotating but you will love chickens. They're so funny to watch and the eggs are a nice bonus.  

I let mine out free range and they browse all the pastures and land. I can't really "keep" them anywhere but I haven't really tried to keep them anywhere either. They have a rooster to protect them and they just do whatever they want. The free range has saved us money on feed. And they seem so happy to be free.

I just saw a cool video of someone that talked about penning up the chickens in the winter. The had a big run and let the chickens live there. Come spring time he let them out and grew crops on that spot, and they did well because of the chicken poop. Then in the fall he just let the chickens back in to clean it up and turn over the soil. I thought that was kind of cool and worth sharing.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

I lock mine is a coop and feed them in there. 

When I want to let them out, I do, and when I want them to go back in, I will call them with the shake of a bucket and some feed, at anytime.

Chicken feed is not good for goats, so I ensure they cannot get into it.
It is very frustrating though, if I go to feed my goats grain, my chickens will be right in the middle of it, thank goodness, I trained them to go back in the coop.
But be sure to do this before you feed goat grain or they won't listen to you, LOL.


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## run1251 (Jun 4, 2013)

I tried free ranging chickens but they decided the goat/donkey pen was full of delicious poop and feed to eat and moved in with the goats. They pooped everywhere including the water and feed buckets. I moved them to their own coop and enclosed pen. Every time I let them out, they run to the goat pen. I think they bonded with the goats but I couldn't stand the poop.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Our chickies pretty much free range but they don't have access to the main goat pen. Pooped in water & goats decorated with it definetley not my cup of tea.


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

Is like to have the chickens rotate in the pastures this next year...but I can't have them with the LGD . They will have to follow the goats ...


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## KW Farms (Jun 21, 2008)

I love chickens. I got a little flock started this year. They free range, but also have a coop. Sadly we have lost many of them to coyotes over the summer. I don't have good pasture near my coop to where I could even do rotation if I wanted, but I have seen people do this with good results. My chickens have access to an alfalfa field and during the summer months especially, they love the leaves and bugs out there. They go out in the day and come in at night.

I try to keep water available for easy access so they don't get into the goat or horse troughs. I haven't really had an issue with that so far.


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## TDG-Farms (Jul 12, 2013)

There is a packer who runs his chickens after he rotates his goats and cows off a pasture and says it works very well in keeping down the worm loads on the livestock.


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## NyGoatMom (Jan 26, 2013)

I have a lot of chickens,but for the poop reason, I keep them separate from my goats...I like the idea of the rotation Dave mentioned though and if I could do it that way,I would.


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