# Goat proof chicken feeder??



## BethJ (May 28, 2019)

Help! I can't make a door small enough to keep my 2 month old Nigerian dwarf out of the chicken coop! Any smaller and my chickens can't even get in. So now they are inside the coop with little door blocked and unable to free range because of baby goat.

Any ideas on how to goat proof their feeder? That way it won't matter if baby gets inside the coop!


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## Jamie LaDouceur (Mar 23, 2019)

We have the same problem. I was thinking about making something similar to this to put over our feeder


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## BethJ (May 28, 2019)

Jamie LaDouceur said:


> We have the same problem. I was thinking about making something similar to this to put over our feeder
> View attachment 156779


That looks like it could work! Only problem for me is I want to still be able to put out a lot of feed each time. My hanging feeder holds 25lbs when full, which I like.

I found this one. Has anyone out there had success with either of these designs?
https://www.chewy.com/rentacoop-cen...TFDftCZ88X3qlTeCm6oos4VzkKFfCXNUaAk57EALw_wcB


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Can't you separate the goats from the chickens?


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## BethJ (May 28, 2019)

Goats Rock said:


> Can't you separate the goats from the chickens?


Unfortunately no. They share a pasture. The chicken coop is inside the pasture and has a small opening onto a ramp which they use to come in and out as needed. They free range during the day. The only way I can separate them is to shut their small door and restrict them to their coop, which they are not thrilled about since they are used to ranging on 1.5 acres all day.. the only goat that can get in is my ND doeling. I made the 'chicken door' so small that my girls struggled to squeeze through but baby goat slipped in no problem!


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

I understand the little goat getting in! I had a boer doeling that was about 50 chubby pounds as a youngster and she got through a tiny chicken door. She was so proud! 

Could you build a little platform up for the chickens and hang their food up there? Maybe a lightweight ladder with dowel rungs farther apart so goatie doesn't attempt to climb it?


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## alwaystj9 (Apr 10, 2019)

I had to quit leaving feed out 24/7. My chickens are allowed out during daytime but are locked into the pen in the late afternoon when I feed them. They get plenty of foraging and charge out into the pasture every morning. While locked up, the chickens clean up every speck of food. During the day I use a piece of cattle panel to allow the chickens coop/pen access (the chickens pass through fine but my rooster has to wiggle a bit). When the baby goats (mixed minis)are small, they can get into the chicken pen during the day but there is no food in there, curiosity and play has them running all up in the coops & perches. Eventually they get bored and also grow too big to get through the pen. Some are more persistent than others but they all either grow too large or lose the habit of going in there. I also have to lock up the chickens before offering feed to the goats. My greedy hens will swarm any food source. It sort of sounds like my animals are on the verge of starvation but they are all fat, just very greedy. The hen in my avatar and I are currently at war over the baby chick feed area...she's figured out how to get into the baby chick pen and pecks the little guys bloody and gobbles all their food. In our war of fences, she's winning so far. Her name may be Stew.


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## alwaystj9 (Apr 10, 2019)

The Chewy.com feeder you linked looks like a goat could learn to dump it or, scratching & rooting around it, break it open. There's always the favorite goat pastime of jumping on top of it to destroy it! Would the wooden feeder be fastened down? That looks like it could be a goat toy as well. What my babies learn by accident becomes habit very quickly. I finally gave up on feeders and had to give my different species time to eat apart from each other. I had/still have problems with the horse, goats and chickens all stealing the dog's food. Right now I rely on speed - mine. I have to run grab the dog bowl if any of the other animals is in the yard! I am not trying to be negative, just trying to save someone else some time & money fighting the same goat tricks & battles I have had to figure out. I actually switched to minis years ago because they couldn't reach my horse's feeder.


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## BethJ (May 28, 2019)

Goats Rock said:


> I understand the little goat getting in! I had a boer doeling that was about 50 chubby pounds as a youngster and she got through a tiny chicken door. She was so proud!
> 
> Could you build a little platform up for the chickens and hang their food up there? Maybe a lightweight ladder with dowel rungs farther apart so goatie doesn't attempt to climb it?


That may be possibility! I will look into it.



alwaystj9 said:


> I had to quit leaving feed out 24/7. My chickens are allowed out during daytime but are locked into the pen in the late afternoon when I feed them. They get plenty of foraging and charge out into the pasture every morning. While locked up, the chickens clean up every speck of food. During the day I use a piece of cattle panel to allow the chickens coop/pen access (the chickens pass through fine but my rooster has to wiggle a bit). When the baby goats (mixed minis)are small, they can get into the chicken pen during the day but there is no food in there, curiosity and play has them running all up in the coops & perches. Eventually they get bored and also grow too big to get through the pen. Some are more persistent than others but they all either grow too large or lose the habit of going in there. I also have to lock up the chickens before offering feed to the goats. My greedy hens will swarm any food source. It sort of sounds like my animals are on the verge of starvation but they are all fat, just very greedy. The hen in my avatar and I are currently at war over the baby chick feed area...she's figured out how to get into the baby chick pen and pecks the little guys bloody and gobbles all their food. In our war of fences, she's winning so far. Her name may be Stew.


This may actually be the easiest solution! I'm sure the girls could adjust to once a day feeding. They'll probably learn to forage more lol



alwaystj9 said:


> The Chewy.com feeder you linked looks like a goat could learn to dump it or, scratching & rooting around it, break it open. There's always the favorite goat pastime of jumping on top of it to destroy it! Would the wooden feeder be fastened down? That looks like it could be a goat toy as well. What my babies learn by accident becomes habit very quickly. I finally gave up on feeders and had to give my different species time to eat apart from each other. I had/still have problems with the horse, goats and chickens all stealing the dog's food. Right now I rely on speed - mine. I have to run grab the dog bowl if any of the other animals is in the yard! I am not trying to be negative, just trying to save someone else some time & money fighting the same goat tricks & battles I have had to figure out. I actually switched to minis years ago because they couldn't reach my horse's feeder.


I appreciate your input! I agree they could learn to push the feeder over, etc. I'm wondering if it was secured to a heavy base if that would work?


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## alwaystj9 (Apr 10, 2019)

It might work, maybe bungee it down somehow to a base?
Hopefully she will be too big to get in the coop soon!


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