If I haven’t told you I never saw myself raising chickens in my backyard, I’ll say it now; I never saw myself raising chickens in my backyard. Let’s just go ahead and add goats to that statement. Don’t get me wrong, I love animals. It just isn’t something I envisioned, but I absolutely love that we are doing it!
Chickens and goats grazing and foraging together is a fairly common practice. And for good reason-they get along well and can even have very strong bonds with each other.
If you are thinking about adding goats to your flocks’ backyard paradise, keep a few key things in mind:
- Separate food-goats love chicken feed, but it can make them extremely sick requiring immediate care. Feed them in their own spaces. You can also time feeding to keep meal time separate.
- They also need their own space for resting-it is perfectly fine to let them free range and share all that space during the day. At night, they do need their own sleeping quarters away from each other. Doing this will also protect them from predators. Goats need that extra safety just like your flock.
It may take a little work to get into a routine, and you’ll need to keep an eye on everyone’s health. (There are a few illnesses that can transfer between them, while others are specific to the species and their host.) However, chickens and goats can make great roomies with some planning!
I have no doubt you will monitor them well, because I’m sure you will spend lots of time with them. After all, who can pass up a petting zoo in their own backyard?
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