If you are raising goats alongside chickens or other homestead animals, you may wonder if it is okay to leave the animals’ various foodstuffs out and accessible to all.
Bottom line: do not let your goats eat chicken feed. Goats cannot have chicken feed because it can result in severe bloating, diarrhea, and other serious gastrointestinal upsets and blockages.
But just why can’t goats eat chicken feed? And can chicken feed really kill goats?
Great questions! In this post, we will share with you all of our knowledge and best answers when it comes to goats and chicken feed, all of which is based on our own experience and homesteading practices, so read on.
Top Reasons Why Not To Give Goats Chicken Feed
Reason #1: Different Digestive Systems
One of the very first and most important reasons to never let your goats eat chicken feed is because of the difference in digestive systems, and subsequent dietary and nutritional needs, between these two common homestead animals.
For example, chickens have a pretty simple, one stomach digestive system and are natural omnivores.
This means chickens eat a myriad of greens, veggies, seeds, grains, nuts, insects, worms, and bugs, and that their bodily systems are very efficient at metabolizing these foods.
On the other hand, a goat’s ruminant digestive system contains four stomachs, and goats have evolved a highly efficient way of pulling out essential fatty acids from coarse, fibrous plant materials thanks to their rumen flora.
Goats are natural herbivores, which means they draw all their nutrition from plant-based foods and don’t naturally ingest many grains.
Right off the bat, we can see that because these two animals have such different digestive processes and dietary needs, offering them each other’s food isn’t the best idea!
Reason #2: Grains vs. Fibers
Chickens do well on a higher grain and corn diet, which is why most chicken feeds are about 85% grain and/or corn products.
On our hobby farm, we raise our chickens on a pasture. This means our hens have access to chicken feed as well as a sizable, rotating pasture where they can scratch and enjoy seeds and plenty of insects.
We have found our hens to be happy and healthy in this regime and recommend it to all hobby farmers; we’ve got some posts with best chicken raising practices coming soon, so be looking for them!
However goats are a different story, as only tough, cellulose packed materials fuel their digestive process and keep their rumen flora happy; it is very important that your goat gets enough fiber!
At least 12% crude fiber in a goat’s diet is highly recommended to avoid energy and fiber deficiencies.
High grain or corn diets for goats are a no-go because their digestive system simply isn’t designed, and hasn’t evolved, to digest grains.
Whole, unprocessed grains or corn can be offered to your trip of goats, especially in colder months as an energy and carb boost, but all grains and corn must be offered in moderation to avoid malnutrition issues.
What Happens If A Goat Eats Too Many Grains?
What if my Goat Eats Chicken Feed?
Too many grains in the digestive system of a goat can lead to severe rumen flora imbalances that will result in indigestion, diarrhea, and/or bloating.
These symptoms can then trigger dehydration, a dangerous state for goats as a balanced bodily water content is one of the most important factors for system function and health.
Remember, if your goat is bloated from eating grains or corn, do NOT offer it more water, as this will just encourage increased absorption of the water in their digestive systems and result in pain and even more bloating.
Instead, call a local vet immediately for expert assistance and detailed step-by-step instructions on how to help your goat.
What To Do If Goats Eat Chicken Feed
Your goat will be okay if they eat just a few mouthfuls of chicken feed, as there is nothing within chicken feed that is lethal or toxic to goats.
However, goats are curious and love to eat, so if they have ingested more than a few mouthfuls, we recommend that you begin observing them very closely to see how they react within the next 12-24 hours.
For example: one of our nannies got into a tray of chicken feed and was nibbling away for about ten minutes before we caught sight of her. Thankfully, this was during the summer months and our goats were not receiving any grain or corn supplements at the time, so we let her stay in a stall and offered her only hay and highly fibrous forage for the next 24 hours, she seemed able to digest and pass the chicken feed easily.
But that was definitely a best case scenario and since then we have been very good about ensuring our goats cannot access our chickens’ pasture or feed storage bin. If your goat gets into chicken feed, have the number of your local vet handy if they start to show symptoms of pain or indigestion!
Chicken Feed vs. Chicken Scratch: Can Goats Eat Chicken Scratch?
In most cases, chicken scratch may very well be the same as chicken feed. Chicken scratch usually contains a mix of grain or corn products as well as seeds, proteins, and added vitamins and minerals.
So in this case, the same rule applies: goats should not eat chicken scratch.
However, if you are just offering a very basic scratch of some seeds, nuts, and oats, it is okay for your goats to eat any that is left over after the chickens have moved on, as small amounts of these foods are no issue for goats!
What Is The Best Thing To Feed Goats
Ensuring your goats receive a balanced diet takes knowing what is best to feed them.
Our knowledge of the goat’s digestive system and nutritional needs, as well as our own history of successfully raising goats, leads us to suggest a diet of:
- Foraged greens and roughage
- Unlimited access to high quality hay
- Nutritious treats and dietary supplements
- Non-grain goat pellets or feed (especially in winter months)
- Unlimited access to water
- Limited quantities of whole grains
Notice that we do not feed our goats grains regularly, saving those for overwintering or for pregnant/lactation nannies.
This type of diet will provide your goats with the 7% crude protein and 12% crude fiber they require, as well as all essential minerals and vitamins.
Overall, age, breed, size, lifestage, environment, and sex can all influence the exact nutritional and food requirements of goats. This is why we schedule regular checkups with our local vet, ensuring our goats remain healthy and providing supplemental feeding when needed.
This video shares a number of great points when it comes to having goats and chickens living together – including the importance of keeping drinking water clean!
Frequently Asked Questions Related To Can Goats Have Chicken Feed
Can Goats Eat Chicken Meat?
No, never feed your goat raw, cooked, frozen (or any other form) of meat. A goat’s four stomachs are incapable of properly digesting meat and meat is not a part of a goat’s natural diet. Ingesting meat will result in serious health issues for your trip!
Can Goats And Chickens Live Together?
Short answer is yes, goats and chickens can share the same barnyard or pasture without any issues. These two homestead animals do not usually pick fights with each other; simply be aware of overly aggressive individuals!
Note: not all homestead animals can get along and having rabbits and cats live together is a different story.
Do Goats Eat Chickens? and Do Goats Eat Baby Chickens?
Strange as it sounds, some goats (and other natural herbivores) have been found to eat small birds at times.
This behavior is thought to be triggered by a nutritional deficiency and is not very common (or expected).
Your goat will not eat an adult chicken, but if they were to exhibit this rare and irregular behavior, they would target small baby chicks. This is one of the reasons we keep all of our baby chicks in their own, safe area until maturity.
Final Thoughts On Can Goats Eat Chicken Feed
When two animals sport different digestive systems and nutritional needs, it is a best practice to steer them clear of chowing down on each other’s foodstuffs; such is the case with goats and chickens if you are raising these two homestead pals.
Treating each animal with care, and understanding their particular nutritional needs, will result in healthy and happy animals and a great homesteading experience!