Do I need to worry??

[churchx3]

I have lost 4 chickens in the past 3 days to either a raccoon or fox or maybe even a coyote? Do I need to worry about these getting to my pygmy/nigerian goats? My goats are approx 10 months old,hefty, and still have their horns... They are kept separate from the chickens in their own house/enclosed run. I am sure that coyotes would be deadly to goats but would raccoons or foxes be aggressive?

 

[glenolam]

I wouldn't think so with how old/big your goats are.

I went through a stage of letting my chickens free range 24/7 and we were away for most of the day at work.

Lost about 6 chickens/ducks in a week's time during daylight hours - nothing touched the goats though.

If you're that worried, you could get a LGD, which is something I've considered only because I really want my chickens to free range but have those darn foxes, racoons, fisher cats and owls prowling the yard.

 

[lilhill]

If you have coyotes, then your mini goats would be candy for them if they can get access. I don't think foxes or coons would bother them.

 

[michickenwrangler]

If you have coyotes, then your mini goats would be candy for them if they can get access. I don't think foxes or coons would bother them.

x2

Coyotes can also jump over 6 feet if they're ambitious enough. If you're getting goats, maybe consider getting a guardian donkey or llama if coyotes are prevalent in your area

 

[currycomb]

if you don't want a donkey, a couple ponies can work too. have seen mine go stompping after the dogs, the donkey just watching. (donkeys are kinda lazy)

 

[helmstead]

We had a coon getting our chickens, whos coop/pen is outside the exterior goat pens surrounding our barn. I wasn't worried about the grown goats, but I had several bottle babies in the barn under a month old...

There was talk about locking the hens up at night...but I told my husband I'd MUCH rather the hungry predator partake in a chicken dinner than cabrito...so until we finally shot the coon, we lost a chicken a night.

As long as it's not coyotes or dogs, bobcats, etc, you should be OK. The pattern of kill on the chickens can tell you what is getting them.

 

[bucknercrestfarm]

We had a cyot problem they took my cats my chickens it was heart breaking so last april my hubby got me two pyrenees pups there not even a year old and we here the cyots getting beat up by my boys they even chased off a bear that was trying to get to freshly castrated pigglets pyrenees are worth there pounds in gold and the feed bill is so worth it there even good mousers!