How to make goats sleep in their shed?

[noobiechickenlady]

Okay, my girls really don't want to sleep in their shed.
It's nice, dry, no drafts, clean bedding, water bucket, hay bucket, we feed there, there are no chickens perching on their backs or pooping in their hair. But they refuse.

It's been there for many months now, so they are used to it but... They would rather cram themselves in under the roosts in the tiny chicken coop (my chicks are only inside when they sleep, so I get by with less space)
Anyways, they are either there, getting pooped on or they are under the rabbit hutches, again, getting pooped on. Or they sleep out in the field when it's warmer & dry. Sleeping outside doesn't bother me as much as in the coop because, well... They're getting pooped on! It can't be healthy for them!!
We always shoo them out when we lock the chickens up. That's when they head for the rabbit hutches... but the next night, they are right back in the coop.

We already feed them there, their water & hay feeder are there, so they do USE it, but they prefer to not sleep there.

What do I do? Lock them in for a few days? Oh gawd the screams of dismay... At least it's a little farther from the house...

 

[hillfarm]

Maybe they like getting pooped on.

 

[MorelCabin]

You know we had a goat that was just like that! Insisted on sleeping in the chicken pen. I have no idea why, never did find out

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

I keep chickens and goats together now. Moved the chickens over a week ago.
Works well, and they are all happy.
I doubt its unhealthy.

 

[glenolam]

There's something to say about both sides there. If the goats are getting into the chicken feed, then it's a problem. But if the chickens are merely roosting where the goats sleep and keeping all else under control, I'd let them stay there.

I bet they feel more comfortable in a cramped place because they feel better snuggled together. FWIW, my goats all cram into one teeny tiny place in the barn when they've got the entire barn to choose from (OK, it's not HUGE, but it's big enough for them to veg out). I actually saw my full sized nubian/oberhasli crammed UNDER the milk stand with her two kids because it made her feel better.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I dislike a pooped on goat too I want to pet my girls and don't apreciate a glove of roo poo. Is there any way that you could close off the chicken /rabbit area at night? Then they'd get used to using their shed.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Or maybe you can put poo catchers under the roosts so the goats don't get pooped on?

 

[noobiechickenlady]

:/ Hmmm, so you mean I built a goat shed for nothing?
It's okay, at least I have somewhere to keep the feed & can milk/feed out of the elements.

BTW, we scatter feed the chickens whole grains while the goats are scarfing a new flake of hay, so no goats in the chicken feed. I've heard the horror stories!

No real way I can close off the rabbits, they're just wire hutches off the ground. Although I did think about pinning a cattle panel to the front of the chicken coop. The chickens could hop through, but the goats wouldn't fit. We have only a full sized door, maybe a pop door would help too?
I'd have to think hard how to put a poo catcher in my redneck coop...
We are moving the rabbits soon, they are too close to the house for me, so that should help, too. Stir things up a bit, maybe.

Goats = crazy...

Thanks for the replies!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Noobie, when I was young we had a chicken coop that had ramps and small doors for just the chickens to get into their nest boxes. THe darn goat kids sqqqqqquuuuuueeeeeeeeeeezzzzed their bodies into the door (probably only 8' wide and maybe 10" tall and we opened up the lid to the boxes (long boxes w/ no dividers) and the goats were squeezed in there looking at us like "What?" Darn goats!