Can You Raise Sheep and Goats Together?
Sheep and goats are two of the most popular ruminant animals for everyone from the “serious” farmer to people looking to raise affordable meat, milk, and wool on patches of larger land. However, a lot of people make the mistake of thinking that raising sheep and goats together is a simple process. The truth is that it takes a good degree of work. Let’s look at a few of the things you need to know when raising sheep and goats together.
Different food
If you plan to let your sheep and goats graze in the same area, you need to keep in mind that they prefer different types of vegetation. Additionally, goats need mineral supplements to stay healthy – especially copper. The kicker here is that copper can be deadly to sheep if they ingest too much of it.
For this reason, many farmers who keep both goats and sheep have separate feeding areas for both animals, and add the extra copper goats need to their feed – not out in the field where it could potentially harm your sheep.
Watch the horns
Almost all goats have horns, while sheep don’t. It’s important to watch out for violent behavior, as goats may try to establish dominance in the pack over sheep. You also want to keep lambs and kids with their mothers, separate from older sheep and goats that could potentially harm them.
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