Author Topic: Sheep & goats together? (Read 9466 times)

Shropshirelass · « **on:** October 20, 2023, 02:54:29 pm »

Out of curiosity how many of you keep sheep & goats together? & how well does it work? As I’m considering a couple of Pygmy’s or Boers to live with my tup at certain times of the year.

We used to have a Saenann nanny & a couple of her kids for several years & I know that unlike sheep their browsers, not grazers & they need shelter & don’t like the rain & can be pretty destructive & naughty. They’d be kept predominantly in apple orchards adjacent to our barns. I don’t want a dairy breed as I don’t have the time to commit to it at present & unless I start making goats cheese which I love, but I can’t really see myself bothering to learn. I have tried goat meat a couple of times which I can’t really say I’m 100% sold on unless others can convince me. As I wouldn’t have a problem sending the odd 1 for meat. But they’d mainly be used for clearing areas with overgrown plants & trees & hedges that the sheep don’t bother with. I’m open to a couple of nannies & a billy or a couple of nannies & castrated billies.

So convince me or otherwise - I’d be thinking 3-4, do they need much supplementary food throughout the year? & can you feed them sheep mix? The sheep are native breeds & are mostly on grass with the exception of being late in lamb & when with lambs at foot. We do have a few weaned lambs he can go back with for a bit if need be though.

Goatherd · « **Reply #1 on:** October 20, 2023, 04:01:17 pm »

They will pull the bark of the apple trees and kill the trees

Shropshirelass · « **Reply #2 on:** October 20, 2023, 06:05:28 pm »

Ok how about with just being on normal pasture, I did consider tethering them when he wasn’t around.

Backinwellies · « **Reply #3 on:** October 22, 2023, 08:23:02 am »

I have occasionally had sheep in my goat paddock .... goats will bully if sheep get cornered .... otherwise they ignore each other so as a pal to a ram I dont think it would work .
Also they will kill any small trees (love apple and willow) so an orchard wouldnt work. I would never tether... goats are fussy browsers so are unlikely to get enough food tethered. Pigmys in particular are great escape artists (small is not easier!)
So you original ideas need rethinking if you wish to get goats.... having said all that I love my goats and whilst we are currently planning a downsize move ... it is the goats which will come with us