[shearling]

I would like to keep some goats in with my Portlands. I read/was told that the two do not mix well due to parasites from goats possbibly affecting the sheep if they are intogether ? Is this true? If it is I wondered if I could fence off some of my field and have sheep one side and goats (or ducks/birds) the other and then swap over every two years or so, or would this be too instensive ?

[jaykay]

They share the same parasites and on the whole, the goats are more affected by them than the sheep.

I keep my goats and sheep separate - well, I try. When the goat kids escape the sheep are quite interested in them but the goats don't like the sheep - maybe they would if they had started out together.

I have two paddocks, which I rotate, which are goats only and then separate fields, which I rotate, which are sheep only. So they're only the other side of stock fencing from each other sometimes but I feel that I'm keeping the goat land clean of worms from the sheep.

[lachlanandmarcus]

ideally they would be separate as the goats need to browse vegetation whereas the sheep need grass to graze? maybe the field provides both ok tho?

[Freddiesfarm]

My goat lives with the sheep as the horse I got her for doesn't really like her!  She is absolutely fine with the sheep except she gets very over excited at lambing time and charges round the field after the lambs when they play chase which is fine once they are older but when they are tiny they get a bit scared!

But she also comes for walks with me and the dogs and walks to heal better than they do!  Gives her a chance to do some browwsing anyway.

Also she never seems to need worming which is a bit wierd!

[plumseverywhere]

I know people who keep sheep and goats together. in fact I was thinking of keeping a castrated ram in with my whether to keep him company when the nanny goes for mating/kidding.
We used to let a jacob sheep owner graze but when we got our goats he said he was too worried that the worm burden of his sheep would affect the new goats. however I keep my goats up to date with heptavacP having lost one within a week (ooh steep learning curve) due to coccxy probably from having had sheep on the land too soon before...