# can sheep be kept with goats?



## rainbowmoon (Apr 8, 2007)

just wondering


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## Liese (Dec 12, 2005)

I kept my 3 polled Dorsets with my 3 disbudded Nigerians for a year without problems but I wouldn't do this now with the Jacobs - Jacobs are nice sheep but will establish dominance by using their horns. You would also have to look into bolusing the goats since the loose mineral won't have the proper level of copper.


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## zookeepertomany (Oct 19, 2007)

We keep our sheep and Boer goats together without problems. We do feed grain seperate though.


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## dixiemaiden (Oct 31, 2007)

We have kept our sheep and goats together for years.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

Yup, but it can be more work and time since their feed and minerals are different.
Sheep cant eat goat feed nor goat minerals because of the copper.

Goats have to have copper in their diet.

We give the goats their minerals inside their second story shelter where the sheep cant get to.

The sheep minerals the goats can have so the sheep minerals are in access for everyone.

Grain feeding time, I split up the goats from the sheep.


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## DocM (Oct 18, 2006)

I have mine together. I put out sheep minerals and copper bolus my goats. No problems. They all eat the same thing, all breed grain and alfalfa pellets, but they are fed separately because the goats are pigs. The more docile sheep (big meat breeds too) seem intimidated by the goats. Nobody has horns.


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## gimpy (Sep 18, 2007)

I've heard that some of the primitive breeds of sheep like jacobs and soay can get pregnant and die from an immune reaction when exposed to goats. Is this a wive's tale? Any personal experience with gleeps?


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## Liese (Dec 12, 2005)

gimpy said:


> I've heard that some of the primitive breeds of sheep like jacobs and soay can get pregnant and die from an immune reaction when exposed to goats. Is this a wive's tale? Any personal experience with gleeps?


Can get pregnant and die? Well, most likely the fetus that wouldn't make it. But I can't imagine any one would keep a buck in with the does and ewes - imagine those fleeces wouldn't sell for much with that perfume! Whew!


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## Freeholder (Jun 19, 2004)

A buck can breed ewes and a ram can breed does, but they miscarry after a few weeks. Best not to run your flocks together during breeding season. 

Also, the mineral issue is serious. The amount of copper that goats NEED is way too much for sheep and will kill them, so they can't share their minerals -- unless as one poster above said, feed them all sheep mineral and give the goats copper boluses. I don't like shoving things down throats unless I have to, so IMO it's better to keep them apart, or hand feed mineral to the goats if you don't have too many.

Kathleen


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