# Can you put a Ram and a Goat Buck in same yard?



## Old Mission (Dec 26, 2009)

I posted this yesterday but cant find it, maybe it did not go through,

I have a ram and a pygmy goat buck and females of both, right now
they are all in the same pasture and doing ok. I am putting the males in a
separate yard, setting it up right now. Can I put the Goat buck and the
ram in the same yard or will I have to make 2 different yards?
The first few days we got the pygmy buck the ram chased him away(but did not hurt him) if he got too close to the ewes but now they are co-existing.
I was wondering if it were better for them to be together so they dont get
lonely or will it just create problems?
Trying to figure out how to pen everyone up so no unplanned breedings take
place. 

Stephanie


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## Curtis B (Aug 15, 2008)

Mine do fine together, but they are not in a pen. I had the same situation in the begining with them (the ram chasing, and butting), and they have got along fine since then.


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## Oregon Julie (Nov 9, 2006)

I think it depends on the individuals, the amount of space they have, and the time of year. My Dorper ram and Boer buck have been in the same area together for short periods of time, but I would not do it for long. They start to get a bit testy and my feeling is someone is going to get hurt.


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## deineria (Aug 22, 2009)

The reason it isn't a good idea is that goats MUST have a mineral with copper - must. Sheep, of course, can't have that mineral.


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## Old Mission (Dec 26, 2009)

Good idea, duh I did not even think of that!

Stephanie


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

Another thing they dont match in, head butting!
If they butt head theres a risk of the goat getting hurt.
Goats will sometimes rear up and then come down to butt heads while rams go low. If that buck rears up and that ram comes from underneath, you risk internal damage to the buck when the ram nails the belly instead of the head.


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## Bret4207 (May 31, 2008)

My ram and buck are together all summer, they're buddies. They scrap one in a while, but are pretty evenly matched, Katahdin and a Nubian. 

I've still not found any problems using regular stock salt/mineral salt with the sheep. Everyone says any copper at all is deadly, but now research is showing that isn't quite true. I think I saw something about it in Sheep magazine, but it follows what I've seen.


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## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

Hair sheep do fine with copper.
In my experience after the ram and buck are used to each other they tend to totally ignore one another and stay with their own kind.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

Cliff said:


> Hair sheep do fine with copper.
> In my experience after the ram and buck are used to each other they tend to totally ignore one another and stay with their own kind.


Curious, if you have only one ram and one buck and they are the only ones sharing a pen, how do they stay with their own kind?
The OP sounds as if thats the case, one of each sharing one pen.

I tried that with a ram and buck that were raised together and it was fine, till they matured and the rut started. Once they smelled those females in season on the wind, they turned on each other as their hormones surged and competition drove their instincts. Thats how I learned how bad keeping them together can be. I'll never try that again.

Wool sheep cant have copper. Good point there!


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