# Can everyone live together?



## stormywood (Jul 10, 2009)

I have 3 sheep, one baby sheep, 2 goats, 6 kids and three 14 month old cows. I want to rescue 3 foals under 1. They are all on 4 acres of pasture, grain fed daily and hay when ever they want. I'm starting my farm, but just want to do babies. When folks get grown my husband will sell them. My question is can all of these different animals live together? We have covered barns.


----------



## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

Sorry, your sheep and goats can't live together; they need vastly different minerals for good health! Sheep can't have copper, but goats need quite a bit of copper, for example. Your goats CAN live with the cows; a good cattle mineral is good for goats, but it will kill the sheep.


----------



## cnvh (Jun 11, 2008)

My first concern would be fencing-- is your fencing sturdy, electric, and horse-safe? I.e., no barbed wire, no hi-tensile wire, no uncapped T-posts, etc. Definitely nothing a horse can get a hoof or leg hung up in. (I forget what the correct name is, but I've always called it "hog fence"-- just awful for horse fencing.)

Second-- you say you just want to "do babies"-- how sure are you that you will be able to find good homes for them when they are no longer cute little babies? And how horse-knowledgeable are you? One horse requires a good bit of regular care-- farrier, vet, etc.; if you "rescue" three, that's three times as much expense and obligation. 

Four acres for a mixed herd is probably fine, as long as you can supplement good forage-- my horse cohabitated just fine with a small herd of cows and a few goats. Just be sure you aren't biting off more than you can chew, so to speak.


----------



## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Foals might also run your sheep and goats to death when they want to play. 

Its usually best to keep the sheep in their own pastures, as Jill said.

Why would you just sell the horses when they are adults?


----------



## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Sheep and goats can live together if you use a sheep mineral and give the goats copper boluses (babies need to be about 3 months old before you start bolusing them. 

Horses eat a LOT. And yea, I just wouldn't trust young horses around your smaller livestock, especially the babies.


----------



## deineria (Aug 22, 2009)

The short answer is no. I keep certain animals together, and it works fine - it depends on age and type of animal. My mares and gelding are with my cow on 15 acres. The cow doesn't have to deal with the horses because she loves the wooded areas, and the horses like the cleared areas.

My stallion is in with the llama and sometimes the Nubian bucks. Only the HUGE bucks go in with him, and he is a friendly and easy going 4 yr old stallion.

As has been mentioned - goats and cattle (goats need more than cattle) HAVE to have copper. I don't think giving only a yearly or bi-yearly bolus is ideal and giving no copper between, but it could work if you have no other choice.

That many breeds of those ages on that size lot is asking for worm issues and behavior issues.

I say divide the pasture into lots.

The sheep, then the goats and cattle and then the foals. 

Also, remember - horses have flooded the market and taking in some foals to try to sell as adults if you don't plan to get them trained and under saddle at the time of sale is going to do those horses no favors. . .


----------



## mustang_lady (Jan 13, 2009)

We keep all are animals together on 40 acres. Have been for three years now. We have different mineral block set out. They all do fine. When the coyotes are bad the goats and sheep go in at night. We have:
3 pigs
3 sheep 
4 lambs
4 goats
3 kids
9 horses.
2 filly
1 colt

We have two pastures, so when babies are born, mom and babies get moved to the smaller side. 

Tiffany


----------



## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

> I don't think giving only a yearly or bi-yearly bolus is ideal and giving no copper between, but it could work if you have no other choice.


Actually, in my experience the boluses are more effective than any mix I can find. They give a slow time release dose. I gave up finding a good mineral. I now feed redmond salt with brewers yeast and some mineral rich herbs and copper bolus my goats on a schedule. I milk goats and breed them every year so I demand a lot from them, so deficiencies show.


----------



## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I'm worried far less about putting sheep, goats, cattle & horses together than I am about 18 animals on 4 acres. With stocking ratios like that, you pasture will very likely be totally destroyed in no time and while dry lotting is fine, you're going to find that your animals are going to start pushing fences because green grass is pretty tempting.


----------



## deineria (Aug 22, 2009)

Well, yes. . .that many animals on that little land would probably be an issue - unless they all were goats or sheep. . .you know, small animals.


----------



## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

deineria, I might be wrong but as it relates to this discussion but 18 head of anything on 4 acres will still be an incredibly high stocking ratio.


----------



## deineria (Aug 22, 2009)

We had 11 goats, 1 llama and a small pony on 3/4 acre and they could not even keep the tremendous amount of brush eaten down, and the grass was always at a nice level, but most of those were Pygmy goats. It was very lush - even with all of those goats. We fed plenty of feed on top of that, gave hay and wormed often. However, when you start to add cattle and several horses and sheep. . .I just think you are asking for problems.
Just a pic with the critters in the yard. They had been on the land for about a year:


----------



## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I guess my opinion was based on my own region just as yours is based on your regional experience. stormywood would probably get better information on stocking ratios and any local ordinances that might affect the amount of animals she can have on a small parcel.


----------



## deineria (Aug 22, 2009)

Yes, and I cannot speak for Arkansas land either. Here in WV, there are no regualtions concerning the amount of animals outside city limits, and the land can often sustain large amounts of goats, but no large animals on small lots.


----------



## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

I don't know of any regulations here also. Where I am, right now, grass and brush are really growing. It's hard to keep ahead of the garden! But it's getting kind of dry and we often have dry summers which can slow things down.


----------



## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

Three horses on that little ground sounds crowded, especially if that acreage includes the area around the house. You'd have to make separate pastures or the horses will wear down the grass to dirt. 

How much horsey experience do you have? We have had two horses for a couple of years and are nowhere near ready to have a foal, let alone three. One thing we all need to be careful about is that it's not unusual to take in a rescue, become overwhelmed, and need rescuing ourselves.


----------

