# Buffalo/Yaks and Goats



## june2013 (Mar 10, 2015)

I'm interested in raising buffalo/yaks if I do manage to get enough land one day. My heart is set on at least a pair of goats, however. I've also heard of water buffalo and yaks being a dream! I'm still considering which to choose if they're okay with goats. Seriously, I need goats in meh life. I've also heard they're awesome as a livestock guardian while also producing meat, so yay!

Anyway, I was wondering if they can live peacefully together disease wise? Can they pass any parasites and anything of the like to each other?

 Cheers!


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## BrownSheep (Mar 10, 2015)

I raise yaks. They get along ok with my sheep, but I would be concerned about them with lambs or bred ewes. They can jump fences like nobodies business. I don't know how well they would do in S. California. 

As for parasites I wouldn't thinkit would be any different than cows and goats.


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## june2013 (Mar 11, 2015)

BrownSheep said:


> I raise yaks. They get along ok with my sheep, but I would be concerned about them with lambs or bred ewes. They can jump fences like nobodies business. I don't know how well they would do in S. California.
> 
> As for parasites I wouldn't thinkit would be any different than cows and goats.



Yeah, that's true. They are a bit hairy, aren't they? 

Yay! They share the same parasites, correct?


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## Pearce Pastures (Mar 11, 2015)

I have no experience here with Yaks.  Many parasites are species specific.  They may both have, say, coccidia--but they are different types of coccidia.  Same treatment it seems but I don't think they will pass all parasites back and forth.


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## june2013 (Mar 12, 2015)

Pearce Pastures said:


> I have no experience here with Yaks.  Many parasites are species specific.  They may both have, say, coccidia--but they are different types of coccidia.  Same treatment it seems but I don't think they will pass all parasites back and forth.



Yeah, that's true. I only asked this because I know sheep can pass some sort of disease (I can't remember it for the life of me) that can easily kill a group of American Bison. That's why I was wondering. Would goats or water buffalo/yaks have diseases that they could spread to each other? I don't want to put them together and only have a group of dead animals.


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## Southern by choice (Mar 12, 2015)

I probably should find your other thread but something to consider... check your zoning and remember there are often guidelines for how much livestock can be on one acre. One acre is not a lot of land and putting 4 goats, especially large goats, a pony, and a yak... more than likely you will exceed the max allowance.
Keep in mind if there isn't enough for them to eat off the land than they will essentially be "dry lotted" and you will be feeding them. Hay can be pricey. Not sure how much a pony or a yak eats in dry matter per day.
One acre, minus the house that sits on it and any yard area you will have should be subtracted so you will have a real idea of the amount of land you will be working with.

Too many animals in a small area will lead to parasite issues unless a good dry lot system is established first. 

Please also keep in mind that although often different animals can be kept together and work out fine they don't always.
Our Jacobs sheep cannot be kept with our goats. They are brutal with them and ram them every chance they get. They are the 2 horned not 4, but with needing our dairy does bred so they can produce kids and produce milk it got to be a problem. Didn't need our does aborting because of ramming sheep.


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