# Housing multiple species of livestock together



## marvun22 (Nov 30, 2013)

I haven't raised livestock since I was in high school, and I'm getting back into it again. I was planning to raise cows, pigs, sheep, and possibly goats and a horse or 2. I don't have my pastures for another year, so everything will have to be in corrals. I can dedicate specific corrals to specific animals if needed. So, which kinds can go with who? I know sheep are poisoned by copper.


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## secuono (Nov 30, 2013)

My sheep, goats, horses, pigs and dog are all together. 
Individual personalities matter more than what they are. 
If you can make the goat mineral so the sheep can't get it, then they can be together or just give them copper pills 2x a year. 
Haven't had cows, most horses freak out over them. Anything with horns can easily kill or injure another animal w/o horns. Horses can kill sheep/goats. Pigs can kill/attack other animals. 
Keeping worm load low and pastures clean is also important...


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## Azriel (Nov 30, 2013)

Horses can be a PITA with other animals if they haven't been raised with them. Mine are real brats and have gone after goats, they will chase the dogs, and would love to bite the cows and charge the dividing fence all the time.
I think the cows would be fine with the goats and sheep once they have gotten used to them, and unless they had a very large pasture I wouldn't put pigs with anything.


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## MDres (Dec 1, 2013)

What size are your "corrals" going to be? Most livestock do not thrive in confinement. They survive, but they can have stress issues and illness/parasite issues due to crowding.

If it were me, I would get ONE species right now, and give them all the room I currently had. If I only had an acre, I'd probably get goats or sheep. And only a few of them.

This also would give you time to properly set up your pastures to accommodate all the animals.

And, as always, don't overload your land. It's just ugly in every sense of the word. If you don't know the carrying capacity of your property, talk to a local county extension agent. You can't take the advice of anyone here about YOUR carrying capacity, because it can vary so widely from one area to another, even within a state or county!


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## marvun22 (Dec 1, 2013)

Based on all your people's advice. I'll probably just raise either cows or sheep to start out with, or maybe a small combination of both. What I'm not getting for a while is a bull. I have a neighbor who said I could "borrow" one of his bulls for the few cows I would have until I get enough money to buy one myself. My cows and sheep would be just feed bales for the first year, and then I get my haying and grazing pastures back. I'm thinking I will just keep most of my baby heifers as a way to build up the numbers at first.


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## Azriel (Dec 1, 2013)

You might think about just getting a few calves or yearlings and a lamb or 2 until you have some pasture. A bull is a huge waste of money unless you have at least 10-15 cows. Borrow the neighbors bull while you can after that think about AI. You can have 10 cows AI'd for less than a 1/4 of what keeping a bull year round will cost. Your money is better spent on getting real good cows.


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## marvun22 (Dec 1, 2013)

And I would rather spend my money on the money makers, not bulls. Maybe I'll just keep one of my young bulls until adulthood. And I was talking with my dad yesterday, and he said I should have one color of cows, because they sell better. Is that true? Me, being creative, would have lots of different colors.


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## Azriel (Dec 1, 2013)

To some degree your Dad is right. If you are taking your calves to the auction, buyers like to see a uniform group of calves. But if they are in very good condition and uniform in size that counts more than color. Altho you do tend to take a hit on price with spotted and roan calves. Here the buyers like black, I like red and white. I have watched the auctions and good calves of any color bring good prices as long as they are preconditioned and feed lot ready. Feedlot ready means they have been preweaned and are eating well, not pulled off the cows the day before you ship so they are milling around, not eating and bawling for their Moms.


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## marvun22 (Dec 1, 2013)

Okay, so if I was going to send my cows to market, I go for size and condition first, then uniform color. I can understand why people would want the same color. It would be better to buy 10 black instead of 3 red, 3 white, 3 black, and a mix. And have you had any luck keeping one of your calves to be your future bull.


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## Bossroo (Dec 1, 2013)

Just how much land do you have ?  What type of soil, soil depth, grasses,  terrain,  trees, shelter, etc.  Bulls can be very destructive of fences and other types of animals as well as you. Using a neighbor's bull is very generous of the neighbor, but just what is the true QUALITY of this bull   as a bull is 1/2 of your herd.   I would recommend AI. Make sure that your life  as well as liability insurance is in full force. I would consult your county farm adviser for specifics as we know very little about your specific situation .


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## MDres (Dec 1, 2013)

Financially, what are your goals with the livestock? Are you wanting them to make enough yearly profit for you that it would be your main source of income? Or are you wanting them to just "pay you back" for what you have put into them each year, with maybe a little bit of profit, too?

Definitely things to consider... You can lose A LOT of money really fast if you jump in with both feet and buy too much stock. Start slow, simple and few. Give yourself time to develop a budget as to what the livestock REALLY cost you. Then you can add more, or you might find you need to decrease your numbers.

I wouldn't get a bull, either. Especially if your neighbor is going to let you borrow his. Or AI is another option - you'll need a way to haul to a vet or a way to SAFELY confine/restrain your cows at home, though. Something to consider.


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## marvun22 (Dec 1, 2013)

It's most likely the first option. I want them to pay me back, with some profit being nice. AI seems like a good option.


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## Azriel (Dec 1, 2013)

I don't keep a bull. My cows are AI'd. That way I can get the best blood lines and don't have to worry about a bull getting out and hurting someone or getting into the neighbors cows.


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## marvun22 (Dec 2, 2013)

I didn't AI in the past, but it seems like a great option. Getting good bloodlines without paying and caring for the bull. Have any of you tried raising a cow to ride around. I thought about trying that sometime.


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## SheepGirl (Dec 3, 2013)

Personally, I have no problem with confining livestock. When my sheep have been confined, I have experienced no health issues with them (about 12 months combined). My sheep are just as happy & healthy confined as they are on pasture. There is less room, but they don't need a lot of room if their hay is all in one feeder rather than spread out as grass in a field. My sheep don't play or run, they like to chase or follow the cats as they come into the field, but that's as playful as they get.

If you want to have all sorts of animals, but the only way to do so is to confine them, and can afford the feed, then go for it. No reason why you can't. You're going to get pasture anyway in a year. If anything they will be fine for a year on a dry lot.


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## marvun22 (Dec 10, 2013)

Now I know this is a little late, but I got another question. Does any of the answers any of you have given me change if some of cows are Longhorns. Or do they change if I get a donkey as a LG.


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## Southern by choice (Dec 10, 2013)

marvun22 said:


> Now I know this is a little late, but I got another question. Does any of the answers any of you have given me change if some of cows are Longhorns. Or do they change if I get a donkey as a LG.



A little off subject but thought I'd add that our local slaughterhouse will not take longhorns. Horns MUST be removed first. Just something to consider.


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## marvun22 (Dec 10, 2013)

Thanks for the answer, I will check. You being in North Carolina and me being in North Dakota might change things. I'm glad I know so I can ask.


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## MDres (Dec 10, 2013)

Longhorns have a much better "weapon" than polled cattle. I don't think I'd want to confine them to the point that they are stressed or are competing for food. You *might* have some injuries from either the horns or animals trying to escape the horns. At the least, you might end up with some ruined cuts of meat due to bruising if you slaughtered straight out of the corral.

How big are your areas, anyway? That is a huge factor. Are you talking about 4 longhorns in 1/2 acre or 4 longhorns in a 20x20 pen? Big difference....


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## marvun22 (Dec 10, 2013)

I should ask. These corrals belonged to my dad, but he hasn't used them for a long time. Most of the corrals need good repair because there was a farm fire that burned a lot of the corrals and burned all our bales. That is why we stopped raising them. The corrals, which were built by my grandfather, were just wooden bases put into the ground about 10ft apart. Then he just put a bunch of 2x4 (I don't even know why. My dad calls everything 2x4's. Its more like a 2x15). Either way, I'm replacing the wood with tin. So its the wood bases with tin instead of more wood. The water needs to be fixed. There sure is a lot of work. I could put my Longhorns in one specific pen, with other cows in the rest of the corrals. The more I think of it, I'm thinking I will be getting some (unknown number) of Longhorns, other beef cows, and sheep. I might get 2 or 3 goats from someone who just wants to get rid of them. I will probably get a donkey as a LG if I get sheep.


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## marvun22 (Dec 11, 2013)

Edit again. I talked with my dad. Apparently he had Longhorns when he was a kid and he said they didn't have as much meat and they get out of the pens much more often.


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