Goats and Cows Together

[Hobby Farm]

I have dairy goats and I'm considering getting either a Jersey or a Dexter cow. Can they be housed together in the same part of the barn? What are the potential issues?

 

[Cricket]

I had my goats in with my cows years ago. I'd hesitate to do it if your cows have horns and I'd make sure the goats had an escape route. I had one goat that went up against the boss cow and (finally) lost--she got picked up and tossed a few times. The same goat ended up getting kicked in the jaw 10 years later. I wasn't having her bred and she pestered the heck out of everyone. So, I would do it again, but don't think I would recommend it. Or at least have a back up plan if it's not going well.

 

[ourflockof4]

We have ours housed together right now. It seems to work out ok for us. We have a larger communal pen (14'x30') with a bale ring & protein tub in it that is the cows/calves only means for shelter (water is outside) We have a smaller 14'x14' pen off the main area with a creep just big enough for the goats to fit through. We have a small hay feeder in there so the goats can have some better hay when we are feeding the cows corn stalk bales (goats love corn stalks too) The barn opens into the winter pasture (1 acre or so) so there is a lot of room for them all to get away from each other. I would NOT recommend putting them in a small pen together 24/7 though.

The main issue would be feeding. It work for us because we feed the same thing and can suppliment the goats some. They all eat out of the same ring in the winter weather it be good mix hay, crappy grass hay, or corn stalks. We suppliment both groups with grain when their condition requires it.