Housing multiple species of livestock together

[MDres]

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.

 

[marvun22]

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.

 

[Azriel]

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.

 

[marvun22]

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.

 

[SheepGirl]

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.

 

[marvun22]

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.

 

[Southern by choice]

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.

 

[marvun22]

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.

 

[MDres]

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....

 

[marvun22]

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.