mixing goats with sheep

[eclipchic]

If I want to add sheep in with my goats, do I need them tested for CAE? what other diseases?

[eclipchic]

same question for cattle

[Creamers]

A MAJOR issue with sheep is CL and often it is internal in sheep - on the organs - I'd not allow a sheep on my property without testing for CL - Though it isn't super accurate - CAE isn't something they are going to give the goats, so that isn't a major concern.

Also, sheep can't have copper and goats cannot thrive without it - so the feed with added copper for goats and the minerals do not mix with sheep, so keeping the two together is hard - you will HAVE to copper bolus often.

[mygoat]

I've HEARD that OPP in sheep is the same disease as CAE in goats. I'm not a sheep person and when I tried googling it there was very little info on OPP anyways - I think because sheep herds care less about diseases than us crazy dairy goat people. I believe WADDL and PAVL both test for OPP.

The other diseases I would worry about are Johne's and CL, for both sheep and cows. Cows and sheep can carry the same kind of CL that goats can get.

If it were me, I'd test any incoming stock for disease BEFORE purchase (6 months of age or older). I'd then practice extreme isolation with the new stock, for at least 3 months, when I'd retest. If they're your foundation stock, you may wish to wait 6 months or MORE to introduce to the main pen. Testing is accurate with regular retests, especially since diseases often have long incubation periods - Johne's is up to a year, CAE/CL up to 6 months. Isolation will be the key to biosecurity on your farm, be sure to build additional pens and housing structures for such occassions.

And finally, it's important to skip the sale barn for all livestock purchases as well. Even if you got a horse (which aren't infected by the same kind of CL as goats, but do get their own form), because it COULD be physically carrying the organism on their body/hooves simply from having run through the same pens as infected animals. This is true even if someone with a clean herd takes goats/sheep/cows to auction, where they were disease free before they are now stressed and exposed to the number one place diseased animals are taken for quick disposal...

[Rockytopsis]

Originally Posted by Creamers

A MAJOR issue with sheep is CL and often it is internal in sheep - on the organs - I'd not allow a sheep on my property without testing for CL - Though it isn't super accurate - CAE isn't something they are going to give the goats, so that isn't a major concern.

Also, sheep can't have copper and goats cannot thrive without it - so the feed with added copper for goats and the minerals do not mix with sheep, so keeping the two together is hard - you will HAVE to copper bolus often.

Thanks for this info, I was trying to talk DH into getting a couple of bottle lambs and raising them for meat, now no way.
Nancy

[eclipchic]

this is making me think we just need to get more goats instead

[lambs.are.cute]

Hey! we don't care less about diseases than you people, shepards are just less vocal than goat people. That was kind if mean just throwing that out there.

What you have to do is google search OPP and SHEEP.

Here are websites for OPP:
http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/sheep/ansc...s/problems.htm
http://www.oppsociety.org/Home__.html

[mygoat]

Didn't mean to offend, it's just what I've experienced about sheep herds. Same goes for boer goat herds. I've never seen a disease tested/disease free sheep herd, and I rarely find disease tested boer herds - so rarely that I had to drive 4 hrs for my boer buckling (one way) and 6 hrs (one way) for my does.

I've been hung up on by sheep and boer goat herds alike when I ask about disease testing, or alternately they tell me it's 'no big deal'. Even scarier, most don't know what I'm talking about. Until I stumble across a disease tested sheep herd, no sheep for me. I had about given up on boer goats, too.

[Creamers]

I've experienced about sheep herds. Same goes for boer goat herds.

I've dealt with the same thing - it doesn't mean there are no herds that are tested or that no owners care, but it does seem fewer can than in dairy herds of goats.

[Heritagefarm]

It works fine, but the silly goats love to eat sheep fur. You end up with plucked-looking sheep, LOL! Also I notice that my post is the first post not bashing the idea, apparently goat people hate sheep?

[mygoat]

I'd actually really like sheep someday. Just as I said - disease issues keep me away.

The main issue is to feed ONLY feeds that sheep can handle, and just be sure to supplement the goats for extra copper by bolusing. Other than that, no issues keeping meat goats in with meat sheep or dairy goats in with dairy sheep. Be sure to offer a high quality sheep mineral (like sweetlix brand) that has low salt to encourage both species to eat it.

Keeping meat sheep in with dairy goats for example, would be a hassle with feeding... Meat sheep do not need high quality alfalfa hay, but dairy goats DO. I have the same issues with my boer goats in with my dairy goats. Everybody gets expensive alfalfa hay, and my boers are FAT.

[eclipchic]

I had sheep growing up, I always really enjoyed raising them but right now we need milk and as much as I'd like to add sheep and cows I don't want to threaten our milk supplier. Obviously I'll need to do much more research

[RoyalValley]

We have Boer goats and Dorper sheep together. I keep a loose sheep mineral out for everyone to eat and then copper bolus my goats 2 times per year. So far that has worked well. I have not noticed the goats eating the sheep fur/wool at all. The goats are the herdqueen/kings over the sheep....sheep just naturally take that dormant roll, but so far they do pretty good together. I'm gradually getting rid of my horned Boer does though....don't need a gored sheep on my hands.

Sheep also have a CL vaccine that works for them but not goats, if I remember that correctly.