Keeping goats and sheep together?

[TheBanditQueen]

Wasn't sure if this should go in the goat or sheep forum, so I just posted here.

I am just curious if goats and sheep can be kept together, i.e. in the same pasture. I know they have different copper needs, etc., and should be gender-separated. But I just wondered if there were any other reasons why it could or couldn't be done.

[Doug Hodges]

Dads done it for 25 years off and on.


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[BusyMama]

We plan to for the winter.

[anita_fc]

The different mineral requirements can make it a challenge, but we have done it for about 10 years. Goats like to climb and/or duck under things, so we place the goat mineral where our sheep don't go.

[Bret4207]

Our goats and sheep have always run together, close to 20 years now IIRC. The goats are in charge. We either use a dedicated sheep block and give the goats their copper containing mineral at the feeder or use a paste mineral injected directly into the goats mouth.

[BigHenTinyBrain]

I put my goat minerals up higher than the sheep can reach. They seem to be generally compatible.

[TheBanditQueen]

What about parasites? Are there any that affect goats more than sheep or vice versa, or that one can transmit to the other, or anything like that? Or does good parasite management in the first place take care of that?

[Frosted Mini's]

Goats and sheep pretty much share all their parasites.