One sheep with 2 goats - ok to keep?

NS2A

Songster
12 Years
Jun 11, 2007
134
1
129
Minnesota
I have about a half acre to maybe one acrea area behind my place I'd like to keep "mowed". I have 2 pygmy goats and was thinking of getting one full sized sheep. I'd get one lamb in the spring and once winter hits, I'd either sell or butcher the sheep. The goats are pets and would be sharing space with the chickens in the winter in a shed/barn. During the year, I figured a lean to or one of those animal shelters would be fine. My goats have been outside all summer, with just a "teepee" type wooden shelter.

Since sheep are herd animals, will keeping them with the 2 goats satisfy this requirement? Will the goats be ok with a larger sheep? It'd be a wetherd male.

Any advice is appreciated!
 
The only problem I see is that if you are feeding grain, sheep can't have the copper in goat grain and goats need the copper that sheep feeds do not have.
Goats are pretty ruff and tumble and they should be fine with a sheep.
Plus your goats will eat all the chicken feed if you keep them in with the chickens. You will have skinny chickens and fat goats if you don't come up with a solution that keeps the goats of the chicken feed.
 
Feed and minerals is a BIG deal with both set ups. Chicken feed is toxic to goats (causes UC) and sheep feed/mineral is toxic to goats AND vice versa.

So, if you aren't putting out minerals (unadvisable) or feed...then no problem. Otherwise...problem.
 
The chicken/goat situation is already solved. There is a pen in the barn for chickens and a separate pen for the goats.

I typically feed my goats just a soupcan full of grains a day. It's literally eaten from my hands in less than a minute. The stuff I've been getting, actually has no copper, I just feed that separately with my mineral supplement. I've actually fed them the grains and minerals together, and again, its gone quickly.

I'm just more concerned that being a herd animal, one sheep will be ok with 2 goats. And the goats will be ok with an animal at least twice their size.
 
Goats do great with horses and cattle, so they should do just as well with a sheep.
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I have 6 sheep and 2 goats. All are pastured/housed together with no problems. One big happy flock (herd???)
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