Recently I was talking to a friend about what animals are best to keep with goats.
He already has goats on his small farm and is interested in getting more livestock, ideally cows.
His large farm will make a perfect home for cattle, but where should the goats be kept?
There are many factors to consider when keeping animals together.
Everything from feeding to parasites and safety must be factored in.
Our primary concern is making sure that our goats and cows stay safe and healthy.
These considerations bring us to our main question. Can goats and cows live together?
Yes, goats and cows can live together. In fact, they often make great companions for one another. Remember that though cows and goats are both ruminants they are also very different animals, both in size and in care needs. It is very important to introduce cows and goats slowly so that both will be comfortable and safe with the other.
There are many benefits to co-grazing cows and goats.
It can reduce overall acreage needed and can even help keep pasture healthy.
Because goats are foragers and cows are grazers they can complement one another, with goats eating weeds and other plants that cows won’t.
How much space to goats and cows need?
Goats and cows will need plenty of space in order to live together safely.
Separately you can keep 2-3 cows per acre and 6-8 goats per acre.
When living together you can generally keep about 2 cows per acre and 3-4 goats per acre, depending on the pasture itself and the amount of vegetation available to the goats.
Because goats will eat lots of vegetation that cows will not touch, adding goats does not greatly decrease the number of cows you can keep per acre.
This is great news if you are raising cows to produce meat or dairy because it keeps each acre of land quite productive.
You should also keep barn space in mind.
If your cows and goats are sheltering together then you need to be sure that you offer them at least 20-30 square feet per cow and 10 square feet per goat.
Goats are very active, so make sure not to crowd their shelter space.
Avoiding crowding becomes especially important if either animal has horns. Horned goats and cows can injure one another, in the barn and out on pasture.
Keep an eye on your animals to make sure they have enough space to avoid accidents.
Keep in mind that goats do require more fencing than cows.
They are independent and adventurous, so make sure that your fences will keep both in before adding goats to your cow pasture.
Is it safe for goats and cows to live together?
Yes, overall it is quite safe to keep goats and cows together.
They both have quite friendly temperaments (though this can depend on the type of cow or goat).
They can even become good friends.
Of course, as with any co-grazing pair, cows and goats can also injure one another.
Usually this happens by accident as a result of competition and overcrowding.
It is also more frequent if either is horned.
Watch for personality differences and reduce conflict by providing lots of food and water, reducing competition between species.
Predators are another safety challenge.
Though both cows and goats are at risk, goats are much more likely to be attacked by common predators like coyotes and even neighborhood dogs.
Good fencing can keep predators out, and a guardian animal like a donkey or mule can help protect the whole herd.
How should goats and cows be introduced?
Properly introducing goats and cows can help keep both safe.
It will ensure that both animals are comfortable and reduce conflict later on.
Introductions are easier on younger animals.
That way they can get used to the presence of another species as they grow up.
You can definitely bring adults together too though, just make sure to take it slow.
Start by allowing your animals to live near one another but without being able to reach the other.
This way they can begin to feel comfortable in the space and see each other, helping both feel calm and unthreatened.
Once they’ve been separated for a week or two, allow them to intermingle in a controlled environment like a barn or small yard.
Once that has been a success, go ahead and combine them! Just continue to watch for any problems.
Are there health challenges when goats and cows live together?
There are both health benefits and health risks when it comes to goats and cows living together.
The biggest health benefit is that cows and goats do not share the same parasites.
In fact, allowing them to co-graze can actually break the parasite life cycle, reducing the overall worm load for both.
On the other hand, they can also share some diseases.
If one gets infected, all cows and goats are at risk.
These include johne’s disease, a bacterial infection, and blue-tongue disease, usually carried by insects.
Is it good for the land to graze goats and cows together?
For those looking to not only maximize space but to improve land management, keeping goats and cows together can be a great choice.
Keeping species together is shown to increase both animal weight gain and land health.
This is because cows and goats have different diets.
While there is some overlap, in general they will choose different food sources.
This results in a more balanced pasture overall, preventing the land from becoming too heavy in one forage or another.
You can practice pasture rotation with both cows and goats together to help maintain a healthy balance of vegetation as well.
Rotating pasture areas every 2-3 weeks can help balance nitrogen and reduce parasites.
On the whole goats and cows have quite a symbiotic relationship.
Keeping them together is a net positive, in terms of both animal health and land health.
While you should keep an eye out for conflicting temperaments, keeping your goats and cows together is a great way to create a healthy and safe environment for both.