The Benefits of Keeping Sheep and Cows Together

Folks are often asking if they can keep different species of livestock together. Homesteaders are not only able to do so, but there are many benefits of keeping sheep and cows together on pasture.

Keeping Sheep and Cows Together

Adding hair sheep to our small cow herd has immensely benefited our homestead, so when I see people asking if it’s possible to run them together, I can’t wait to tell “Yes!” 

Our cattle operation consists of a handful of dairy cows with a couple of upcoming heifers. We also run just two beef cows plus whatever babies we have growing out to yearling size for freezer beef or auction cattle. Occasionally, we have an extra calf or cow coming or going, but overall, we average around a dozen total head of cattle of various ages.

We added small ruminants a few years ago, specifically, Katahdin hair sheep, and here’s what we’ve noticed. We’ve seen:

1. Less Parasite Burdens
2. Better Pasture Utilization
3. Inadvertent Predator Control
4. Easy Extra Farm Income

Parasite Control

We’ve never had much of a serious problem with parasite control in our beef or dairy cows. We aren’t the kind of producers who routinely deworm their cattle on a schedule. If we suspect a problem, we address it. Course hair, pale gums, and unexplained weight loss are all cause for concern and signs of a high parasite load in your cows. I recommend having a veterinarian run a fecal test to find out if you’re dealing with a parasite problem in the first place, and which kind of dewormer you should use.

Since adding Katahdin sheep to our fields, we’ve noticed a lower incidence of questioning our cows’ parasite load. Sometimes our sheep run alongside our cows, and sometimes they get a field to themselves behind the cows.

Keeping one kind of animal on the land keeps the parasite life cycle going. We’ve learned that these large and small ruminant animals work together to end the life cycle of parasites naturally occuring in the soil. 

The Life Cycle Disrupted

The cows ingest the larva, which lay eggs in the intestinal tract of the cows. The eggs hatch and are then excreted with the cows’ manure. The parasites continue to flourish in the cows and in the fields. The cows keep eating more parasites if left on the same pasture.

Different internal parasites affect different animals. When the sheep ingest the larva that bothers the cow, the parasites die. They’ve been picked up by a host that does not have the right environment for them to flourish. The same is true when cows pick up the parasite that normally infects the sheep. They become dead end hosts to the parasite.

Both the sheep and the cattle thrive when run together or near one another on pasture. We’ve used very little deworming medicines since keeping sheep and cows together. This is especially good for us livestock producers who are concerned with withdrawal time of medicines from meat and milk.

Easier Pasture Management

Multispecies grazing helps livestock enterprises better manage their pastures. I’ve heard it said, “Don’t think of yourself as a cattle farmer. Think of yourself as a grass farmer.” There have never been truer words spoken. 

We are just as concerned with how the grass is growing as we are with how the calves are growing. Quality pasture needs to be free of weeds that compete with your grass, and oftentimes, the cows won’t eat the weeds.

While there is some dietary overlap, sheep and cows will eat different plants. Cows are grazers and sheep do best on 50% browse and 50% grazing pasture. Using sheep for weed control makes building pasture a little easier on the farmer.

Predator Protection

Keeping some cattle with your sheep turns the cow into a guardian animal of sorts. This is especially true if the cattle and sheep are raised together. The sheep become so comfortable with the cows, that they run to the cow herd when frightened. 

Since the cows are so much bigger, larger predators like bobcats or coyotes will avoid the group of livestock altogether. Furthermore, the cows tend to be a little more aggressive towards such predation, especially beef cattle with calves.

Better Stocking Rate

Typically, you can count 1000 pounds of various livestock species on the hoof to an acre of land. Of course, this changes with the quality of forage for the specific animals. 

Adding 100 pound sheep to a herd of cows is negligible. Additionally, lamb meat sells for up to three times the amount of beef, depending on the location it’s sold. Adding a little sheep business on the side is a wise investment to the cattle rancher.

The Downside of Keeping Sheep and Cows Together

There are negative parts of keeping sheep and cows together on pasture. Here are some important things to keep in mind.

​First of all, cows are obviously larger animals. They have a hierarchy within their herds with a bully, boss cow at the top. There’s a passive cow at the bottom and everyone else is in between. Top cows tend to push around the lower cows, and generally (not always) bigger cows are at the top.

​The lower cows often see the sheep as beneath them, and may attempt to pick on them. Cows pushing sheep out of feed and water can be a problem; however, the sheep learn quickly to move out of the cows’ way.

​Secondly, rams, or male sheep, may become aggressive towards the cows during their rut. The rut is the sheeps’ mating season. The rams become territorial about their spaces and their ladies. Rams are designed to butt heads so their skulls are thick and hard. Cows’ skulls are not quite as thick as rams.

We had one such ram who hurt a momma cow of ours to the point, we had to separate him from the cows. He was otherwise a very docile ram, but due to this natural behavior, we had to sell him. Now, we only keep a ram long enough to breed our sheep, then move them off of our farm.

Minerals

​Last, keeping sheep and cows together can be difficult because they need different mineral blends. Leaving out high quality loose minerals for cows can be fatal to sheep due to the high copper content.

The cattle need copper to maintain optimum health, while sheep are prone to copper toxicity. You’ll even see a warning on the bag of cattle minerals stating “do not feed to sheep.”

That said, my farm has never had a problem with sheep getting into our high-copper cattle mineral blend. Perhaps it’s the breed of sheep that we keep, Katahdin, or maybe our area is so copper deficient that ingesting the extra mineral isn’t a problem for them. I’m not sure, but my vet says if we haven’t had problems yet, then we probably won’t.

All in all, the benefits of keeping sheep and cows together far outweigh the potential negative impacts.

Easy Fencing 

Keeping sheep and cows together is simple because both do well with simple fencing. Unlike goats, sheep and cows will do just fine with wire fence. 

Some mischievous sheep may need more than a double strand electric temporary fencing. Using electric net is a better option for sheep.

Always be sure to train your various animals to electric lines before trusting them to fully work. Also, be mindful of young lambs possibly getting tangled in lines or netting.

Multi-Species Grazing Information

For additional information on grazing multiple species together, check out The American Sheep Industry Association and oregonstate.edu.

Talk to your local extension beef specialist too. Most have practical advice specific to your area about using livestock production for grassland management. 

Summary of Keeping Sheep and Cows Together

Homesteading is far from easy, so if we can ever find a simple way to mimic nature, our job becomes a little easier. Allowing systems to naturally work together means less fighting against natural problems by artificial means, and that’s a beautiful thing.

Whether you’re a beef producer hoping to improve pasture or a sheep operation looking to reduce parasite load, I hope that you’ve been encouraged to consider keeping sheep and cows together on your small farm.

Happy Homesteading!

Donna and her family have been homesteading for most of their 20+  years together in some shape or fashion. She currently lives on their 20 acre farm where they grow as much food as possible. What started as a just a few laying hens, has grown into large gardens, pastured poultry, pork, and lamb. They are continuously evolving their small farm to not suit their family’s needs, but also providing to their local community. Donna’s favorite part of the family farm is her self-built micro-dairy, where she gets to love on dairy cows while serving her local community. Milking, cheesemaking, and processing dairy have become the soul of their homestead and the center of their farm.