Spring has sprung, and the livestock are heading back out to the pastures to graze. Whether you have a large livestock production or a smaller hobby farm or homestead, grazing management is one of the most important factors to a successful year. One option that is becoming popular is multi-species grazing.
There are many benefits to grazing cattle, sheep and goats together or in succession of each other. This type of grazing is an efficient way to improve a pasture because it helps control weeds and brush, and it promotes better grass growth. Pastures that include grasses, forbs and browse are best for multi-species grazing.
Cattle and horses tend to prefer grasses while sheep seek out weeds. Goats enjoy brose, which includes brushes, shrubs trees, brambles and vines.
Each species also prefers to eat at different levels. Goats like to reach as high as possible, often standing on their hind legs to reach tree branches. Cattle prefer to graze moderately high forage while sheep prefer to graze closer to the ground. These variants will help the pasture to be more efficiently grazed.
Farms with varying terrain, like we have in Noble County, are well suited for multi-species grazing. Sheep and goats can graze the rough and steep terrain more efficiently than cattle. Also, these areas are usually too steep for a producer to safely mow with a tractor.
Parasite control
Another positive to multi-species grazing would be improved parasite control in the pasture. Fortunately, the parasites that can live inside goats and sheep cannot live inside cattle and vice versa. Parasites are species specific. This means cattle can ingest sheep parasites on the grass and prevent the larvae from reaching the sheep, essentially becoming a “dead end” host.
Weed control
Adding small ruminants to the pasture will help to reduce the need for chemical weed control. Goats are becoming an increasingly popular option for controlling invasive species such as autumn olive, multi-flora rose and spotted knapweed. Sheep and goats eagerly eat some of the weeds that are currently showing up in our cattle pastures.
Fencing
There are some things to consider when grazing small and large ruminants together. Fencing is one of the most popular concerns. While a single strand of electric or three strands of barbed wire work great for grazing cattle, sheep and goats will need more encouragement to stay within the boundaries.
Goats, especially, prefer to browse on the brushier areas that grow along the fence line. They will be more apt to test the strength and quality of the fence.
Reinforcing exterior fence with a few strands of electric will not only deter goats from getting out, but also help prevent predators from getting in.
Predators. Sheep and goats are more susceptible to predators, such as coyotes, bobcats and neighborhood dogs, then cattle might be. Adding a livestock guardian animal is a good way to protect your flock. It may take some research and experimenting to see what type of livestock guardian animal works best for your farm.
The most commonly used in our area are livestock guardian dogs and donkeys.
Working facilities. Another concern of producers is working facilities. Cattle working facilities are not usually conducive to working small livestock. The space between the gates and panels, and larger alleyways are not safe for sheep and goats. A separate set of pens may be needed to safely work small ruminants.
These are some of the pros and cons of multi-species grazing. Producers must decide if the benefits outweigh the challenges in their individual operations and make sure the practice meets their goals and management style.
