Sheep, goats make good grazing partners for cattle

 

Special to Kentucky Agricultural News

 

After a record drought last summer, some Kentucky cattlemen may be looking at significant pasture renovation.  Sheep and goats can play a positive, low-impact role in helping eliminate unwanted forage species.

 

Sheep and cattle graze together on Warren Beeler's farm in Grayson County. (Photo by Warren Beeler)

 

“The sheep and goat industries have encouraged multi-species grazing for years, but this year the benefits to Kentucky may be even greater than before,” according to Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office Executive Director Ray Bowman.  “The grasses that cattle prefer were heavily stressed by last year’s drought, and some of those grasses may be replaced this spring by broad-leaf weeds and browse plants.  Adding sheep or goats can help manage undesirable vegetation while adding another means of revenue, which might be very attractive to some cattle producers.”

 

Since cattle are primarily grass consumers and sheep are picky about grass, their diets overlap only 20 to 40 percent. Goats, which are classified as a browser, only overlap with cows 5 to 20 percent when choosing what to eat.  Forbs (broad-leaf weeds) are higher in protein and provide a good diet for sheep, which require more protein than cattle.  Goats tend to prefer woody plants and browse such as multiflora rose and honeysuckle that many farmers in the Commonwealth constantly battle.

 

When resources are properly managed, multi-species grazing can increase carrying capacity, improve animal performance, improve cash flow and reduce financial risk.

 

Of course, it's not a perfect world.  Species diversification does lead to the need for better fencing, modified handling facilities and methods, and additional health maintenance.  In the long run, however, producers should find the advantages far outweigh any disadvantages.

 

“Diversification is an important consideration for any livestock enterprise,” Bowman noted.  “I’ve always maintained that there’s not a cattle operation in Kentucky that wouldn’t benefit from the addition of sheep, goats or both.”

 

To learn more about multi-species forage utilization, contact the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office by e-mail at info@kysheepandgoat.org or by phone at (502) 352-2434.  The development office is also on the Web at www.kysheepandgoat.org.