If you’re caring for sheep with limited space, you may be wondering how they get along with other species of animals. Because individual animals each have their own unique personalities, preferences, and histories of trauma. If you’re planning on keeping a sheep with anyone new, regardless of species, make sure to carefully monitor their interactions until you are satisfied that there will be no trouble when you go off to attend to other farm needs.
Typically, a sheep should have no problem living with other sheep (and in fact, this would be preferable to a sheep living alone), provided that they have enough space, food, water, and mineral access so they don’t feel the need to compete.
Sheep And Goats
Sheep can live with goats on the same pasture, provided that they have ample space to avoid each other if they choose, with one major caveat: goats can eat minerals formulated for sheep, but sheep can not have access to minerals formulated for goats; minerals for goats have copper supplemented in them, and sheep are highly susceptible to Copper toxicity. If you need to keep sheep and goats in a shared space with mineral access for both, you may have to carefully supplement the goat’s copper separate from the minerals both species receive. Some goats may be a bit too rambunctious for your sheep residents, and those with horns could cause injury if they are being too playful or are confrontational towards the sheep. If your sheep flock seems stressed by living with particular goats, you’ll need to find another living arrangement that keeps everyone safe and happy.
Sheep and other animals
Sheep and other sanctuary mammals such as cows, pigs and horses can live harmoniously on the same pasture and do not tend to bother one another (though some individual personalities might not mix, just like with anyone). You must ensure that any minerals used are safe for all species of animals who have access to them and may need to supplement some species separately. It’s also important to employ fencing that is appropriate and safe for all species being kept in the same pasture. If any of the sheep have mobility impairments, you should ensure that they are not going to get caught in the path of a much larger species, such as a cow or pigs. Pigs also may create terrain that is uneven and difficult for elderly or mobility impaired sheep to navigate. Feeding schedules might be complicated to coordinate with certain residents, such as large breed pigs, so even if you’re having everyone in the same pasture, you’ll probably want to keep them in separate living quarters.
Contact Jaguza Support