Most ranchers out there may say, “wait a minute, I’m a commercial cow/calf operation and don’t have time to mess with goats or sheep or whatever else.”  However, multi-species grazing can offer substantial benefits. Co-grazing is not a new concept. It’s been around for years, but it is gaining some popularity in recent times as ranchers are looking for ways to increase profits by diversifying and utilizing available acres without having to obtain more ground. 

Cattle are grazers and goats/sheep are browsers. This offers a major benefit with brush and weed management. The animals will not compete for the same forage. Goats will climb steep hillsides that cattle will not touch. Studies show that goats will decrease brush from 45% to 2% in just 5 years. With the risk of fires and other environmental impacts goats can be an alternative in some areas of risk management.

Goats and sheep also reduce parasites. Goat and sheep parasites cannot survive in the stomach of cattle and parasites from cattle cannot survive in the stomach of goats or sheep. Therefore, multi-species grazing will decrease gastrointestinal parasite loads and slow resistance of gastrointestinal parasites to conventional dewormers. 

Goats can also offer an additional source of revenue without compromising the health of the cattle. Goat meat sales are popular in East and West Coast urban areas. 

If you are interested in learning more about co-grazing Beef Magazine has an article where goats are bid out for invasive weed and brush management. Follow the link here https://www.beefmagazine.com/mag/multi-species-grazing-goats-cattle-0801 

We understand this method may not be applicable to everyone. But co-grazing can offer multiple benefits to the producer including parasite reduction, weed/brush management and additional income.