Why Grazing Sheep & Cattle Together Could Revolutionize Your Farm

Curious about raising sheep and cattle on the same pasture? In this video, we explore how to set up sheep and cattle grazing together and answer the question, should you graze sheep and cattle on the same pasture? Learn the benefits and cons of combining cattle and sheep, and see the surprising results of a flerd – a mixed herd of ruminants grazing together. We’ll dive into whether cattle and sheep get along and how grass-fed cattle and sheep can thrive together. If you’ve been wondering how to combine sheep and cattle on the same pasture, this video covers everything you need to know!

📚 CHAPTERS 📚
00:00 - Cattle and Sheep Grazing Together
00:49 - Should You Graze Sheep and Cattle Together
03:28 - How to Set Up Sheep and Cattle Grazing Together
04:26 - Benefits of Combining Sheep and Cattle
05:43 - Cons of Combining Cattle and Sheep
06:57 - Results of a Flerd

✴️ Gallagher Animal Management Coupon Code for 10% off ENTIRE order: HEIFERUSA
🔶

Heifer USA trains farmers, gardeners, and homesteaders in regenerative agriculture, combining sustainable horticulture and market gardening with ethical, regenerative livestock management, implementing proven methods to improve soil health. We offer virtual training through livestreams, workshops, and long-form video tutorials. Subscribe to be notified every time we publish a new video with information to improve your farm, ranch, or organic garden!

DISCLAIMER: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

[markpiersall]

The top 2 cm or .8 inch is where 90% of parasites reside. Given Cattle are less susceptible to parasites and prefer to graze at a higher height running them before Sheep might be beneficial to keeping Sheep healthy.

It would be interesting to know the frequency of the paddock moves. Greg Judy Rejuvenation Ranch Channel moves Cattle morning and Evening; an in early June through September includes a midday move as well. Every two days he moves the Sheep to graze the paddocks the Cattle grazed the previous two days. He has a similar number of Cows to Ewes.

Good video.

[londonwerewolves]

I flerd it through the grapevine that parasite limitation is a benefit. Cow parasite eggs can't survive if ingested by sheep and vice-versa. Any truth to that, and has there been a noticeable difference in the parasite load?

[atenas]

QUESTION - what is the approximate size of your paddock in the video? Do you have multiple paddocks of same size? By chance have an aerial photo? Thanks!

[rancholoskarichis]

Que porcentaje de fertilidad tienes en los empadres de febrero a junio

[mariameadows]

Would this management plan provide the same benefits with goats rather than sheep? And when following a flerd with poultry, is it better to wait a rest period before introducing the birds or follow them immediately behind to spread manure and and clean up seeds etc left behind?

[tentamalaska]

Sheep are browsers.
They eat the broad leaf, shrubs, saplings, herby flowery, stems, things cattle will pass by as long as there's grasses and legumes forages.
Cattle are grazers. They prefer the grasses and legumes.

[petiteplanete]

One question: why not just let the sheep and/or cattle graze across the entire field? Why is the herd / flock always given part of the field and then moved on? What happens if you just allow the sheep to have access to the whole area that is, say, four times larger than any paddock rather than giving them one paddock at a time and rotating them across four? It seems to me (not a rancher) than the impact on the grass is the same. Also, that was more than one question ;-)

[dr.mitchellbrew]

What are your thoughts of also pasture raising chickens in same Flerd paddock with sheep and cattle? Is it too much?

[halilbalaban]

I have some questions.
***In the 3 acre Flerd paddock you use in practice, how many cows and how many sheep do you keep together?
***How many days do you keep this number of animals on 3 acres?
***How many cattle and how many sheep can be kept together and appropriately on 1000 square meters of land?
***How many square meters of land do you mean by 1 acre in your country?

[patrickmcginnis]

I'm considering following this management program. Curious what your long term solution will be for the Cu (copper) mineral? I've had some tell me they offer their sheep free choice copper mineral without issue. I did initially, they gobbled it down without a problem, but I didn't refill.
Either your cattle go without, your sheep get it too, or you design some kind of creep system I suppose

[veziqiniso]

Thank you for s good overview.
Are you applying a form of adaptive multi paddock grazing, and if so, what is your typical duration of stay within a paddock (or, frequency of moving), and typical duration of rest, on cultivated forages and on natural rangelands?

[rancholoskarichis]

Por q no pones a tus borregas lactantes en corral para q los corderos crescan mas rapido y gasten energia al estar caminando en potrero ah de ser para no tener mas gastos