In almost all of the time that I have raise sheep on my farm , I have lift them side - by - side with chickens .
It might look a niggling odd to see sheep range out among the chickens , and vice versa , but the reality is that there are many advantages to doing so .
Not only does it give the barnyard an amazing , symbiotic - respective aesthetic , but there are health , direction , and environmental reasons to take this method acting ofmultispecies graze .
Pondering the theme of raising sheep and chicken together ? regard these tips and recommendations to facilitate you get start .
Benefits of Keeping Sheep with Chickens
1. Parasite Control
The big welfare of keep chickens with sheep , in my opinion , is for parasite command . Both species of animals are prone to sponger , of course , but they are different type of parasites that invade each creature .
As a result , you could make light work of your parasite management ( and potentially thin or extinguish the need for parasiticides both rude and chemical likewise ) by browse sheep and chickens together .
Chickens are specially effective , helping to pick through sheep dung for what they study to be tasty morsel – sheep louse and aviate larvae !
Sheep wo n’t do much when it comes to breaking up the parasite aliveness cycle in wimp , but it may aid spread around thechicken manureif you ’re able to graze them over heavy areas where you house your sheep .
By spreading around the manure , you make it less likely that chickens will reinfect themselves or each other with parasites , too .
2. Disease Control
A secondary benefit of keeping sheep with chicken is disease dominance . Now , of course , paramount in any farm management design is the power to provide your animals ( of all species ) with access to fresh , fair water system , nutritious provender , and decent caparison . You will want to follow good sanitation procedures and have great ventilation , too .
For most backyard wimp fold , disease are rare as long as your flock does n’t come into contact with other plenty . That ’s not to say that they ca n’t come in into contact with other metal money of animate being , though !
keep sheep with crybaby is a unspoiled elbow room to melt off the likelihood of disease simply because it often means that , by caparison poulet in a large pasture or in a gravid barn share with your sheep , you are n’t confining them to a crack tiny coop .
Although one does n’t necessarily happen the other , being able-bodied to keep chickens with sheep might open up up a whole raw area of living accommodations that might not otherwise be possible . This can help you thin the likeliness of overcrowding and disease .
3. Predator Prevention
The presence of a big animal in a sheep playpen can also facilitate reducepredation of your chicken . This is something I have witnessed , at least anecdotally , on my own farm .
Although somepredatorscontinue to be an emergence ( particularly those that can surmount fences , like racoon , and aerial predators , like hawks ) we have found our weasel andfoxburden to be much less this twelvemonth .
We have never had much of an upshot with brush wolf ( pink on wood ! ) but the high , strong fence we have around our sheep paddock will also assist prevent brush wolf from arrive at our chickens , too .
When you nurture chicken with sheep , you are doing so in an area where ( presumptively ) the fence are tall enough to keep most chicken predatory animal out .
Therefore , this method of housing and grazing can be super effective if you require to keep your chickens good from marauder .
4. Easy Management & Best Utilization of Space
Last but not least , the master reason we keep our chickens with our sheep – it helps us save space . We are prosperous enough to have a comme il faut chunk of land here on our farm in which we can put up and pasture animate being .
However , it ’s not enough so that we can get aside with endless fences and barns .
Therefore , housing sheep and Gallus gallus side - by - side makes sense for us . We can double up up on the amount of operable space we have and get more “ bang for our buck , ” so to speak . You do n’t need to build up two freestanding fences or housing areas – just one will suffice ! This also make it easier when it is time to do chores each morning .
We have large water totes that can be emptied to fill drinkers for both specie . Plus , it ’s only one pen to walk into and out of rather than two .
What to Keep in Mind When Raising Sheep With Chickens
Of naturally , raising sheep with chickens is n’t all casual . There are a few thing you ’ll require to keep in head for successful direction .
1. Good Pasture Rotation is Essential
First and first is what I consider to be the golden rule to raise any form of animal on pasture . You ’ve got to rotate them .
If you do n’t rotate your animals into separate paddock , you are going to rapidly develop issues with sponge , overgrazing , and plant death .
Therefore , you should make it a point to move your brute every few weeks . Although our wimp more or lessfree rangeinside the big sheep paddock , the sheep are confined to small-scale “ pigboat paddock . ” They can only browse a certain chunk of eatage every couple of days . We move them with a portableelectric fence systemset up inside the permanent fencing .
2. Coccidiosis
One common misconception that people have when it amount to elevate sheep and chickens together is that it ca n’t be done due to the potentiality for the transmittance of coccidiosis .
This is a bit of a misunderstanding , however .
Both sheep and chicken can get order Coccidia but the types ofcoccidiosisthat sham each metal money , respectively , are different .
They are species - specific , so the variety ofcoccidiosis that affect your sheepare not the same as thecoccidiosis that affects your chickens . There is only one exception to this and that ’s toxoplasmosis , but the likelihood of this disease causing problems with your brute is rare .
Again , as long as you are practicing good pasture management and rotary motion , this should not be a headache . Preventing overcrowding is another good path to do away with the likeliness of coccidiosis being spread .
Contaminated provender , bedding , and drunkenness body of water are the most common methods of transmission for coccidiosis , so doing your undecomposed tokeep things cleanwill lower your danger too .
3. Avoid Allowing Sheep Into Chicken Grain
A very real problem we have had when raising sheep with chickens is that sheep love grain – but really should only have it in small amounts .
Add to that the fact that sheep seem especially adoring of poulet grain , which is high in calcium and also contains copper , a major no - no for sheep , and it ’s of paramount importance that you keep your sheep out of the Gallus gallus texture .
To do this , consider keeping the crybaby grain lock up up inside the hencoop . That way , the Gallus gallus can get to it via achicken - sized access door , but the sheep can not . While you ’re at it , dual - agree the sizing of your chicken entry room access , as modest lamb often find their way inside ! You ’ll desire to ensure it ’s small enough so they ca n’t weasel their style in .
4. Protect the Eggs
You will also need a way to protect your eggs from sheep hurt . The method mention in the above tip , to protect the caryopsis , should do the trick for you . As long as your sheep ca n’t get inside the chicken coop , you ’ll be o.k. .
With this topic , it ’s not so much that your sheep will endeavor to rust the eggs . However , they can step on them and break them , which can be a real painful sensation and pile to distribute with .
5. Build a Fence With Both Animals in Mind
When doing any kind of multi - species grazing , establish a fencethat is firm enough to keep the wiliest of the two animals out . When it amount to sheep and Gallus gallus , neither are particularly wily – but they have unlike limitations and capabilities .
We have found that electrical energy does not work well for chickens , as they can drop off through the gap too easy . With sheep , electrical energy works fine as long as you have an extremelyhigh - powered charger . Sheep are very resistant to electrical energy , which makes sensation – they ’re insulated !
look at building a page telegram fence that has gaps that are humble enough so chicken ca n’t slip through , but marvellous enough so that sheep ca n’t rise over and wimp ca n’t fly over , either .
you could line the interior with electricity if you require to set up disjoined home paddocks to rotationally graze your sheep .
6. Don’t Forget About Aerial Predators
The fence around your chickens and sheep will do a near job of eliminating most variety of predator pressure . However , it wo n’t do much when it comes to aerial predators . Therefore , deal how you will keep airborne threat likehawksand owls away from your poulet .
A covered discharge is n’t really an option if you ’re destitute - range chickens out on pasture with your sheep . That said , allow for your volaille with mountain of places to “ dip and cover ” can make a difference .
Consider elevating your coop or providing other overhang so your wimp can get out of the room at a moment ’s notice .
7. Salmonella Risk
You do need to mind the peril of salmonella , too . High levels of bothSalmonella entericaandCampylobacter bacteriacan be found in poultry feces . The bag of Ewe can host the bacteria and shift them to nursing untested . These bacteria can be fatal to young lambs .
Again , keeping your Gallus gallus out of your sheep ’s drinking water system and feed is the most important way to forbid this disease . Your sheep are n’t that probable to intentionally exhaust chicken manure . grazing land rotation is also essential .
8. Lambing
A final note to mention is that you may desire to keep your sheep and chickens separate atlambingtime .
poulet , as you know , are omnivore , and will eat just about anything . Your chicken may attempt to get into your lambing jugs . They will peck at or otherwise chevvy newborn lambs as they go after the various birthing fluids on the fiddling one .
I would commend just keep back the two animals separate at lambing time to avoid this trouble altogether .
Should I Pasture Chickens and Sheep Together?
Ultimately , the decisiveness of whether to raise sheep with crybaby is up to you .
In my experience , there are many advantage to doing so , although there are of course extra considerations you must make before deciding if this option is correct for you .
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