# Cohabitation of goats and zebu



## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

I’ve got a heard of ~15 Boers, all wonderfully sweet. I’ve been wanting a Zebu and found a cow-calf pair along with a bull for sale—not sure if we would get all or just the pair. I can’t separate my land to provide additional pens so if I got them they would have to live harmoniously with my goats. Is that likely or is it a disaster waiting to happen? We had a pony that lived happily with the goats but they’ve never been around other types of livestock. And I’m more worried the zebu will hassle the goats than vice versa. The breeder from which we’d buy said the cow is very friendly and has allowed him to be interactive in her births and the bull has been babied all his life by the breeder and his grandkids.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Only time will tell. Every animal is different.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

Honestly, I wouldn’t ever want an adult bull in with my goats, BUT we do often have cows/calves in with them. As mentioned above it does depend on the individual animal - one of our cows is very aggressive towards the goats (chasing, slamming them against fences) so she obviously isn’t allowed in with them anymore. 

Would it be possible to make a separate little area for the cows, and just leave them in it for a day or two, so the goats can kind of get used to them first?
It’s a good idea to always have a place for the goats to hide from the cows if need be. And also, during kidding season you’d have to keep a very close eye on the kids, one of ours was almost trampled by a bunch of rowdy calves when she was only a couple days old - for that reason, we now keep babies separate from the cows until they are 1-2 weeks old, so they are old and strong enough to get away from them.


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## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

Goat_Scout said:


> Honestly, I wouldn't ever want an adult bull in with my goats, BUT we do often have cows/calves in with them. As mentioned above it does depend on the individual animal - one of our cows is very aggressive towards the goats (chasing, slamming them against fences) so she obviously isn't allowed in with them anymore.
> 
> Would it be possible to make a separate little area for the cows, and just leave them in it for a day or two, so the goats can kind of get used to them first?
> It's a good idea to always have a place for the goats to hide from the cows if need be. And also, during kidding season you'd have to keep a very close eye on the kids, one of ours was almost trampled by a bunch of rowdy calves when she was only a couple days old - for that reason, we now keep babies separate from the cows until they are 1-2 weeks old, so they are old and strong enough to get away from them.





Goat_Scout said:


> Honestly, I wouldn't ever want an adult bull in with my goats, BUT we do often have cows/calves in with them. As mentioned above it does depend on the individual animal - one of our cows is very aggressive towards the goats (chasing, slamming them against fences) so she obviously isn't allowed in with them anymore.
> 
> Would it be possible to make a separate little area for the cows, and just leave them in it for a day or two, so the goats can kind of get used to them first?
> It's a good idea to always have a place for the goats to hide from the cows if need be. And also, during kidding season you'd have to keep a very close eye on the kids, one of ours was almost trampled by a bunch of rowdy calves when she was only a couple days old - for that reason, we now keep babies separate from the cows until they are 1-2 weeks old, so they are old and strong enough to get away from them.


We definitely would keep them in our quarantine pen to allow the goats and cows to get a sense of each other before throwing them all together, it's just not a place to keep them separated long-term. And we use a separated maternity pen for our pregnant does and keep them in there away from our other goats as it is.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

Sounds like you’re all set then!  

P.S. - If you do decide to get any of them, please post pictures!!


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## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

Goat_Scout said:


> Sounds like you're all set then!
> 
> P.S. - If you do decide to get any of them, please post pictures!!


That really sounds like enough? AHH WHAT ABOUT FOOD? How can I manage that?! Lots and lots of bowls??


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

Since they are Zebus (a beef breed) they shouldn’t need a lick of grain, just good quality hay and grazing if you have the grass. 
You will, however, need to feed your goats separately so the Zebus won’t get the grain. I’m not sure how you’re feeding them now (as a group or individually?), but if as a group, maybe you could set up a small “creep” area that the goats can get to but the cows cannot. 

As for minerals and such, our cows get the same minerals as the goats. And also - cattle are easier than goats in that they rarely ever need to be dewormed (I think in 7+ years of owning cattle we’ve only had to deworm once, and that was in the first year). 

Keep in mind, if you get the bull you will need to separate or sell him after the cow is bred again, otherwise he can and will breed the calf (if it’s a heifer of course). Unlike goats, cows are typically bred again 2-3 months post calving.


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## Goat_Scout (Mar 23, 2017)

On a side note, bulls are dangerous and you should NEVER turn your back on one for even a second. Even the gentlest of bulls can turn mean at any given time. 
I would personally rather have a bull that is wary/a little shy of you than a friendly, tame one. They need to respect you and keep out of your personal space. 
So if you have young children around (who like going in with/petting the goats etc) I would shy away from getting a bull. 
Would this seller possibly let you take the cow back to be bred each year (if that is something you’d want to do)? Another option would be AI (artificial insemination). 
We’ve always had our cows AI’d, just because we don’t want to risk keeping a bull. But, this year, the 4 heifers we retained are all apparently having silent heats, so we are going to take the plunge and are borrowing a yearling bull this weekend, he’ll be here for about 2 months.


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## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

I have a toddler who loves hugging his animals—our Boer billy is his best friend, it’s so great. Thank you for that info; absolutely something to consider! We have a farm directly behind ours with similar animals so maybe he’d let us put our cows with his for a few weeks when they’re ready for breeding.


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## Lstein (Oct 2, 2014)

I agree with @Goat_Scout about the bull, I don't think it would be worth it to keep one for the 1-2 cows. AI'ing cows is much easier to do than it is with goats, and would probably end up being cheaper and less hassle in the long run. Plus you could always get another cow to take his place!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

You aren't going to want to breed a Zebu cow to a regular size bull. The female should always be the larger breed.


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## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

ksalvagno said:


> You aren't going to want to breed a Zebu cow to a regular size bull. The female should always be the larger breed.


Yes, I do know that.


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## dada&thegoats (Jul 3, 2017)

Lstein said:


> I agree with @Goat_Scout about the bull, I don't think it would be worth it to keep one for the 1-2 cows. AI'ing cows is much easier to do than it is with goats, and would probably end up being cheaper and less hassle in the long run. Plus you could always get another cow to take his place!


That's an extremely valid point. And I wouldn't want more than 1 or 2 right now anyhow. We're going to pass on the Zebu, as much as I want those babies! It's not worth the risk to our son's safety nor that of our goats. And I'd rather commit myself more to goats than spread myself too thin.

Here's a photo of our kiddo giving our billy kisses (in an awkward location, albeit, but still full of love).


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## Alex Kimoto (Dec 16, 2017)

Lol how cute is that!


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