Utilizing both cattle and sheep can be beneficial to a grazing operation
Running cattle and sheep are equally important ventures for producers across the West, but deep-rooted biases and stigmas often pit the two against each other.
During Southwest Wyoming Ag Day, hosted by University of Wyoming (UW) Extension on Feb. 20 at the Roundhouse and Railyards in Evanston, UW Extension Specialists Dagan Montgomery and McKenna Julian debunked the belief these two species don’t go well together.
“Cattle and sheep are two really important livestock animals throughout the Intermountain West and especially in southwest Wyoming,” said Montgomery. “They’re both really important to the economy and culture of the area, but there’s a stigma going around on both sides that the two don’t mesh.”
“People think cattle and sheep are just too different. They don’t go together, and it’s hard to run them on the same operation,” he continued. “But we are going to go over why this is not necessarily the case and why there are good benefits to utilizing both cattle and sheep on a grazing operation.”
Comparative physiology and grazing habits
As ruminants, cattle and sheep are both specialized herbivores with four-chambered stomachs and the ability to chew their cud, ferment feed in the rumen and utilize otherwise undigestible material.
The two species also have the ability to transform non-protein nitrogen into a useable source of protein.
Of course, Montgomery noted, there are also some pretty obvious differences as well, including stomach size and feed intake.
The first two chambers of the stomach, known together as the reticulorumen, are where fermentation takes place and are by far the largest section of the digestive tract in both species.
However, the omasum – which serves as a filtration system – is larger in cattle, while the abomasum – the “true stomach,” which is lined with glands to break down feed using hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes – is larger in sheep.
“Cattle and sheep eat similar amounts relative to their size but, of course, a 1,300-pound cow is going to eat a lot more than a 150-pound ewe,” Montgomery stated. “For instance, a late-gestation ewe is going to eat 3.5 to 4.4 pounds of dry matter a day, whereas the late-gestation cow eats up to 18.6 to 27 pounds a day.”
Additionally, Montgomery noted there are some similarities and differences in grazing habits between sheep and cattle, and while many producers assume the two are either too similar or too different, their similarities and differences actually allow them to graze the landscape together pretty effectively.
According to Montgomery, grazing animals are categorized into three groups.
These include concentrate selectors, like deer and moose, which select for areas of the plant with the highest concentration of nutrients such as leaves, seeds, fruits, etc.
Cattle, sheep and bison are considered grass and roughage eaters, and their large rumens allow them to consume bulk quantities of high-fiber, less-digestible plants.
Sheep also fall into the intermediate feeder category with goats, elk and antelope. Animals in this category can select certain parts of a plant and utilize high-fiber forage.
Montgomery explained, “Cattle are primarily grazing grass at about 70 percent of their diet across all different landscapes. They take in big mouthfuls of grass, almost like a vacuum cleaner. Because of their anatomy, they are less able to select for non-grass plants, so they won’t pick around weeds.”
“Sheep on the other hand, can use their narrow lips and flexible tongues to select around undesirable plants and pick out the best parts of plants which might otherwise have been less palatable or nutritious for them,” he continued. “Sheep are grazing about 50 percent of grass – although this number fluctuates – and the rest is browse.”
Montgomery also noted cattle typically tend to graze taller grasses and are more picky about the landscape they graze in, preferring lower, flatter riparian areas.
Comparatively, sheep are able to graze lower to the ground, allowing them to get more out of a sparser landscape and will often graze areas cattle avoid outright.
“They graze around manure piles and thorny plants a lot better. Thistles and cactus don’t bother them near as much,” said Montgomery. “They’ll utilize slopes and rougher terrain a lot more readily than cattle will, as well.”
Multi-species grazing strategies and benefits
When grazing both cattle and sheep, there are multiple strategies producers may consider.
Montgomery noted targeted grazing allows producers to capitalize on species, duration and time of year to enhance the landscape by changing plant composition.
“Sheep will eat forbs and broadleaf weeds we don’t want in the cow pasture because cattle will avoid them, which prevents those weeds from taking over,” he stated.
Sheep can also be used to target plants that are toxic to cattle, such as leafy spurge and larkspur, since they have a higher tolerance.
“Larkspur contains really toxic alkaloids that are extremely fatal for cattle. It takes as little as 0.5 percent of their overall body weight to kill a cow or a calf,” he explained. “Sheep on the other hand, take four to six times their body weight to see toxic effects, and there is a lot of research that has been done showing sheep can be used to decrease larkspur ahead of grazing cattle.”
Julian pointed out several other benefits to grazing cattle and sheep togetherespecially across Wyoming’s varied landscape.
“Obviously, Wyoming is not a flat plane of earth with miles and miles of grass,” she said. “A lot of times, we are trying to utilize every blade we’ve got, and this is one of the best ways to do it.”
Circling back to information Montgomery outlined earlier in the presentation, Julian reiterated cattle and sheep complement each other, as sheep graze forbs and low-lying vegetation on rougher terrain, whereas cattle stick to the taller forage growing in lower riparian areas.
She also cited several research trials which have shown increased carrying capacity of 24 percent or higher when grazing sheep and cattle versus grazing cattle alone, as well as increased animal performance when using a multi-species system.
“There was a nine to 24 percent improvement in gain of calves and lambs, depending on the study,” she said. “The other interesting thing that came out of this research is the weight increase on progeny and dams. The dams didn’t necessarily gain weight, but they held weight better, reporting a significantly higher overall weight of both.”
“Sheep and cattle grazing together can actually be a tool to control parasites as well, since they don’t share the same parasites,” she added.
Julian also shared anecdotes from producers across the state who have seen co-grazing help deter predators, and she pointed out other opportunities diversifying an operation can bring.
For instance, although cattle producers may have to add the task of shearing to their annual calendar, they will gain a revenue source, if done right.
“They might also add some value-added products to the mix – socks, sweaters, wool pellets for gardens, home insulation, etc.,” she stated.
“Enterprise stacking is something that has come into style within the last few decades in the ag industry,” she continued. “All input prices are going up, so many are looking at how they can diversify and stack enterprises in order to hold on to the ranch.”
Other considerations
Like every ag venture, however, multi-species grazing can come with its challenges, and Julian outlined a few other considerations those running both species should keep in mind.
“Fencing is probably the biggest consideration. It’s also one of the largest capital expenses for an operation,” she said.
In most cases, Julian believes existing fence will work or can be modified to do the job. She noted perimeter fences need to be in the best shape, recommending woven-wire style fence to hold sheep in and keep predators out.
High-tensile electric fence works for targeted grazing and four- or five-strand barbed wire works for interior fences, she noted.
Water is another big consideration when grazing multiple species.
Julian pointed out some water systems, such as tire tanks, sit too high for ewes and lambs to access. A tank 12 to 14 inches tall should be included for sheep, but fenced off from cattle so they can’t crawl in.
Julian suggested avoiding in-ground tanks altogether, since calves and sheep can fall in and drown.
Copper is another concern, since sheep have an extremely low tolerance. Julian recommended using a copper-less mineral labeled for both sheep and cattle or providing separate mineral for each species that the other cannot get to.
Hannah Bugas is the managing editor for the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
