Goats Or Sheep | Which Animal Is Better For Your Farm Or Homestead?

Thinking of adding some goats or sheep to your farm or homestead? Learn some of the main differences between sheep and goats, and let us help you decide which one is better suited for your land and for your needs.
Help Support Our Small Farm On Patreon: / youcanfarm
If you'd like to learn more about our farm, you can visit our website:
www.redtailedfarm.com
Visit Us on Social Media
Instagram: @redtailedfarm
Facebook: RedTailedFarm
Get in Touch by Email: [e-mail]

[@rohitdangale3594]

I love them both, especially when they are on the dining table in a plate 😂😂😂😂😂

[@YouCanFarm]

Me too!

[@jonsweemer2054]

I loved it! I have a fantasy of having a sheep and goat farm but honestly I probably won't. But still, I like watching videos like this. God bless.

[@YouCanFarm]

Thanks for watching, and I hope your dream comes true!

[@ashleygonzales304]

You can do it my friend! I’ve had the same dream for years, I only make 12 and hour and just put a down payment on 20 acres in Texas hill country, I hope to be ranching in the next 5 years.

[@1dragtek]

I want the most huggable one. I like the goat's personality, but imo the sheep's body seems ideal for hugging.

[@YouCanFarm]

Goats will be more likely to allow a hug!

[@philliphall5198]

Goats love leaves and brush Sheep like grass and open areas Both are great on some farms or ranches

[@YouCanFarm]

Yes exactly.

[@DiggingForHealth]

Great information on both sheep and goats! Thank you for sharing! I subscribed. :)

[@YouCanFarm]

Thank you so much!

[@PrabhsimranSingh15]

Thank you. Great video and a very humble approach.

[@YouCanFarm]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@KevinMooreFan33]

Hi Julie, ty for all the info.

[@YouCanFarm]

Hello and you are welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@cyndydejoy6129]

Thanks so much! Really informative and interesting! 👍😊🙏

[@YouCanFarm]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@nali19751975]

You are an amazing person..this video is very informative thank you so much for sharing this video

[@YouCanFarm]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it!

[@curly-hairedcountrygal1275]

Super helpful, thank you!! I've been debating sheep and goats for multi-species grazing with kunekunes and a milk cow/calf.

[@YouCanFarm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@samuelgriffith86]

This is the best video I’ve ever seen plenty of info, but told well, and more info than the coke and go video you get from less knowledgeable folks

[@YouCanFarm]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@TomTurner704]

Excellent tutorial!

[@YouCanFarm]

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!

[@samuelthesinistercastaneda6200]

Thank you for this information

[@YouCanFarm]

My pleasure

[@Abdullahidahire]

Excellent video, thank you

[@YouCanFarm]

Thank you!!

[@CritterCreekUSA]

Grrreat Video! Love the Critters.. and the Channel!

[@YouCanFarm]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@junefields1512]

Thank you for the information

[@YouCanFarm]

You are welcome, glad you enjoyed it!

[@VibesChill7991]

Got loves all his children 🙏

[@YouCanFarm]

Yes he does.

[@AZHighlandHomestead]

Good morning. Great topic for a video. I’d prefer a ram over a buck in the rut season, but I like how goats can have fun personalities.

[@YouCanFarm]

Hi there and thank you! That's a really great point. I guess I didn't think about it since my buck is not all that stinky, but I know they do get disgusting sometimes when in rut.

[@loganlin6109]

My ram is evil and has hurt me so bad but none of my bucks have ever been aggressive.

[@ParkerFaith]

I noticed another video, where the man placed the hay behind fencing wire surrounding it so to speak, so the goats could pull out as chewing to sort of reduce abit of waste or the goats tossing more to the ground....I hope this helps.

[@knightwolf2708]

Respect from pakistan 👍👍🇵🇰

[@YouCanFarm]

Thank you!

[@mercyletsgo]

Very helpful thank u

[@YouCanFarm]

Welcome!

[@AnnasChickenRanch]

Great information. I am on the fence and your video is helping me make the final decision. One thing you didn't mention is the wonderful 💩 for garden and grazing land. Maybe you didn't mention it because they are both equally great for that benefit.

[@YouCanFarm]

Good point!

[@asifkhangoatfarm5223]

Great info...

[@YouCanFarm]

Thank you, I'm so glad you liked it!

[@debraowen6723]

❤I raised both sheep and goats for 20 yrs. I prefer goats because of their funny personality, playfulness, easy to train, friendly attitude and other stuff. I raised for milk, meat and fiber. They were all trained to a collar and leash for going on walks, being shorn, having their feet trimmed, vet procedures & a host of other things. The goats were much more trainable than the sheep. When I came home from work everyday, it was the goats that came running to visit with me. I'd bring my glass of wine and climb up their 'goat mountain ' and sit down. They'd come up and lean against me or lay their heads in my lap. The sheep never did this. It was a pleasant time in my life. 🎉🎉🎉

[@YouCanFarm]

I prefer goats for the same reasons, they are the best!

[@nathanrittenhouse3589]

Great video

[@YouCanFarm]

Thanks!

[@WonderfulTimes1]

I love watching your videos. Very informative. We are going to get goats. We are going to have goats for all of the above. Meat, milk and fiber.

[@YouCanFarm]

That is awesome, we love our goats so much!

[@jamespinckney7304]

I have had both both at the same time. This was an excellent. I just liked And subscribed :-) Do you keep them together in any way or always separate?

[@YouCanFarm]

Thanks! I tried in the past to keep some together, but found that I can keep each species happier and healthier in separate groups, where I can attend to their individual needs.

[@88Atwood88]

I do love sheep but goats have a special place in my heart. Does help that my chinese birth sign is goat too

[@YouCanFarm]

That’s cool!

[@reduniverse796]

Wait what chinese zodiac says sheep rather than goat.

[@88Atwood88]

@@reduniverse796 The Chinese word yáng refers to both goats and sheep, whereas the terms shānyáng (山羊) and miányáng (绵羊; 綿羊) refer exclusively to goats and sheep, respectively. In English, the sign (originally based on a horned animal) may be called either.

[@boglurker2043]

i wonder if sheep are more timid because of their lack of horns. goats might feel more confident because they have them. would be interesting to see the behavioural differences between a horned sheep and a non horned sheep

[@YouCanFarm]

That is a good theory, it would be interesting to try to find out.

[@trevorwoolf8176]

Just to add about goats they don't like to get wet, so they require shelter. Male goat gives off a really pungent smell and if you touch him the smell sticks on your hands and cloths you have wash frequently to get the smell off. You need to be cautious of some weeds as they can be poisoness.

[@YouCanFarm]

Good points!

[@stephenwhite5444]

Awesome video! How much land do a few sheep need for grazing? For goats, how would you determine if you have enough brush for them? Is the food you have to purchase for goats thats high in copper very expensive?

[@YouCanFarm]

Thanks! You can keep about 3-4 sheep per acre with good grass pasture. It's hard to tell if you have enough brush until you try a few goats and see how much they consume. There are a lot of variables to consider, like the weight/age/breeding status of each individual goat, and you would need to assess how much edible plant material would be within their reach. Goat feed or mineral supplements aren't that expensive compared to other animal feeds, but everything at the feed store is a bit pricey these days.

[@OingoLove]

Are you able to keep the fences hot even on cloudy days? Winter?

[@YouCanFarm]

Sometimes the charge does get weak if we have an extended period of cloudy days, but the batteries can store a decent charge for a few days. My animals hardly ever challenge the fence, so luckily it's not an issue.

[@MetaView7]

if you give them some concrete patio stone to tread on, they will need less hoove trimming.

[@YouCanFarm]

Good tip! We put their water tub over some concrete all winter so they have to walk on it multiple times a day for the same reason.

[@kristinmaiorana9334]

Hi. I was planning on getting some sheep for a new property that we bought. There is some pricker type plants around and poison ivy, etc. So then I thought maybe I should get 2 goats before the sheep to help clean up the area and keep the sheep rotated behind the goats. Do you think this is a good idea? I was concerned if there were remnants of copper after I moved the goats. I would love to hear you suggestion. Thank you

[@YouCanFarm]

Unless those plants are high up or hard to reach, the sheep will probably do just as good of a job as some goats would. I would just go with the sheep, especially if that's what you would prefer to raise.

[@judithhemeon9407]

I have adopted a pet cow - she needs a companion- which would be easier to adopt a sheep or a goat . We live on an acre of land . Thank you .

[@YouCanFarm]

I would have to say a goat because they are more social animals. I would really depend on the type of fencing you are using to keep your cow in. Sheep are easier to contain, where goats can be naughty. Thank you for watching.

[@mkshffr4936]

I hope to have a real homestead someday but right now I have only a 0.2 acre lot with most of it not grazable . Still I would like to get my feet wet with meat animals. Of course I can do rabbits but I am really interested in red meat. Even mini cattle like Dexter are probably out of the question but I was wondering about goats or hair sheep feeding in a small pen. Of course pork is an option.

[@YouCanFarm]

You could raise just 2 sheep or goats in a small pen for a short time, but they will likely not thrive and potentially have parasite or disease issues if they are not rotated to fresh pasture, or if the area is not cleaned out regularly. Pigs would be a better option.

[@mkshffr4936]

@@YouCanFarm Thank you. I appreciate the insight.

[@AgnesMariaL]

Imo, goats are heathens. As far as diet, my sheep eat the same diet as goats: they prefer browse over graze, but I have Icelandic and Romanov. I picked sheep for our woodland because a cow wouldn't do well here, but a member of our group got goats, and I spent all last summer chasing those heathens out of the gardens, because my fencing was made for sheep and the owner of the goats never took the time to train her heathens to the electronet. They would also play leapfrog to get out of their barn, whereas sheep frown on that practice and will stay put in 6' high walls. I don't have any skittish sheep. Take time with any animal, and they become friendly. The horns are handy! The goats are stupid with theirs, and will get tangled, whereas the sheep can feel their horns and work their way out of a tangle without ruining the fence. The horns provide handy grab bars if you ever need to stabilize and handle your sheep for whatever reason. I have some without horns, and handling them is a PITA. Goats also stink, whereas sheep actually smell pleasant :) and my dogs will eat sheep no problem, but the one time we fed goat? They wouldn't touch it, not until the meat had aged for a week! And my dogs eat pretty much anything, so...

[@YouCanFarm]

Thanks for sharing. Everyone has different experiences. I have had mostly opposite experiences with my goats from yours.

[@AgnesMariaL]

@@YouCanFarm Breed is probably a big thing, lol... Like, I went to pick up a flock of runner ducks a couple years ago, and the guy had goats the size of donkeys that were super placid and content with staying in a 2-wire electric fence! The ones I had to deal with, however, were of the smaller varieties - I know one was an alpine, but the worst were the pygmy and the two black ones with white bellies!

[@gregburke0073]

How much room or pasture does one sheep need?

[@YouCanFarm]

That depends on a lot of factors, like weight/age/sex/life stage of the sheep, as well as how much edible forage is growing in that pasture. They are also herd animals so you will need to keep at least 2 together. One quarter acre is amount the minimum for space.

[@wilshawlynnstevens2980]

Where can you buy that electric fence?

[@YouCanFarm]

We buy them from Premier1 Supplies.

[@oman4229]

Can sheep eat micro greens as a substitute for grass?

[@YouCanFarm]

I do know of people growing fodder by sprouting barley seeds for sheep, and some microgreens could be fed as a supplement, but ruminants like sheep really need long stemmed roughage in their diet in order for their digestive tract to function properly, and I don't think their is enough fiber in young greens for them.

[@DingaLingu]

Interesting that goats have a need for copper

[@YouCanFarm]

Yes, and sheep can die from too much.

[@kevinstreeter6943]

I would think that since goats eat above the ground there would be less problem with parasites. I hear that is not true.

[@YouCanFarm]

No, unfortunately that is not true. Although they prefer to browse, goats do still graze near the ground quite a bit.

[@omarjaanomarjaan7878]

Mashalla nice goats

[@YouCanFarm]

Thank you!

[@DingaLingu]

Id love to keep goats for milk and cheese,

[@YouCanFarm]

Goats are the best!

[@michaelswanigan2115]

Still didn't tell me which better for making profit

[@YouCanFarm]

That would be impossible for me to answer, since it would be highly dependent on how your individual business was run. It's very difficult to make any sort of profit in farming, and there are a lot of different business models you could set up with either species.

[@jayf4357]

​​​​​@@YouCanFarm so if not for the financial gain then you do it for personal gain correct? You benefit from the meat and the milk which turns into sour cream butter and cheese. I know most farmers have a part time job as well. Is this the case? Also most of the time if you sell one of the sheep it breaks even since the cost of it's food is the cost of the animal itself. Your best bet is to sell early in the life of the animal but then you end up having to feed the mother significantly more food so once again break even... Correct? 😂 some would call it a savings fund of sorts. Worst case you have food from it.. better than looking at a piece of gold

[@Armando.Krijnen]

Very interesting video. Can sheep and goats be held together? (and if so, it's I assume better to keep female goats and female sheep together?

[@YouCanFarm]

Thanks! Yes, you can keep them together. They can interbreed so you do want to keep breeding males separate. They have some different nutritional needs too.

[@LanternOfLiberty]

Triggering the algorithm

[@YouCanFarm]

Thank you

[@XyZ98768]

What types of goats and sheep do you have?

[@YouCanFarm]

Our sheep are Katahdin hair sheep. The goats are are mix of Nubians, Oberhaslis, Boers and crosses.

[@hartijahputeh]

Did the sheep just 💩

[@YouCanFarm]

They do that

[@nitaaii6400]

Sheep milk is better than got

[@YouCanFarm]

For some cheese making I would agree, but I’d rather drink goat milk. I find sheep milk too fatty/greasy for drinking.

[@mogamedfakier4800]

Nee man Bok melk is beter

[@muhammadaliaijaz9541]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@YouCanFarm]

Thank you

[@muhammadaliaijaz9541]

Your eyes are so lovely and your voice is so beautifullllllllll

[@YouCanFarm]

Thank you