Cow nursing goats?

[Oregon Rob]

We are newish and are up to 7 Jerseys. We have one 7 year old nurse cow nursing 3 steers. I have spent the last month clearing overgrown fields of some really heavy scotch broom, black berries… I really like the idea of adding in a goat or three to help me maintain the hard work I have put in but I know our fencing isn't up to restraining goats that want to get out. I was thinking "what if we buy some bottle babies and put them on the cow to nurse when we wean the steers?". My logic is to get the goats bonded to the cow heard, not us. Am I crazy?
I would want a meat breed so that we can sell them later if it becomes a problem…

 

[Alan]

:welcome: nice to have another Oregonian on the board. I don't think you would ever get a goat to nurse off a cow. Too many problems including different species, teat size would be a problem, stick with weaned goats if you must have some. Full disclosure, my wife has about 20 boar goats and I truly hate them. I have spent years trying to make their fence "goat proof" and have given up. They simply stand on the fence and it will soon fall over, might as well use field fencing to try to hold water in. Both my wife and I have said we'll never have goats again, but she's the type once you have an animal you don't sell. That's why the goats are hers and the cattle are mine. :lol:

Also I would be curious to find out how clearing your scotch bloom goes, I don't have any on my place but there is a lot around. I have seen folks bush hog it but it seems to always come back. Are you able to get a long term control of yours? Is there a spray for it?

Thanks, Alan

 

[Oregon Rob]

Hi Alan,
Where are you located? I'm in the Banks area. Crossbow will kill Scotch Broom. I simply haven't done anything with our land for many years and it's not "old growth". I'm not "organic" so I use some spray but try to keep it at a minimum. Mostly just spray around the perimeter, not directly on the pasture if I can help it. Been cutting it mostly with a heavy trimmer using a chainsaw blade. The idea of using goats may be a pipe dream but I enjoy my dreams more than reality most of the time….

 

[Alan]

I'm almost directly north of you, just over the hill in the Rainier area. I use crossbow and curtail, curtail is excellent on thistles and won't get the grass, just broad leaf stuff. Crossbow for everything else. I hand pull any bracken fern and tansy. For the past several years tansy has been really under control maybe have to pull a half dozen a year is all, but this year is a lot worse all over the area, maybe a couple hundred for me to take care this year. It's a tough one to get rid of, the county agent told me seeds can lay dormant for 25 years.... Good luck dreams are healthy.

Alan

 

[Boot Jack Bulls]

Among all the other reasons that won't work is teat size. Look up goat nipples on valley vet, then compare to your cow.....

 

[cow pollinater]

Stranger things have happened. My dad tells a story about a jersey they had when he was a kid with one of those horrible udders that was about six inches off the ground with the teats out to the sides that they used to raise piglets. :lol:

 

[Oregon Rob]

Among all the other reasons that won't work is teat size. Look up goat nipples on valley vet, then compare to your cow.....

That did occur to me after posting....
Might just have to try and keep a bag of kids milk replacer handy.

 

[Oregon Rob]

Stranger things have happened. My dad tells a story about a jersey they had when he was a kid with one of those horrible udders that was about six inches off the ground with the teats out to the sides that they used to raise piglets. :lol:

There are a few pictures of cows nursing pigs on the Internet.

 

[jerry27150]

guy up the road built platforms for goats to stand on, so they could suck on cows. says he put them on twice a day. if they can reach they shoud have no problem

 

[JMJ Farms]

guy up the road built platforms for goats to stand on, so they could suck on cows. says he put them on twice a day. if they can reach they shoud have no problem

You should definitely post a pic of this. It's never crossed my mind to try this, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work.

 

[tater74]

A friend of mine raised a colt on 2 goats. It was weird seeing that foal nursing a goat. He built a stand to get the goats high enough for the foal to nurse

 

[JMJ Farms]

Like the old saying says, "Where there's a will there's a way."

 

[callmefence]

I wouldn't make a plan outta it. But it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

 

[Rafter S]

We had a dog raise a litter of kittens when I was a boy, so why not goats on a cow?