grazing cows and horses

[jfont]

I HAVE FOUR PASTURES AND IT'S USUALLY NOT A PROBLEM KEEPING MY COWS AND HORSES SEPERATE. IN THE FALL WHEN I PLANT RYE GRASS IN TWO OF THE PASTURES IT WOULD BE GREAT IF I COULD SELECT GRAZE THE COWS AND HORSES TOGETHER ON THE REMAINING TWO PASTURES, ONE PASTURE ONE WEEK AN THE OTHER THE NEXT,BUT WHEN I MIX THEM THE HORSES START RUNNING THE COWS. SOMETIMES I ROUND UP STEERS AT ROPINGS. SO HOW DO I TEACH THEM NOT TO CHASE WHEN THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSE TO?

 

[Ellie May]

Howdy,
I don't know what to tell you. Maybe make sure they have a large place to run & have hay or grass to munch on. We have a llama, about 100 head of cattle, 6 donkeys, & 5 horses in one pasture & never have a problem.
Ellie May

 

[Craig-TX]

I don't like having horses with cattle. Besides running them they sometimes kick the calves. A lot of people used to run sheep with cattle. Usually wasn't a problem, but a mean buck can make a bull's life absolutely miserable if he wants to.

Craig-TX

 

[Ellie May]

You mean ram right? Well all our animals do very well together...knock on wood. We raise donkeys, ponies, horses, llamas, cattle, goats, sheep, etc.. all togther we haven't had much of any problems. That's pretty rare too. Because normally horses will pick on ponies & sheep & goats are always in the way, but not ours. I mean not to say they don't it's just they seldom do.
Ellie May

 

[Craig-TX]

We always called them bucks. A 250# buck can wear out a 2,500# bull, to the point of putting him out of commission. They can get behind the bull and butt them in the rear all day long.

Craig-TX

 

[Ellie May]

Buck is right if your talking about a goat. Ram if your talking about a sheep. Which are you talking about??
See that's where people get confused. I know I did till I learned.

Ram-male sheep
Ewe-female sheep

Buck-male goat
Doe-Female goat

Nanny-slang word for female goat
Billy-slang word for male goat

wether-a non productive male goat or sheep

I learned these terms when I was 12 years old.
I've been raising goats & sheep for a while.

Ellie May

 

[eric]

My neighbor runs 3 horses in with his cows, I see the horses running the cows all the time, mostly just out of meaness. And because they can and because they are bigger!

 

[D.R. Cattle]

Not good. I put my bulls in with the horses sometimes when they need to be taken from the cows, but they only pester the bulls at feeding time. If you must put them together, set up some kind of area for the cows to go that the horses will give up on. I've got some low hanging trees that the bulls go to when they want to get out of the sun or get away from the horses. Horses won't go there.

 

[Craig-TX]

Buck is right if your talking about a goat. Ram if your talking about a sheep. Which are you talking about??
See that's where people get confused. I know I did till I learned.

Ram-male sheep
Ewe-female sheep

Buck-male goat
Doe-Female goat

Nanny-slang word for female goat
Billy-slang word for male goat

wether-a non productive male goat or sheep

I learned these terms when I was 12 years old.
I've been raising goats & sheep for a while.

Ellie May

I'm glad you learned those terms when you were 12. Now you've learned a new one. Yes, "ram" is a correct term for a male sheep. "Buck" is just as correct.

While "ram" seems more widely used these days, nobody (around here anyway) used it when I was young. Folks called a male (uncastrated) sheep a "buck." Nowadays "ram" is used just as frequently, especially for show animals.

As to goats, we always used "billy" and "nanny." While your terms are correct, so are these.

Maybe it's another one of those regional things.

Craig-TX

 

[dun]

One of the local large Red Angus farms work the cattle with nnothing but horses but they pasture them separate. One old bull turned on a horse while being worked and knocked the horse down and rolled him a couple of times. Had to hurt since he had a sddle on. Now whenever the bulls are penned up for whatever reason, that horse comes over and torments that bull mercilessly. Reaching over the fence and biting him, pulling his tail nipping his ears, just a pure torment. When I get down that way I alwasy make a point of checking to see if they're near each other. Bull doesn;t think it's particuarly entertaining, but I darn near roll on the ground watching them.

dun

Not good. I put my bulls in with the horses sometimes when they need to be taken from the cows, but they only pester the bulls at feeding time. If you must put them together, set up some kind of area for the cows to go that the horses will give up on. I've got some low hanging trees that the bulls go to when they want to get out of the sun or get away from the horses. Horses won't go there.

 

[Ellie May]

Well Mr. Craig,
I didn't want to make you mad. I just thought I would tell you if you didn't know. It's in almost every book their is that those terms were right. You find me a book that doesn't say that then I'll give up. Not saying books are always right just saying they are mostly right. Hopefully No hard feelings??
Ellie May


Also a goat/sheep is only as mean as you make them. I have a 350 Boer buck that is very gentle. He could really do some damage but I've treated him right therefore he doesn't want to.

The horses and cattle go fine together like Mr. DR. CATTLE said they just need a place to retreat. The only reason why they want to chase the cattle is because they are bored give them something else to do.

:cboy:

 

[Anonymous]

O.K. Ellie, please let up on Craig on the "proper" terminology bit. As he indicated, maybe it's just a regional thing. When I was a kid, in these parts everybody referred to Brahma bulls (or cows) and "Bramers" and many still do --- rhymes with Kramer or Cramer. And what many folks refer to as Osage Orange trees, which are really Bois d'Arc, we pronounce as "bodock" . And if someone posts a question about worming his animals, well of course it goes without saying that he really means to de-worm them, etc., etc.

But do continue to read the these message boards and post when you have something meaningful to add, despite the criticism you receive --- but contemplate what a few others here have told you.

I for one am glad there are still young folks interested in agriculture and the enthusiasm of youth is sometimes very refreshing. Good luck to you, Arnold Ziffle.

 

[Ellie May]

Yeah I understand. It might of been that the different words that mean the same thing.
Ellie May

 

[Oldtimer]

Ellie- If your name thing is regional it must take in a big region- because up here in Montana goats are billies and nannies and sheep are bucks and ewes, too. Male sheep are also called rams, but buck was the word I grew up with- and I've had my share of working with sheep- started my college fund when I was 8 raising bum lambs (up to 100 a year). Dad said I could have everything I made off the bums, but I also had to do all the work taking care of them. I thought I was really in the money.

 

[Anonymous]

a buck has nuts, a ram doesn't ........ a bull has nuts a steer doesn't......some people have brains............somes doesn't

 

[Oldtimer]

a buck has nuts, a ram doesn't ........ a bull has nuts a steer doesn't......some people have brains............somes doesn't

rams have nuts- wethers don't anymore.

 

[txag]

a buck has nuts, a ram doesn't ........ a bull has nuts a steer doesn't......some people have brains............somes doesn't

rams have nuts- wethers don't anymore.

i thought this was a CATTLE forum. people probably don't know the "correct" terminology for sheep & goats because they don't particularly care.

 

[jw]

Guest-

Well that bit of knowledge sure impressed the heck out of me![/quote]

 

[Anonymous]

Buck is a general term to use to describe a male animal.....Being use that way long before Ellie May grand dad walked this earth..Ellie how old are you, 90 ? I figured it takes at least that many years for you to "KNOW IT ALL" as it seems as you do. One of my all time favorite bumper stickers is ( Hire a teenage while they still know everything)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ALF...

 

[jfont]

HOW DID MY QUESTION ABOUT GRAZING TURN INTO A BUCK AND RAM
DEBATE? WOW