Why it makes business sense to branch out beyond cattle on your ranch

A few years ago, Noble Research Institute CEO Steve Rhines told an audience of cattle ranchers that they would soon see sheep and goats at Noble’s ranches in southern Oklahoma. The news was met with uneasy glances between the listeners, even some laughter. No one had to say it, Rhines knew what they were thinking: real cowboys don’t keep sheep or goats.

That roomful of cattlemen might not have thought sheep and goats belong anywhere near their ranches, but there are sound business reasons to consider multi-species grazing, especially in a regenerative operation. Thinking outside of traditional enterprises by adding small ruminants can bring financial benefits as well as improvements to long-term land and soil health.

Today, there are about 450 sheep and 500 goats grazing year-round on three of the six Noble Ranches. Through the summer, Noble leases another 1,200 goats on a single ranch.

Profitability in Multi-species Grazing

Running a profitable ranch comes down to how much you spend and earn. That’s how Noble’s regenerative ranching advisor Josh Gaskamp makes the case for multi-species grazing when he talks with ranchers. Multi-species grazing – especially combining small ruminants with cattle – adds diversity to revenue streams. While cattle markets are strong now in early 2025, they always ebb and flow. The same is true of sheep and goat markets, but often the timing offsets the pattern of cattle markets.

“You can spread out risk with multi-species grazing. When cattle markets are down, typically the sheep and goat market is up, and vice versa,” he says.

Sheep and goats can still be quite profitable, even when markets shrink. Small ruminants have a shorter gestation period and tend to produce two or more offspring in a single lambing or kidding. Lambs (6-8 months) and kids (3-5 months) reach market-ready weight faster than calves.

“In recent history, small ruminants have been more profitable on a per acre basis. Sheep and goats have higher turnover and often, pound for pound, sell for more than cattle,” says Gaskamp.

Maximizing Resources on Each Acre

Adding a flock of sheep to a cattle ranch can also maximize each acre’s forage use. The diets of cattle and small ruminants don’t overlap much, though sheep and cattle are more similar than goats and cattle. Still, Gaskamp has seen the benefits first-hand for both cattle and the landscape, when grazing multiple species on a ranch.

“Small ruminants take advantage of other resources in the landscape that cows can’t. Cows eat grass, but what about forbs and brush? That’s where sheep and goats come in,” he says.

On Noble ranches, we use a follow-the-leader grazing approach where cattle graze first, selecting the highest-quality plants. Sheep or goats follow behind to browse on brush and forbs, effectively cleaning up the pasture. This system ensures efficient forage utilization and improved brush control. 

The behavior of one species in the landscape can make a pasture better suited for another species grazing in the same area. Joe Pokay, Noble’s general ranch manager, likes to quip that sheep make good cattle pasture and cattle make good sheep pasture. 

Additionally, integrating goats as an enterprise highlights the concept of grazeable acres in a new light. While cattle primarily utilize open grasslands, goats can expand the definition of grazeable land by effectively utilizing areas with woody plants (brush), converting what was previously considered unproductive acreage into high-quality forage. 

Sheep manure fertilizes pastures to create high-quality forage for cattle. Cattle stimulate forage regrowth, providing tender new shoots that sheep prefer. It’s a symbiotic cycle for both plants and animals. Multi-species grazing enables better forage use above ground and also stimulates underground ecosystems in beneficial ways.

Improving Soil Health and Resilience

In one season, ranchers can reap the tangible returns from adding small ruminants to their operation. But the long-term benefits of multi-species grazing are just unfolding at that benchmark. Diversity in the livestock grazing a ranch improves plant diversity, too.

When multiple livestock species live on a single ranch, their unique grazing behaviors and preferences allow for increased plant and soil microbial biodiversity. Both of those outcomes are key to improving soil health and resilience.

To reap the soil health benefits of multi-species grazing without adding more livestock to his operation directly, Gaskamp trades grazing acreage with a neighboring rancher. For Gaskamp, the benefits of adding sheep or goats to a cattle ranch reach far beyond the pocketbook. He’s eager to improve his soil’s microbial activity, organic matter and resilience to droughts – a common occurrence in his region of southern Oklahoma.

Overall, adding small ruminants to a cattle operation can spread economic risk across multiple markets, increase revenue potential, maximize forage use per acre and increase both plant and microbial diversity to improve soil health and resilience.

The hesitation to add small ruminants to cattle ranches is understandable. Cowboys know cattle, but managing a new species can be a big learning curve. While some, like Gaskamp, enjoy the change of pace of learning to manage multiple grazing species on one ranch, there are many considerations before embarking on a new small ruminant enterprise.

Tips for Adding Sheep or Goats to Your Ranch

1. New to sheep or goats? Connect with a local rancher who already manages small ruminants to learn more about what adding them to your operation might require.
2. If you’re not ready to add an enterprise but want the land-health benefits of multi-species grazing, you can lease (some of) your land to a grazier with small ruminants.
3. When adding sheep or goats, consider the following infrastructure needs: more strands of fencing and small-animal panels at gates, accessible water sources, guardian animals.
4. Nutritional requirements – and sensitivities – are unique to each species. Consult with seasoned practitioners or a veterinarian before mixing species, feed rations and supplement blocks. 
5. If you plan to mix species in the same pasture, consider separating cattle from small ruminants during lambing or kidding season to protect the offspring.