The objectives of this study were to describe the mixed crop-small ruminant production system in Sohag governorate, Upper Egypt and to investigate options for its improvement. Three districts were randomly selected among the eleven districts of the governorate, Jirjah, Sohag and Akhmim. Data on 420 farmers (35 farmers within 4 villages within 3 districts) were collected during 2004-2005. A linear programming (LP) model was developed to indicate possible improvement in crop and livestock production of small farms. A LP model with four scenarios was tested to maximize gross margin (GM), the first assumes free choice among all studies variables of crops and livestock (base run (LP1)). While, the second scenario (LP2) had a constraint on cropping pattern to meet farmer’s needs of basic food and feed crops and assuming free choice of number of each different animal types (local cattle, crossbred cattle buffalo, sheep and goat)The third scenario (LP3) assumed free choice of cropping pattern and had a constraint to the number of each studied animal type. The fourth scenario (LP4) had the cultivated area distributed equally on different crops and had a constraint to the number of each animal types. Results suggested that, as compared to actual situation, GM was improved by about 51%, 105% and 48% in LP1; 22%, 67% and 19% in LP2 and 31%, 72% and 30% in LP3 in Akhmim, Jirjah and Sohag, respectively and also improved by about 2% and 33% in LP4 in Akhmim and Jirjah, respectively but decreased in Sohag by about 0.33%. GM in LP2 decreased by about 29%, 38% and 29% as compared to LP1 in Akhmim, Jirjah and Sohag, respectively. As compared to LP1, GM for LP3 decreased by about 20%, 33% and 18% in Akhmim, Jirjah and Sohag, respectively. GM in LP3 increased in general by about 9%, 5% and 11% as compared to LP2 in Akhmim, Jirjah and Sohag, respectively. In addition, GM in LP4 decreased by about 49%, 72% and 48% as compared to LP1 in Akhmim, Jirjah and Sohag, respectively. It could be concluded that small ruminants were more profitable than large ruminants within crop-livestock production system in Sohag governorate. Both land and available cash resources are limiting constrains for LP model but not labor.