So I want Goats.......

[freemotion]

Its not the fumes, it is the bits of strawberry leaves, etc, that the goat can't pick out. And the clippings ferment very quickly, and not in a good way. So I just don't feed them. I will scythe a bit along the edges if it gets long and feed that, but it is loose and it is longer and they can pick through it like hay.

Yes, I am sure about the acorns. Some acorns have more tannins than others, and white oaks are on the low side. Red oaks are higher. Some goats are more susceptible than others. A handful or two won't hurt most goats, and I suspect that deer don't gorge on them but have a few and move on to other foods. Left totally up to their own choices, goats will eat a few leaves of this, a nibble of that, and generally won't eat a lot of any one type of plant. That is a protection. But when we confine them to a fenced area, they quickly clean up the variety (unless it is a huge area or well-managed rotational grazing) and are left with grass. Then when the oaks dump a huge load of acorns, they often ignore their instincts and gorge. Plus they are trained to gorge by us, when we bring them grain and they compete for it. They compete for the acorns and over eat them.

When I had just two goats, I had a problem with one who would do this and get sick. I had to close the pasture until the squirrels cleaned up the acorns. Now that I have seven, and I go out twice a day with a pail and compete for acorns, too, throwing them to the pigs....I haven't had a problem. My oaks haven't dropped their acorns all at the same time, either, thankfully.

 

[Beekissed]

Awwwwww, Baaarrrrrreeeeddddd! Say it isn't soooooo! You went over to the dark side! Goats. Ick.

 

[BarredBuff]

IM hoping to move to the goaty side of life. But I have to get the "okay" first. Im gonna soring it on her today.

 

[FarmerChick]

I wanted goats

went from 0 to about 50 in one day

then to 120 does real fast

LOL let me tell ya kidding time was INSANITY

now I am down to 20 goats

and soon to be down to about 5-10

gonna sell off a few more



oh yea, goats, I had my share over 15 years of farming LOL

 

[Wannabefree]

Its not the fumes, it is the bits of strawberry leaves, etc, that the goat can't pick out. And the clippings ferment very quickly, and not in a good way. So I just don't feed them. I will scythe a bit along the edges if it gets long and feed that, but it is loose and it is longer and they can pick through it like hay.

Yes, I am sure about the acorns. Some acorns have more tannins than others, and white oaks are on the low side. Red oaks are higher. Some goats are more susceptible than others. A handful or two won't hurt most goats, and I suspect that deer don't gorge on them but have a few and move on to other foods. Left totally up to their own choices, goats will eat a few leaves of this, a nibble of that, and generally won't eat a lot of any one type of plant. That is a protection. But when we confine them to a fenced area, they quickly clean up the variety (unless it is a huge area or well-managed rotational grazing) and are left with grass. Then when the oaks dump a huge load of acorns, they often ignore their instincts and gorge. Plus they are trained to gorge by us, when we bring them grain and they compete for it. They compete for the acorns and over eat them.

When I had just two goats, I had a problem with one who would do this and get sick. I had to close the pasture until the squirrels cleaned up the acorns. Now that I have seven, and I go out twice a day with a pail and compete for acorns, too, throwing them to the pigs....I haven't had a problem. My oaks haven't dropped their acorns all at the same time, either, thankfully.

Thanks for that info free. I guess it didn't bother mine because they had so much other stuff on their half acre too. Makes sense, the other stuff dilluted it. They didn't really gorge on them, and I did pick a lot of them up to sell as well. From now on I will keep a watch when the trees drop and pick up most of them and leave a few behind for snackin

 

[glenolam]

Just saw this...no acorns for goats and no lawn mower clippings....the acorns will make them sick and the lawn clippings can be dangerous as they are very rich and the fine chopping from the lawn mower mixes poisonous with delicious and they can't always sort it out.

FWIW, in the fall my goats eat the begeezes out of acorns when I take them for walks on the property. I've never had them get sick from eating them. Actually - it's hard to get them past the "acorn village" when going for walks. I have to bring a scoop of grain with me to distract them.

I do agree with the lawn clippings. If your clippings are just plain ol grass from the yard, then sure - we do that all the time. But if it's clippings from a field that has stuff like milkweed, better to skip the goats.

ETA - I just read free's 2nd thread about the gorging vs nibbling. The acorn trees aren't on the goat pen at all, so they aren't allowed free access. Maybe that's why they don't get sick on them - they can only have a few of them when out on walks

 

[Wannabefree]

Yeah I think it is overconsumption that's bad for them, and excess tannins. My goats didn't gorge, and after a good belly full you couldn't force feed them acorns for a couple days...then they'd be at em again They had plenty of other stuff too though, maybe why they'd lose interest every few days.

On the grass, I use a reel mower on the front yard, and give them those clippings, it is JUST grass though. They always snubbed their nose at weeds. Picky eaters they were.

Good information to have though..just to keep in the back of my mind when feeding from now on. That way IF they get sick, I can narrow it down better

 

[glenolam]

I had a little doeling get sick on milkweed. I doused her with a baking soda drench and gave her mineral oil to help pass the bad stuff out. It was scary, but she pulled through.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Come to the dark side. We have (goat) milk and cookies

Just to give you another price range, since I've actually looked at goats, I've seen papered dairy goats range anywhere from $100 to $250. My older girl (5 years old when I bought her) was $150 and her daughter (4 months old) was $100.

 

[freemotion]

Acorns.....it is just one of my does who gorges and gets sick. That is one too many. They all do eat quite a few, but I just want everyone to be cautioned....don't gather acorns as feed like I do with my pigs.

Goats crave tree foods....mostly leaves. Their mineral requirements are quite high and trees have deep roots and are alive for decades and thus have more minerals in them. Grass grows for one season or less, has shallow roots, and lower mineral content. Since our goats are usually fed on hay and grass pasture mostly, they really crave the tree foods, so may overeat them when they have access. So keep those loose minerals coming and if possible, bring them tree branches as often as possible, daily if possible, knowing which ones are safe. They are more inclined to eat unsafe ones if that is all they have access to. Like gorging on acorns or getting oak leaf poisoning.