Is there any way to raise your own feed?

Pony · #21 02/20/11, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wags

No problems at all Pony.

Here is an old thread from the forerunner of this forum about goats eating pine - http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-an...?msg_id=004hJe

Thank you kindly, Ma'am, but the link won't work.

Wags · #22 02/20/11, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pony

Thank you kindly, Ma'am, but the link won't work.

Thats odd - it was working fine when I posted it.

Sonshine · #23 02/20/11, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wags

http://www.sheep101.info/201/pasturemgt.html

And more on Shrub Lepedezas: http://www.riparianbuffers.umd.edu/fact/FS759.html
Apparently it is a big attractant for bees as well. Milk & Honey

More info on creating pasture for goats: http://www.extension.org/pages/Goat_...es_and_Forages

I've been trying to find some lepedeza shrubs online to buy, but haven't had any luck. Do you by any chance know of a place I could buy some and would they grow well in GA?

Wags · #24 02/20/11, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaliannG

Oh, that's the point Wags....that you can't keep an area "natural", grow everything organic-like, and still keep Old World livestock healthy in the New World.

Even on the most lush of pastures, completely irrigated, poly-culture, with various trees, saplings, yadda, yadda, yadda in fertile abundance, if you turned a herd of goats loose, say just some crossbred dairy types....if you did not supplement feeding and add special minerals to their diet, as well as injecting them with minerals and forcing quantities of the same down their throat....then in a couple of years, you are going to have some deficient goats.

There are very few areas in my state, at least, that are not deficient in copper, and fewer that are not deficient in selenium. Even in those areas that do not have deficiencies, there are even fewer areas that don't have an over abundance of some OTHER mineral that interferes with the proper uptake of both copper and selenium.

If you want to do the "natural" thing and not mess with Mother Nature, or you want to work in concert with Mother Nature.....well, Mother Nature did not intend goats to milk a gallon or more a day, and She obviously did not intend for domesticated goats to be on this continent at all, or She would have provided more areas with adequate minerals to meet those goat's needs.

There are not any domesticated sheep in the New World either.

Just saying.

Did "mother nature" intend goats or sheep for that matter to be domesticated at all?

This thread is about can you produce your own feed and the answer is yes you can. Can you produce your own minerals - maybe. That holds true no matter where in the world you are.

Creamers · #25 02/20/11, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Did "mother nature" intend goats or sheep for that matter to be domesticated at all?

This thread is about can you produce your own feed and the answer is yes you can

The thread is about if you can - and the question "Did "mother nature" intend goats or sheep for that matter to be domesticated at all?" is a huge part of the answer. . .which is why I say that with much success in many areas. . .the answer is no. Not typically and not with much success when you consider the amount of milk you'd get back for your labors.

Wags · #26 02/20/11, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Creamers

The thread is about if you can - and the question "Did "mother nature" intend goats or sheep for that matter to be domesticated at all?" is a huge part of the answer. . .which is why I say that with much success in many areas. . .the answer is no. Not typically and not with much success when you consider the amount of milk you'd get back for your labors.

Is your opinion based on your own experience? The reason I ask is that the studies that I gave links for previously contradict your belief that a grass fed diet would lead to a significant increase in work and a decrease in production.

Creamers · #27 02/20/11, 11:47 PM

Yes, in my area, it has proven impossible. . I started with that idealistic thought back a few years ago . . . lol - thus why I saw "many" areas. Everyone will have an exception, but that isn't the rule.

Ask how many people here have had success. . . I'm sure many have tried - ask about their production, ask if their animals are from milky lines (mine are heavy milkers), ask about the long term, ask for photos of their goats and the condition, ask for the time invested and the costs, etc. . .
I think you'll find it is a rare bird and one in certain areas only that has long term success. . .
I'm not the only one in my area to try, either - with goats or dairy cattle. . .
I see you raise Nigerians. . . and a hardy little economical goat in the right area might give a bit of milk without a problem on high quality hay grown on one's land - I really don't doubt that. . . but a real dairy animal (I have Nigerians, not knocking them, but it simply isn't the same) - a high producing Saanen, Nubian, Alpine or a dairy cow. . .
Studies can show what they like - I have to see it in practice. . .I wish it did work on a broad scale. . . that would be awesome.

But I'm off track on the original question about raising your own feed. . .

Bearfootfarm · #28 02/21/11, 01:14 AM

Quote:

I read that both kudzu and bamboo are good for goats.

If you're not careful, both of those plants can take over large areas

motdaugrnds · #29 02/21/11, 09:10 AM

LoneStrChic23, your feed store man is right on! We planted 2,000 bare-root "B-color Lespedeza Shrubs" a few years ago along a fence line. The deer loved them and many were destroyed by them; however, the ones that survived grew deep roots and are now self-sufficient even during drougts. Our goats love them and they spread their seeds all over the pasture. (We learned to encircle them so "all" their leaves cannot be eaten, which assures their survival.) They are very nutritious too.

Sonshine, We got our "bare-roots" from "Melot's, Inc. 8900 W. Memorial Rd., Oklahoma City, OK 73142 Phone (405) 721-4394". We like their "catjang cow peas" too as they are easy to grow and healthy for animals. (Watch out for birds or you won't get to keep these peas long.)

PaulNKS, where do you get that "tube of protein supplement" and how do you feed it?

I can attest to the quality of Barenbrug seeds. Many are "endophyte free" too. I have 4 pastures for my goats and all have a type of Barenbrug mixes. I especially like the "matua" and, having our local ag dept test it, discovered it was higher in mineral content any anything ever seen in these parts before and had a low iron content. (I need to rennovate these pastures now as the local grasses have intruded; and I will definately be using Barenbrug seed mixes to do this.)

Wags, where do you get the "kelp" and "coal fly ash" and "copper sulphate/chelate" to boost soil with?

Wags · #30 02/21/11, 05:41 PM

Coal fly ash is a by product of the coal burning power plants which aren't in my area. Not sure where it would be sold but I would guess local garden centers would have it. Kelp can be had a most gardening centers as can copper sulphate. (copper sulphate is also used on fruit trees)

Dry Bridge · #31 01/09/12, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoneStrChic23

A man at the feed store told me to plant bicolor Lespedeza shrubs for goats....he said he did all his fence lines in them and that they are very good forage food.....

Would love to do that, but I can't seem to find seeds/plants

Check with State Forestry Departments. I know Virginia's Department of Forestry offers them for sale (and yes, will ship out of state): https://secure01.virginiainteractive...0820221402cf01

Paul B.

GoinHome · #32 01/11/12, 03:47 AM

Pine is known to affect pregnant cows.

I think the risk may have been assumed to apply to goats, but as a couple of people here have attested, they haven't seen the problem in their goats.

I read a report on this once. They studied wild foragers, elk and deer, and found that pregnant elk were affected by pine, but deer, not so much.

I'm thinking, goats being more closely related to deer? Maybe that's why they don't seem to have the problem.

NataliaTwoDoes · #33 01/11/12, 09:59 AM

Great question Sonshine.... I have seen this ad in the local craigslist about growing your own fodder http://sacramento.craigslist.org/grd/2770856189.html and have wondered about the viability of that idea. I was actually wondering if anyone had input on this.

I think Wags and April have it right with the backwards breeding at least it makes sense to me. There is a kiko breeder in Oregon who has the same philosophy and loses herd animals every year to allow nature to select the most hardy they are in the elements and dont get worming or much human socialization. He also does not rebreed single birth Kikos, or Kikos who have trouble pregnancies. I think he is taking a major financial risk with his livestock to provide a hardier meat goat to the meat industry. I dont know how you could make this work for milk goats but I admire his strategy.