Goat's favorite forages, fodder, etc

I didn't see bamboo listed, although, like kudzu, it grows and spreads vigirously, but IMO, that's a good thing when it comes to goats. Both kudzy and bamboo have a lot of nutrients your goats can benefit from.

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Yea I'm thinking about making living/edible fences out of bamboo and the runners. They wouldn't eat it once it's a couple years old right? They can have the shoots as long as they leave the big stuff (the fence) alone.

You have to protect bamboo until it is established, but once it is established it is safe.

What growing zone are you in? I am in 8b and currently have P. Viridis and P. Euridis (Moso) doing fine, even in this drought.

P.S. I'm the bamboo person on the board as that is my hobby.

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"First, Show me in the Bible where it says you can save someone's soul by annoying the hell out of them." -- Chuck

Alfalfa: Mine love alfalfa hay, but I'm not sure how much they would like the plant. Probably once accustomed to it, they would like it.
Kudzu: Very good for goats
Lambsquarters: Mine will eat it, but it is not their first choice
Tagataste: Not familiar with this plant
Sericea Lespedeza: Excellent choice. Goats will eat it, and it can help control internal parasites.
Sunflower Seeds: Goats LOVE sunflower seeds.
Chicory: Great choice. Goats will eat it, and it is a great source of protein. Very high quality forage.
Comfery: I don't have this where I live, but I hear goats love it.
Honeysuckle: Goats love this one, but it is an invasive weed.
Stinging Nettles: I don't have this on my property, so I am not sure.
Mangels: Not familiar with this plant.
Jerusalem Artichokes: These are closely related to sunflowers. Goats will definitely eat.
Velvetleaf?: Not familiar with this plant.
Amaranth?: Goats will eat, but doesn't appear to be a favorite.
Acorns?: Goats will eat, but make sure you plant white oaks since red oak acorns can cause kidney problems due to too high a concentration of hydrolysable tannins.
Epimedium: Not familiar with this plant
Thistles: Goats will eat, but not a favorite.
Purple Deadnettle: Not familiar with this plant.
Leafy Spurge (invasive): Not sure
Dandelion: I haven't observed much with this plant, but it is edible, and I imagine goats would eat it.
Yarrow: Don't have it growing in my pasture, so don't know.
Matua: Not familiar with this plant
Blackberries/Raspberries: Favorite food of goats.
Tribulus: Not familiar with this plant
Clovers: Goats will eat some clovers and turn up their nose at others. Mine seem to like crimson clover.
Cannabis: Never fed this to my goats
Wheatgrass: Goats will eat this and any other type of cereal grain grass if they are accustomed to eating grass.
Sage: My goats have never seen this.
Mustard: Goats will eat.
Chamomile: In the daisy family. My Goats love asters, which are related, so they would probably eat this.
Borage: Don't have this in my pasture.
Lovage: Not familiar with this plant.
Echinacea: Since goats like daisy-family plants, they would probably like this.
Apios Americana: Not familiar with this plant.
Perennial Sunflowers: Goats will eat.
Alfalfa, clover, wheatgrass hay mix, and comfrey? Probably a good mix.
Red alder, redcedar, salmonberry: only familiar with red cedar. Goats will eat red cedar.
Squash: Haven't offered to my goats, but when they got into the garden it wasn't their first choice.
Kale: Not sure
Honey and Black Locust: They would probably eat, but I wouldn't plant either of these.
Capers: Not familiar with this plant
Alfalfa, Italian ryegrass hay mix: Sounds like a good hay.
Eleagnus: Not familiar with this plant.
Weeping Willow: Goats would probably eat. I haven't exposed mine to willow, so I am not sure.
Poplar: Goats will definitely eat.
Sugar Maple: Doesn't grow in my area. Goats will eat some red maple, but red maple can be toxic in large quantities.
Buckwheat: See wheatgrass.
Mimosa: Goats will eat, but I believe this is an invasive species.

Oh, just a note on cannabis:

Goats DO love it. Therefore if you are planting it for you, and think you can plant some of the "party time" species, don't bother. Your goats will eat it to nubs before it ever has a chance to form a single "party time" chemical. If they can get to it, they will eat it. They love it.

C. ruderalis is tough enough, and grows fast enough, to endure the goat's chomping it... but the...less hardy...species won't last seconds past sprouting.

When I lived in Colorado, I had a friend that had greenhouses and grew one greenhouse *specifically* for the dispensaries. One day, he forgot to close the door all the way, and his goats got in there. (Angoras)

6 hours, 10 goats later....and $15,000 worth of damage due to plant loss. Ouchies. They were mid-way through flowering too.

__________________
Peace,
Caliann

"First, Show me in the Bible where it says you can save someone's soul by annoying the hell out of them." -- Chuck

Cool, do you like to build with it? I'm getting more and more into bamboo. Never heard of p. euridis though nor does anything come up on Google when I type it in. And P. viridis? Wish I had enough to brew..

Lucky goats...
Good to know though, ruderalis is probably what I'll put in. I'll probably use it for more than fodder though as I believe the seeds are very nutritious and might even make good goat feed. The fiber's always a plus too.

Nobody better tell my goats they don't eat stinging nettle, it's one of their favorites. Also, they can strip a mulberry or cedar tree in a matter of minutes if given a chance. They'll eat flowers/seed heads off just about anything, including button weed. Mom's sheep nibbled every brussel sprout off my plants two years ago, left nothing but stems. Seems like goats may be so inclined as well. I also question the sanity of intentionally building exercise time in to your schedule, especially if you'll be doing a lot of work manually already! Caite

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I forgot to add peanut hay. I'm going to be planting some where the goats can't get at it till I harvest the peanuts, then give the plants to the goats.

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Ruderalis seed is available at most bird supply places. It IS good feed, and it has a very slight sedative effect....about the same as a cup of chamomile tea for us.

At any rate, I have a blue & gold parrot that can get pretty neurotic, especially if his environment is disturbed (he had an unhappy past), and he gets that when he is particularly stressed. It is considered a source of fats and a slight source carbs.

In Moso, the full term is Phyllostachys pubescens heterocycla edulis. My bad, my brain said erudis when typing the other post and I don't know why. Probably coming down with that Waltzheimers stuff.

Yes, you can build with P. edulis, P. viridis, or P. bambusoides, all of which will grow in zone 8b. Some people also suggest P. vivax, but I think it is a bit thin walled for true construction. I know a couple who has built most of their outbuildings in Austin all from their grove of Golden Bamboo on sight.

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Peace,
Caliann

"First, Show me in the Bible where it says you can save someone's soul by annoying the hell out of them." -- Chuck

Only to maintain muscle balance. I've found that farmers use their lower backs, trapezium muscles, and biceps a lot but not so much their latissimus dorsi, chest, deltoids, triceps, hip flexors, or most importantly their rectus abdominus (six pack). I just dont wanna be 30 and hunchbacked and disproportionate, plus fitness modelling is kind of like a Plan M. I'll probably put stinging nettles in though, at first for their medicinal properties but if the goats like them I'll let them spread.