How wooded is too wooded?

[MichelleB]

Will goats (meat breeds, mostly) do okay in a thick stand of Doug Fir? I've heard of goats clearing out lower limbs (less than 2" dia, of course) but what are the drawbacks (other than fencing issues, of course).

[goatkid]

I'm not sure about fir, but I've heard that eating pine needles can cause does to abort.

[crazygoatgirl]

Pine needles do not hurt pregnant does at all. My goats have always had access to pines an dhave never had any trouble. I used to have a pine thicket that my does lived in and they didn't have any trouble. they loved eating pines.

[Teacupliz]

we give our does the christmas trees to eat each year- no problem. They will kill all the pine trees buy eating the bark. Liz

[ozark_jewels]

Our goats love pine and cedar. No drawbacks that I can think of. I assume you are going to supplement with hay??

[Stacy Adams]

Her getting sick would all depend on if that's all she's getting to eat out there.. If you watch goats browse the woods, you would see them eating a little of this and a little of that, not just a ton of one thing. I'm sure if you checked out the woods around you though, you would see other things growing that the girls might like to nibble on.
Stacy

[MichelleB]

Thanks for the replies.

Their primary pasture area would be cleared ground, but I'd like to fence in part of the woods for them to help clear some of the understory--not much non-tree browse, but lots of lower, thin branches. Use of this area would require additional hay, but if I added it to the paddock rotation, it would probably allow for more growth in the better paddocks.

I see now that I'd definitely have to watch out for barking on the trees!