keeping goats from eating what they are not supossed to

countrygurl · #1 09/12/06, 03:57 PM

dh getting mad, ihave 3 goats that i let free range during the day but they cant resit from eating my landscape plants is there anything i can put out to keep them away from my shrubs like moth ball does that work?
any suggestions they really enjoy being our during the day and other well behaved.

TexCountryWoman · #2 09/12/06, 05:15 PM

Nope, there is nothing you can do. Goats will eat your favorite plants first. They will strip the leaves and bark off of anything they find tasty. They will eat your houseplants down to the pots of dirt. They are amazingly fast at all of this too. You have to fence them out of things they cannot have. beware of poisonous plants also. Goats will generally just take a bite or two of most things that are bad for them and then move on to something else, but you still need to be careful. There have been many a thread on here about such things as sever Azalea poisoning. Wish i could have given you the answer you wanted, but goats are goats

Reauxman · #3 09/12/06, 05:17 PM

Honestly, nothing that won't harm them.

Two options, keep them out with fencing or plant deer resistant plants. Most onion family plants(alliums and such) and things such as daffodils, hyacinth and a few others are deer resistant. Still that won't stop it, but deter it(Jason ate up a bed of about 200 hyacinths one night).

MommaSasquatch · #4 09/12/06, 05:35 PM

What a timely post. This morning I found a hole in a WINDOW SCREEN that my kids tell my that our doe, Millie, made. She ATE a big area about 8 inches across.

I suspect she was bored. We have them fenced up by the house right now, they rotate pastures with the sheep. We had the sheep in there all last winter and they NEVER dreamt of doing anything weird like that. Goats are strange creatures.

KSALguy · #5 09/12/06, 07:18 PM

eather fence IN your goats or fence IN your plants, other wise there is no real good way of stopping them, Goats are Eating Machines and they are only doing what is natural, just like breathing

my goats at my lillac bushes up as tall as they could reach in a matter of an afternoon when they got out, luckely it came back but it was never the same and i had to do some pruning and re planting

Idahoe · #6 09/12/06, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KSALguy

eather fence IN your goats or fence IN your plants, other wise there is no real good way of stopping them, Goats are Eating Machines and they are only doing what is natural, just like breathing

Considering the caloric density of weeds and grasses it is no wonder goats are Eating Machines. They have to constantly eat to get enough. My geese, your basic herbivore, do the same.

Even a HUNGRY dog can delay eating to please his master. Goats could care less what pleases you! Let me tell you, even the chickens care more about my feelings than the goats.

Jillis · #7 09/13/06, 05:40 AM

You are not doing your goats any favors by allowing them to free range. Goats need the protection of a fence. JMO.

moonspinner · #8 09/13/06, 08:51 AM

Mine haven't eaten any tin cans (ha!) yet but one of my does also chowed down a window screen. I have been barn painting and they won't stay away from it. Not only do they lick the paint but it's so attractive to them they are chewing away at the wood too. I've had to put up barriers until the paint dries and even then it takes a good two weeks before they no longer smell the paint. There are many plants toxic to goats, so be careful.

AnnaS · #9 09/13/06, 04:47 PM

Deer repellant sprays based on rotten eggs and/or blood will also work on goats. You can buy these at gardening stores & greenhouses.
A ScareCrow- sprinkler with a motion detector- will also work. When an animal crosses the beam, it gets hosed by the sprinkler. Goats like water about as much as cats do.

MommaSasquatch · #10 09/13/06, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moonspinner

Mine haven't eaten any tin cans (ha!) yet but one of my does also chowed down a window screen.

OK, so mine's not the only total weirdo. WHAT goes on in their goaty minds I wonder that would make that look appetizing?

Reauxman · #11 09/13/06, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnnaS

Goats like water about as much as cats do.

Depends on the goat. My buck will go on about his normal goaty things in the rain, while the others stand under the barn wondering what the heck he is doing out there. Course he was raised in the house and had weekly baths for 4 months of his life. Maybe he will grow out of it....

manfred · #12 09/13/06, 09:24 PM

I let mt goats free range during the day when I'm around.
When I catch one eating the fruit trees or whatever, I shoot them with the bb gun. They really react! It can't hurt them that bad and about 4 seconds later they have returned to normal, but they remember. Most times now I just need to shake the gun if I see them getting too close to something they shouldn't eat. They seldom eat anything now that I've taught them not to.