goats favorite things to munch

Faithful Heart · #1 10/26/06, 02:15 PM

This may seem like sort of a useless thread, but I just wanted to share.... and just chat about "goats" to other goat people that understand.

I have my little goats in pens until the fence is finished (been three months in the works, but we are NOW to the fence stretching stage.... any day now it'll be done... wahoo!!!). So anyway, in the meantime I've taken them out on lead lines and sit and watch them for a couple hours. I try to do this daily. I just love watching them make choices over all the yummy stuff in the yard. I guess I was wondering if any of you have noticed how your goats eat? And what kinds of things do they like best in your yard, and during different seasons?

Here's what I've seen..... they'll sniff a bit, then find what they want. They'll then stick to that particular plant for awhile, even if it means sniffing the whole yard to find more.

If no more can be found, or they happen across something that smell enticing, they'll then stick to THAT for a bit.

One day recently our doeling, Hope, "found" the spinich in the garden - and particularly liked the seed/berries. It was only her out that afternoon, so she was running loose without the lead line. I tried to discourage her, and we played a silly game of her running in the barn to "hide" (she'd peek her head out to see if I didn't notice her, then quickly slip back to the garden). I eventually gave up because it was all too cute and funny. After getting her fill she moved on to acorns for a bit, then insisted I help her reach the high branches in the oak tree. I had to hold the branch down while she used my hip to stand.

Over all lately I've noticed them really loving the dried leaves, crushed/dying plants, and any seed/berries they can find. Today especially they went wild over the dried leaves. I think because we had a light rain last night that softened them up some..... like soggy potato chips I guess.

LOL I had to go in for a refill on coffee, and you should have heard their cries! It was all muffled from full mouths of leaves. If they had just stopped stuffing their faces for a second they could have let out a good bellow..... but they weren't about to stop THAT. I got a really good laugh off their frantic faces, muffled cries, and the fact that even though they were very upset I was leaving, they weren't ABOUT to stop shoveling in those leaves.

Goats are so silly.

Jcran · #2 10/26/06, 02:24 PM

My goats LOVE acacia. We have a ton of the invasive stuff surrounding our tiny patch of heaven on three sides. After I investigated and found that its nontoxic, we started clearing! The girls will CHOW it down...good for the environment, good for the goats, good for neighbor relations!

goatmarm · #3 10/27/06, 09:09 AM

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fishhead · #4 10/27/06, 09:23 AM

My goats loved swamp smartweed, wild aster tops, jackpine needles, reed canary grass and especially the dried flower tops of last years goldenrod. Each evening I would watch them graze for an hour or more. It seemed that most of the time they would eat a bit of this and then a bit of that but when they found their favorite they would gorge until they grew tired of it.

Later in the season they developed a taste for cattails. It was comical to see them with 4-5 leaves sticking out of their mouths like long green swords.

sullen · #5 10/27/06, 09:36 AM

Mine likes that sharp spiky stuff we have up here as a weed. THank goodness, that stuff hurts!

comehomesoon · #6 10/27/06, 10:02 AM

We have wild onions that grown next to our house and they love that. Of course you can smell them a mile away when they have eaten those!

~PrairieGirl~ · #7 10/27/06, 11:40 AM

My goats like the wild blackberry vines (ankle saws) , we have tons of it out back everybody has to wear boots or they cut up your legs and trip you so I am glad that they eat them

I even picked them and let them dry and saved them for winter, they are hidden up in the barn. Other than that they LOVE bleach. I have a bucket I keep the dirty wash cloths fom milking in and if i leave it down they will all run over there to chew on the bleachy rags. The same thing when I am cleaning buckets they come around to lick on my bleachy scrub brush. Very weird if you ask me.

cayenne47 · #8 10/27/06, 01:00 PM

Mine will do STUPID GOAT TRICKS for dried apple slices.

And we have a couple english walnut trees...they love the dried leaves and chewing the husks off of the fallen nuts...plus its a natural de-wormer

ozark_jewels · #9 10/27/06, 01:07 PM

Mine like almost anything.....Special loves are ripe persimons(Cocoa will stand beneath the tree and wait for them to fall), "health food" cereals from our discount food store, seed pods from the honey locust trees, ACORNS!!!!

nduetime · #10 10/27/06, 01:13 PM

Mine really like to chew on one particular apple tree. There is another within 20 feet but they only go for the one. They also like cig butts. We do not smoke but keep a can on the porch for those who are invited to light up outside. Thay race for it whenever they get out and I have to remember to empty the nasty thing. The only other thing they really go nuts for are gingersnap cookies. It is their very most favorite treat.

TexCountryWoman · #11 10/27/06, 01:17 PM

Mine love oak leaves cut from the trees, grape vines, dewberry vines, poison ivy, black walnut leaves, western sweetgum leaves, and mimosa vine. These plants they go after above all else. But the thing we have most of, they love and is there browse staple is yaupon holly. They also love apple slices and banana peels...and over ripe bananas.

A'sta at Hofstead · #12 10/27/06, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faithful Heart

This may seem like sort of a useless thread, but I just wanted to share.... and just chat about "goats" to other goat people that understand.

I have my little goats in pens until the fence is finished (been three months in the works, but we are NOW to the fence stretching stage.... any day now it'll be done... wahoo!!!). So anyway, in the meantime I've taken them out on lead lines and sit and watch them for a couple hours. I try to do this daily. I just love watching them make choices over all the yummy stuff in the yard. I guess I was wondering if any of you have noticed how your goats eat? And what kinds of things do they like best in your yard, and during different seasons?

Here's what I've seen..... they'll sniff a bit, then find what they want. They'll then stick to that particular plant for awhile, even if it means sniffing the whole yard to find more.

If no more can be found, or they happen across something that smell enticing, they'll then stick to THAT for a bit.

One day recently our doeling, Hope, "found" the spinich in the garden - and particularly liked the seed/berries. It was only her out that afternoon, so she was running loose without the lead line. I tried to discourage her, and we played a silly game of her running in the barn to "hide" (she'd peek her head out to see if I didn't notice her, then quickly slip back to the garden). I eventually gave up because it was all too cute and funny. After getting her fill she moved on to acorns for a bit, then insisted I help her reach the high branches in the oak tree. I had to hold the branch down while she used my hip to stand.

Over all lately I've noticed them really loving the dried leaves, crushed/dying plants, and any seed/berries they can find. Today especially they went wild over the dried leaves. I think because we had a light rain last night that softened them up some..... like soggy potato chips I guess.

LOL I had to go in for a refill on coffee, and you should have heard their cries! It was all muffled from full mouths of leaves. If they had just stopped stuffing their faces for a second they could have let out a good bellow..... but they weren't about to stop THAT. I got a really good laugh off their frantic faces, muffled cries, and the fact that even though they were very upset I was leaving, they weren't ABOUT to stop shoveling in those leaves.

Goats are so silly.

I can't wait to get my goats!!!!

CritterLover · #13 10/27/06, 02:34 PM

I've only had my wether and doe since June, but it's been fun watching how different their personalities are. The wether will eat just about anything I present to him and his "new" favorite are the acorns he just discovered. May, the doe, on the other hand, won't eat anything she doesn't find herself, with the exception of the new Golden Oreos. I eat the center filling and they get the cookie part. I think they would turn themselves inside out for one of those cookies!

~PrairieGirl~ · #14 10/27/06, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexCountryWoman

They also love apple slices and banana peels...and over ripe bananas.

They eat banana peels ?

do you have to cut them up or anything?

Faithful Heart · #15 10/27/06, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CritterLover

I've only had my wether and doe since June, but it's been fun watching how different their personalities are. The wether will eat just about anything I present to him and his "new" favorite are the acorns he just discovered. May, the doe, on the other hand, won't eat anything she doesn't find herself, with the exception of the new Golden Oreos.

My two are like that too.

The buckling will eat almost anything I give him. Some days, if they didn't get much time grazing, I'll just cut them a bunch of stuff I think they'll like. The little boy doesn't act like he really has as many favorites.... he likes it all. But the doeling is rather picky. I can cut all sorts of her seemingly favorite foods, but after it's cut, she turns her nose up at it. As if she's being stubborn cause she didn't find it all by herself. I learned a way to trick her some though. I cut the branches or weeds with strong stems, and then tie them high up...... as if they're growing from a tree. She doesn't seem to know the difference as well. It's either that, or she just doesn't want to eat what's on the ground.

AllWolf · #16 10/27/06, 06:50 PM

My goats love blackberry briers. I can go and cut some they all be waiting at the gate for a bunch to come to them. My goats also love certain types of ceral and will go nuts for grape and orange suckers. They also love peanut butter crackers. One of my wethers will stand on hind legs for them.

Goats sure are wonderful to have as pets..

FarmGoddess · #17 10/28/06, 12:38 PM

My big buck will do anything if a Twizzler is involved. I don't even have to call him to the fence anymore, all I have to do is stand by it and wave the Twizzler around and he comes running.

My little Bunny goat has discovered that the 'food' comes from the 'shed' and will escape her pen (and I'm still trying to find out how) and meet me by the shed door every morning. That way when I open the grain bins, her heads the first thing that goes in.

yarddog4jc · #18 10/28/06, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sullen

Mine likes that sharp spiky stuff we have up here as a weed. THank goodness, that stuff hurts!

I lived in Gouldsboro several years ago and my dog found those...I think they are called porky-pines...LOL

PygmyLover · #19 10/28/06, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~PrairieGirl~

They eat banana peels ?

do you have to cut them up or anything?

Nope I don't.

Today mine were interested in the pineneedles and leaves on the ground.....and acorns.

I also brought out scraps from the salad my sister made. They loved that.

jd4020 · #20 10/28/06, 08:34 PM

I normally don't feed my goats human food, but my first girl, Matilda--a lovely brown with black stripe down her back, loved popcorn, turned her nose up at peanut butter cookies and before I could stop the people, she drank 7UP from their can of pop.
Mine will eat every tree leaf and branch they can reach, and they can balance on their hind legs, I have one who can reach 6 feet and pull down the branches for further munching. I give them leaf rakings, beet tops, lettuce and spinach, I throw them our Christmas tree, after I have carefully cleaned all the trim off it. They will eat everything and strip off the bark. I give them the prunings off of the apple and peach trees. They love rose bushes. I think they will even eat poison ivy, as I've read articles of people using them to clear that weed. Not sure I'd want to let a milker eat that though.
I love watching the little ones play. One time I had all my nieces and nephews along with my three children, there were about 10 the oldest being about 12 and I had about 12-15 kids that were just the right age for running, jumping, snorting etc. I let the kids out of the pen (my CHILDREN and their cousins were already in the yard waiting)

and it was so much fun watching them play together. I couldn't tell you who had more fun. The kids or the children. I have some of that afternoon on videotape.
Who needs t.v. when you've got cheap entertainment on the farm like that?