Goats eating Brush

laughaha · #1 03/12/10, 10:14 AM

I want to get goats for the first time. I am in love with Nigerian Dwarfs- they are about the cutest things I have ever seen!! I have the side of a mountain that could make a great pasture once all the brush is gone. It's about 4 acres in size. I only want 2-3 goats to start off with.

Do you think they would even begin to make a dent in the brush or should I just shell out the money and have someone with a brushhog go to town on it? I'm asking this cuz I've read that brush is good for goats and If it's good for them (in addition to hay/etc), I would prefer to have them slowly clear it.

Oh, and I've never had livestock other than rabbits which is why I figured I'd go with the smallest goats (next size up from rabbits lol).

In a few years we would like to get some highland cattle once the brush is cleared. Definitely keeping the goats though.

Sorry for the rambling, I guess my question is how much brush could 2-3 Nigerian Dwarfs get rid of and is there a breed of goat that REALLY loves to eat brush?

Rockytopsis · #2 03/12/10, 10:19 AM

Properly fenced in those 2-3 goats would have plenty of food and yes they will get it under control. All goats love browse ( just another word for variety of food). If I were getting goats I would let the goats clear it for me.

laughaha · #3 03/12/10, 10:23 AM

Great

Does that mean that I wouldn't have to supplement it with hay and everything else?

How long do you think it would take them?

Do Goats like to eat the horrible wild roses? Should I try to clear them out before getting goats? It's edible for my buns but there is no way that they could ever eat it all (I prune them for the buns).

Heritagefarm · #4 03/12/10, 10:39 AM

Those small goats are notorious for getting loose. You're gonna need some heck of a fence.

Rockytopsis · #5 03/12/10, 10:39 AM

We have no wild rose, blackberry, dewberry any where on our farm. DH cleared out part of the pasture that we had fenced off instead of letting the goats do it for him. It will take a few years for it to grow back up and provide forage for the goats. On the parts that the goats did it is also gone.

It would not hurt to put some hay out for them if they choose to eat it, but I would not think you would have to give grain on that much land for 2-3 goats. Maybe just give it as treats.

As far as how long it would take, I don't know, they will not do it over night but if you put them in this year, you will see a difference this time next year. And if you keep it to 2-3 goats they will have plenty to eat for a long time.

Rockytopsis · #6 03/12/10, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heritagefarm

Those small goats are notorious for getting loose. You're gonna need some heck of a fence.

Properly fenced in they will not get loose, I have lots of friends that raise them and they don't have a problem because they put up the right stuff in the beginning.

Heritagefarm · #7 03/12/10, 10:42 AM

...Which would be field fencing, most likely. And probably some gates with bars close together.

Alice In TX/MO · #8 03/12/10, 10:57 AM

Goats, all goats, are browsers. They love roses, brush, and all that stuff you have.

Supplement the little ones with maybe a 1/2 cup of goat feed twice a day so that they stay tame.

Provide minerals.

laughaha · #9 03/12/10, 10:58 AM

How high should the fence be? Field fencing is typically 4' high and I've read that NGD's can get over it. Do they climb or jump?

We are thinking of putting in the fence in two parts so we would have 2- 2 acre paddocks. Build one this year and the other next year. That way we could move the goats/cattle back and forth as needed.

Can goats be trained to come when called so that I don't have to go searching through brush for them at night? We have alot of coyotes in the woods above the brush.

Alice In TX/MO · #10 03/12/10, 11:09 AM

Absolutely goats learn to come when called. Call them when you feed, and that problem is solved.

Four feet will do on the fence as long as they aren't hungry.

**mygoat** · #11 03/12/10, 11:16 AM

Don't brush hog the pasture... goats are the best at clearing land. A good pasture for goats will be more brush than grass, as they are browsers, NOT grazers. If necessary, clear along where you will be putting the fence up, but that's it. You may not have to offer hay for a while, until they turn your brushy pasture into what will look like a well-cared for park, lol. They will not need grain, unless you want to tame them. I suggest bottle babies because not only are they fun to raise but they will be SUPER tame. Generally, grain causes more problems than does good, and goats do just fine on browse, or browse/hay, unless they are lactating or in late pregnancy.

They will come when you call, but they will also go in at night on their own, generally. My does sometimes camp out by the hay feeders for a couple hours... fat lazy things, lol.

Feral Nature · #12 03/12/10, 12:32 PM

Goats MUST have a shed.

They cannot sleep without a roof over their heads and a windbreak. And they hate rain as much as cats do. So a three sided shed with a roof is a must. I would like to suggest that you visit a goat farm in your area, someone, like you, who is into raising a just a few goats. Observe the type of fencing and shed. Ask around and see if you can find a mentor. There are usually more goat people around than one would think. A good place to find goat folks is at the feedstore. Put a note up on the bullitin board, also, try online to find reputable breeders you can visit. This would be helpful because each part of the country is different and management is different. Plants and landscape vary. Enjoy your new adventure in goats!

......Diane

laughaha · #13 03/12/10, 01:54 PM

There is an NGD breeder near me that I met at the county fair. She is an incredibly nice but busy person. She doesn't milk her NGD's, raises them for pets. Thanks for the suggestion, I think I will try to bug her.

The reason I asked about them coming when called is that they would get penned up every night in the rabbit barn. I figured I would build a 4' x 8' "night box" for them. They would only be in it at night. The babies would go into dog kennels (right next to the nightbox) at night so that I could milk in the morning and then everyone would go into the pasture for the day. Do you think that would be large enough? If not, we could build them a separate shelter. There would be unsecured shelter in the pasture, but I want to make sure the coyotes don't get them at night.

deineria · #14 03/12/10, 02:38 PM

I had 5 Pygmy goats that flat out cleared a 3/4 acre mountain that was so overgrown, I couldn't walk up there. . .in less than a year. They loved every moment of it! lol

laughaha · #15 03/12/10, 02:40 PM

I have thought about them, but I was worried that it would hurt the NGD's if it's on high enough to keep out coyotes but that if we kept the charge down enough for the NGD's that it wouldn't stop the coyotes. Do you think I am worrying about it for nothing?

laughaha · #16 03/12/10, 02:40 PM

very cool deineria!!!

laughaha · #17 03/12/10, 03:03 PM

Thanks Rose,

I'm known for being a bit of a worrier, but I figure that's okay cuz I'm usually prepared for most things that way.

laughaha · #18 03/12/10, 03:11 PM

Awww, shucks

Apryl in ND · #19 03/12/10, 04:43 PM

Do those electric netting fences lose power or anything when they come in contact with the ground or grass?

Last year I put up a regular electric fence with six strands for my goats but it has to be so close to the ground that I don't know how to keep the grass and weeds away from it. I don't want to do any sort of spraying and it would be too difficult to weed eat under it. When I put the goats in that pasture they (not understanding about electric fencing) walk right through it , even though the wires are about 5 inches apart, and get the crap shocked out of them! I got so frustrated that I gave up on the project. Maybe I should try electric netting?