do goats eat johnson grass?

[knuckledragger]

I am about to fence in an area that is over run with Johnson grass. Wouild goats clear it off for me?

[chris30523]

Johnson grass can be toxic at certain times of the year. That being said , Mine don't really care for it they will eat the seed heads and leave everything else they like johnson grass before it gets big but only the tips. We have had the best luck getting johnson grass out of a pasture by over grazing for a couple of years with horses. We put them on early in the year before the johnson grass starts to come up and keep them on it till late fall.

[2doordad]

It's real bad after there had been a drought and then alot of rain.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Here's the scientific info about johnson grass poisoning.

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/livestoc/v1150w.htm

[Lada]

My goats do eat it, but their pasture is not overrun with it, so it's not the only thing they are eating and they can't really gorge on it. I would worry about fencing off an area that is only or mostly johnson grass.

[Kshobbit]

My goats loved baled Johnson Grass hay. This came from a local farmer who baled it while baling his brome hay. There is a type of sterile Johnson Grass hay(Green Graze) that I bought when I lived in Tennessee. So you could bale it and feed it to the goats. Mine eat it if they can get to it, not sure they would clear a pasture full of it.

[Fowler]

Yes, Yes they do

[LoneStrChic23]

Mine will happily eat it.

[southerngurl]

Mine love it. Thankfully we don't have it in the pasture though.

[CaliannG]

Do you WANT them to est Johnson grass? Then no, they won't touch it.

Would you rather they DIDN'T eat the Johnson grass, because you would worry about their health and well being? Then they will inhale it as if it was manna from heaven.

It is all in your attitude. If you fence off that Johnson grass and put the goats OUTSIDE of the fence, I can nearly guarantee that your goats will be through/over/under/around that fence as soon as your back is turned and SNORTING the Johnson grass like drugs.

But if you try in any way to let on that you would like it cleared out, they will never touch a blade of the stuff.

[KOHL HAWKE]

Mine eat it, but dont clear it. Ive found the horse does the best job on it, better then the calves