How many pears are too many

Wingdo · #1 10/08/14, 01:48 PM

Just a curiosity... the girls are using them to "train" their goats... to do what will be a surprise to all of us I'm sure.

In the past all the fruit that fell off the trees was tossed out to the goats and none ever died so I'm taking that as a good sign... had a couple stung by bees but that's about it. Anyone had any bad experiences with this?

msscamp · #2 10/08/14, 11:37 PM

Umm, if they are not used to getting pears on a regular basis, more than 1 or 2 per goat is too many. . No, I have no experience with it. I have, however, read a number of posts from other people who did that weren't as lucky as you.

Frosted Mini's · #3 10/09/14, 12:12 AM

I would maybe cut the pears into small slices for them to use for treats, or see about using something that is a normal part of their diets. Everything in moderation. Goats don't do too well with large diet changes, so do be careful.

Alice In TX/MO · #4 10/09/14, 09:14 AM

On this forum, we try to avoid snarky phrasing that implies someone else has been less than a good goat keeper. It keeps things calmer.

AngieM2 · #5 10/09/14, 09:56 AM

Yes, snarky is not appreciated here.

mrs whodunit · #6 10/09/14, 11:50 AM

I throw a box of pears at a time in for our 2 goats. No problems.

texican · #7 10/09/14, 12:24 PM

If you feed things to your goats, and don't know the consequences thereof, one has to assume that either one is ignorant (kinder word than stupid) or just hasn't lost any goats to negligence yet.

I've lost goats to negligence... and learned the 'hard' way. I was stupid, but only stupid once.

Goats are grazers.... traditionally they had shepherds, that knew that they should only eat browse, and not get into a neighboring farmers field and bloat on eating the wrong things....

I'd not feed goats any fruit, other than a bite...

Suzyq2u · #8 10/09/14, 12:30 PM

Okay - post cleaned up a little.
In the future... we all ask questions.
There are no wrong questions

Thanks all, play nice!

mrs whodunit · #9 10/09/14, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texican

If you feed things to your goats, and don't know the consequences thereof, one has to assume that either one is ignorant (kinder word than stupid) or just hasn't lost any goats to negligence yet.

I've lost goats to negligence... and learned the 'hard' way. I was stupid, but only stupid once.

Goats are grazers.... traditionally they had shepherds, that knew that they should only eat browse, and not get into a neighboring farmers field and bloat on eating the wrong things....

I'd not feed goats any fruit, other than a bite...

LOL Really?

Watching goats that have 70+ acres of browse its amazing to watch them go under a 'wild' fruit tree and clean up everything. Never sick.

I had goats bloating on HAY this spring..... for the life of my I never figured out why.

#10 10/09/14, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texican

If you feed things to your goats, and don't know the consequences thereof, one has to assume that either one is ignorant (kinder word than stupid) or just hasn't lost any goats to negligence yet.

I've lost goats to negligence... and learned the 'hard' way. I was stupid, but only stupid once.

Goats are grazers.... traditionally they had shepherds, that knew that they should only eat browse, and not get into a neighboring farmers field and bloat on eating the wrong things....

I'd not feed goats any fruit, other than a bite...

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrs whodunit

LOL Really?

Watching goats that have 70+ acres of browse its amazing to watch them go under a 'wild' fruit tree and clean up everything. Never sick.

I had goats bloating on HAY this spring..... for the life of my I never figured out why.

I never saw the original parts of this thread, but to the OP every situation is different. My goats get fruit, and vegetables, and browse, and hay, and pasture, bread and i'm sure many other things. They are just fine and love it.

As others commented, goats can die from many things including some food items. My goats eat acorns and oak leaves, they are on the "toxic list. They eat pineapple, melon fruit... you get the idea. They can die from not being vaccinated, or from being vaccinated or even though they have been vaccinated. The list is long for possible bad things to happen. If they are doing alright with what you are doing, just be happy and enjoy them

Everyone is right...or everyone is wrong depending on who you are talking to. Who made the "toxic lists up anyway? Just because a few goats might have had a bad reaction to something does not mean the majority or even any others will have the same adverse reaction. Doesn't make me a bad goat owner, just means I don't believe everything I read

Have a great day everyone!

Frosted Mini's · #11 10/09/14, 03:41 PM

I just fed a watermelon to my goats. I held it for them while they ate it from my hands. It was so much fun to watch the liquid run down their chins. They were so excited!

GoatGirl123 · #12 10/09/14, 04:13 PM

I don't have much experience with pears, but I do know that some goats do better with fruit than others. Luna, for instance, got Polio once from eating the same amount of fruit as the other goats, while no one else was affected. You just have to be careful; if you don't have a goat that tends to get sick more often than the others, go for it!

mrs whodunit · #13 10/09/14, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frosted Mini's

I just fed a watermelon to my goats. I held it for them while they ate it from my hands. It was so much fun to watch the liquid run down their chins. They were so excited!

When we once had a milk cow who got sick. The vet asked us if we knew her favorite food. Told her it was watermelon and dandelions. She said to feed that to her till her appetite came back.

That cow had a messy chin for a couple of days with all the watermelon she ate

mrs whodunit · #14 10/09/14, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davstep

I never saw the original parts of this thread, but to the OP every situation is different. My goats get fruit, and vegetables, and browse, and hay, and pasture, bread and i'm sure many other things. They are just fine and love it.

As others commented, goats can die from many things including some food items. My goats eat acorns and oak leaves, they are on the "toxic list. They eat pineapple, melon fruit... you get the idea. They can die from not being vaccinated, or from being vaccinated or even though they have been vaccinated. The list is long for possible bad things to happen. If they are doing alright with what you are doing, just be happy and enjoy them

Everyone is right...or everyone is wrong depending on who you are talking to. Who made the "toxic lists up anyway? Just because a few goats might have had a bad reaction to something does not mean the majority or even any others will have the same adverse reaction. Doesn't make me a bad goat owner, just means I don't believe everything I read

Have a great day everyone!

When I was a teen we had a goat who thought the 70+ acres wasn't good enough and came into the yard to eat lupine. She was mighty sick for a week. She obviously never read the toxic plant list.

Had 2 pack goats who also loved lupine though dried. They never got sick which was good as we couldn't keep them away from the stuff going down the trail. They too never read the toxic plant list.

Frosted Mini's · #15 10/09/14, 08:28 PM

And I was shocked that my goats ate the watermelon whole, rind and all.

Wingdo · #16 10/09/14, 08:59 PM

I never read the posts that were deleted, so anyone that would like to call me names is welcome to... at my age I have worse problems than folks that know my goats better than I do insulting my wisdom or lack thereof. That said, the board has changed a bit over the years... I was simply asking a question that I thought someone else could possibly benefit from since it is pear season. Because my goats for the past 11 years have always been healthy, happy and loads of entertainment for me and my family, I'll stick to what I know and the Homestead "goat board" is now gone off my list. I wish you all the very best.

parrotman · #17 10/09/14, 10:28 PM

I'm glad my goats don't have Internet access, otherwise they would be dead. For all the years I've had them (the same goats) they eat, almost daily, some kind of "poisonous" plant.
With it being fall, when we go on our daily walk into the woods, they stop and eat apples till they decide they've had enough.
Whatever works for you and your goats is my motto.

LFRJ · #18 10/09/14, 10:57 PM

Funny. I can't get ours to eat fruit snacks at all. Occasionally I pick a fresh apple and cut it into slices. They turn their noses up and the geese end up with them. Yep, our geese eat apples (and milk!). I've heard of folks using raisins and animal crackers on this board as treats to train their goats. Our's won't have a thing to do with either. Have tried multiple times. They like peanuts just fine though, thankfully. I've laced a lot of peanut butter with medicine and packed a peanut shell disguised as the real thing. Probably didn't taste too different to them...but fruit, never could get them to try it. Go figure.

V-NH · #19 10/10/14, 08:49 PM

My goats aren't keen on fruit either LFRJ. The only treat they will really take from me are weeds or marshmallows and the only ones who really seem to like the marshmallows are the boys. I think it may be because I feed them such a familiar diet all the time that they aren't used to variety and just aren't interested in it.

I can't see how a few pears would kill or otherwise hurt a goat. It is important not to get too elitist in our approach to livestock management because absolutes are very rare in this world.

msscamp · #20 10/10/14, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wingdo

Just a curiosity... the girls are using them to "train" their goats... to do what will be a surprise to all of us I'm sure.

In the past all the fruit that fell off the trees was tossed out to the goats and none ever died so I'm taking that as a good sign... had a couple stung by bees but that's about it. Anyone had any bad experiences with this?

Wingdo, I sincerely apologize for my response to you. It was never my intent to even imply you were stupid - much less state it. I am sorry.