[Steph Hen]

Wondered what plants you plant for your goats? Either to eat fresh in the summer or dried for winter time? What plants do your goats like eating the most? I was thinking of planting some green manure crops, as a treat they could browse on when we go for walks, so thought I'd ask for advice before ordering. Clover, peas?

I've got plans for lots of ash and willow branches for making tree hay but have a question: do you cut and dry whole branches or just pull off the leaves, dry and store?

[Dogwalker]

nettles and brambles

[kelly58]

Flowering currant bushes, willow herb, Rosa rugosa   

[devonlady]

Dried nettles.

[laurelrus]

Chard. Grew some last summer intending it to be for us to eat. My pygmy goats loved it and it kept growing long after everything else in the vegetable garden had finished. This year I'm planting a load for them!

[Polyanya]

We have acid soil here in Shetland - so only good for native heather and docks and the cursed creeping buttercups but I will be sowing carrots, neeps and kale for them and we grow lots of willow. They do like broad leaved dock and its very rich in cobalt, selenium and other minerals.

[Penninehillbilly]

Ash,  willow, Kale,  i give them some trimmings when I cut beech hedge back.
Ash - I cut branches and hang to dry, willowherb and willow branches i tie in bunches and hang in pens for them when they come in.
I'm also planting more bamboo because they have some green during winter. (pseudosasa).

[Talana]

I grow some garden peas we eat the peas- the goats get the stalks also swedes for winter they ea them whole and it keeps them occupied. They also like vetch growing wild but you can get seeds now. Various hedgerow trees etc. nettles willoherb. You can sow hebral ley. I wouldn't mind trying sainfoin but I think our soil might be to acidic has to be over 6.2 ph but if soil grows grain it should grow. I have read it used to be grown for stock and has natural worming properties sainfoin french for healthy hay. Red clover another alternative or chicory some farmers growing chicory for sheep now.

[mart6]

Local shoot use a 2.5 acre field of mine for ground cover and plant it up with maize.
Goats love it, you can cut it while its green feed leaves ect.
They go mad for the cobs and are apt at eating them on the plants, they still eat the dried plants.
Mine have monitored  entry in to field from october till march.

[Steph Hen]

Cool! Thanks for all of the replies everyone! Some great ideas! I'll have a think and do some planning and get some seed in the ground 

Particularly interesting to me are:
maize,
sainfoin,
flowering current (have half a doz. cuttings from last year that have rooted),
rosa rugosa (can I propagate this from cuttings?)
Chard... Will have a look at this too!
Can't think what chicory looks like (umbelliform like yarrow? will need to google).

Thanks very much!

[Talana]

 have a look at cotswolds seeds website   
https://www.cotswoldseeds.com/

[Polyanya]

Talana like your idea of feeding whole neeps to your goaties could I ask you how you do that - i.e. thread and hang them up or just leave them on the ground? 

[Talana]

I just put them whole in a bucket inside or put some out in their field. Have tried chopping them up for them but they weren't keen. I think they like the activity of chewing on them whole and scooping the neep out. Throw them in the field the herd of goats run after them, very much like the sheep surprisingly. 

[Polyanya]

Sounds good - I'll have to try that