The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Dogwalker on May 22, 2014, 10:14:56 pm

Title: growing feed crops
Post by: Dogwalker on May 22, 2014, 10:14:56 pm

Has anyone grown crops for their goats rather than just giving them surplus garden stuff.

Last years pig patch is being rotovated to replant with something. 
It's about 20 x 30 yards, clay soil in mid Wales, at about 540 ft.
My son's rotovating it with an old garden machine but after that it'll be hand tools.
Nothing that's going to take too much looking after - I'm already trying to do more than one person can.

They love any brassicas that go to seed in the garden so could plant some kale etc. 
Do they like sunflowers - I've got lots of seed saved, also broad and runner bean seed.
Borage would be good for the bees, will goats eat the plants later.

The area can stay for two seasons before I'll need it for pigs again.
ideas / experiences please

Title: Re: growing feed crops
Post by: shygirl on May 22, 2014, 11:02:58 pm

our borage has took off this year, planted about 15 seeds 3 years ago and now it is a thick little hedge. its too nice to cut though  :roflanim:
purple sprouting, perptual spinach and chard are handy as you can harvest little and often.

Title: Re: growing feed crops
Post by: ballingall on May 22, 2014, 11:05:38 pm

Kale is the obvious answer. Mangel Wurzels can be done, but I thought I had heard that the seed was hard to come by, and I don't know a lot about growing them.


Beth

Title: Re: growing feed crops
Post by: Anke on May 23, 2014, 06:38:00 am

Kale is ok if you can keep it covered with mesh re cabbage butterflies and the ground weeded - it is in the ground for a long time ... Mine needs staking as our site is a bit exposed

My goats love Comfrey (Bocking No.? - sold by Organic Garden catalogue, but root slips probably not for another year, it is also a permanent plant) and also Horseradish (again permanent plant and possibly spreading, goats love the leaves and flower stems).

Title: Re: growing feed crops
Post by: Ina on May 23, 2014, 07:36:33 am

All of the above - if you can't get mangel, grow swedes - and yes, they do love sunflowers (we grew them on the goat farm in France where I worked a long time ago...).

Title: Re: growing feed crops
Post by: Tala Orchard on May 23, 2014, 07:38:59 am

Try stubble turnip, the sheep love it and it is best planted October onwards so it is available when grass is in short supply, Mangles we could not get any last year and were told that seeds were unavailable probably due to some EU regulation.

But for small patch they are great, we planted after pigs and the turnips were in some cases as big as footballs.

Title: Re: growing feed crops
Post by: Dogwalker on May 23, 2014, 02:46:25 pm

thank you for all the ideas.

I think I'll grow a mixture of things to see what works best here and then can do more next year.

Assuming I can keep the rabbits away long enough for anything to get started.

Title: Re: growing feed crops
Post by: Lesley Silvester on May 23, 2014, 04:43:20 pm

Remember that kale can affect the taste of the milk if you give too much.

Title: Re: growing feed crops
Post by: Dogwalker on May 24, 2014, 12:29:27 pm

Only a few are milkers :)