The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: mart6 on September 15, 2014, 09:54:59 am

Title: Feeding goats advise
Post by: mart6 on September 15, 2014, 09:54:59 am
Local shoot rear pheasents on adjoining field and grow sweet corn on surounding field edges
i would guess around 5-6 acres in total all they do is use it for cover  for pheasants then plough it up in new year.
Seems a total waste.
I know overseas they chop it up to feed cattle. Could it be utilised ? what would be best method?
Seems a total waste just ploughing it in.
My goats are forever trying to reach over fence eating bits and bobs, first question is am i alright letting them eat it.
 Local gamekeeper said if i fence border im free to let them forage and sugested  electric fencing it it in strips  and letting them loose as its growing.
Would it have any issues ? Any other ideas ie chopping it up ? Or other livestock breeds  i could enclose.
Seems a waste just ploughing it up ?
Title: Re: Feeding goats advise
Post by: Anke on September 15, 2014, 10:29:22 am
I give my plants to the goats once  have harvested all the cobs of them, usually a couple of plants just thrown into their field and they go mad for it. However I restrict it to a few plants per day and mine only go outside once they had a full belly of hay in the morning.

So using the plants (fresh not wilted - they don't like them then) to supplement their diet would certainly seem a good idea. I am not sure letting them loose in only sweetcorn to graze would be such a good idea. Goats thrive on variety - so different kinds of branches/weeds and garden waste/plants.
Title: Re: Feeding goats advise
Post by: mart6 on September 15, 2014, 11:20:23 am
Thanks for the reply
Im lucky as most of my boundries are hawhorn hedges, other side has a narrow strip of woodland all overgrown weeds bushs bramble ect, only have two goats at mo but intention is 10-15 or so.
They  are housed inside at night with plentyful supply of hay let out in morning .
Idea was to let them graze in growing corn it has hawthorn hedge grass border ect with thistle /weeds disperesed in corn. Thought let them in corn free range including hedges for a few hours a day then fetch them back on to normal grazing.
Never seen them bother with cobs seem more intrested in leaves.
Wonder how many cobs in 6 acres ? take a while to pick seems shame its all wasted.
Would not leave them in corn alone  all day as you say.
Title: Re: Feeding goats advise
Post by: Dogwalker on September 15, 2014, 01:26:27 pm
I'd have thought if you let them in while it's growing there won't be much left for pheasant cover and no hedge if they can get to the trunks to debark it.

Letting them in to clear up before it's ploughed sounds good though or maybe cut and carry some to them.
Title: Re: Feeding goats advise
Post by: Lesley Silvester on September 15, 2014, 10:46:36 pm
Can't you cut some cobs for yourselves?

Title: Re: Feeding goats advise
Post by: mart6 on October 02, 2014, 08:17:33 pm
I'd have thought if you let them in while it's growing there won't be much left for pheasant cover and no hedge if they can get to the trunks to debark it.

Letting them in to clear up before it's ploughed sounds good though or maybe cut and carry some to them.
Hedges are quite dense never had a problem with them eating hawhorn bark to busy with branches i expect.
Let them loose in a section of the sweet corn field that ajoins the wood.
They went straight for the leaves never bothered with the cobs spent a couple of hours munching leaves then went into wood for brambles and tree leaves.
Seem to know when they have had enough and move on to something else
Title: Re: Feeding goats advise
Post by: Lesley Silvester on October 02, 2014, 11:52:41 pm
They're sensible animals.