The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: gingercloverbramble on July 02, 2010, 02:33:54 pm

Title: what can goats eat?!
Post by: gingercloverbramble on July 02, 2010, 02:33:54 pm

My son has neglected to tell me just how low we are running in goat food!!
Am desperately trying to get a hold of someone who might be able to drop us a bag off for us.
If I fail, is there anything else I could come up with to feed him over the weekend until I get to Harbro on Monday?!
(We have plenty of layers pellets, grain and wheat!!!!)
He's just a wee 3 month old pygmy who is in a very large fenced area (with other animals -he is not alone!!) and has access to grass and bushes and trees - so is getting lots of grazing!!  :P

Title: Re: what can goats eat?!
Post by: jameslindsay on July 02, 2010, 03:02:28 pm

He will eat layers pellets but they are too high in iron for them, so not recommended.

Title: Re: what can goats eat?!
Post by: ballingall on July 02, 2010, 06:40:29 pm

Cornflakes....

Title: Re: what can goats eat?!
Post by: little blue on July 02, 2010, 08:46:09 pm

rabbit food
any cereal that isnt sweetened.  ours lOVE cornflakes
cooked pasta (not much!)
raisens sultanas
cream crackers
trees, berries, leaves, grass, hay, thistles etc etc etc

Title: Re: what can goats eat?!
Post by: Anke on July 02, 2010, 09:54:58 pm

Try and get him some hay though if possible, if not cut some tall grass and let wilt/dry for half a day, branches of anything around, and willowherb if you have got it around. Oats (human ones) are good too.

Title: Re: what can goats eat?!
Post by: gingercloverbramble on July 02, 2010, 11:51:11 pm

Thanks everybody!  Forgot to mention that he also has access to plenty of hay.
Have oats, cornflakes, crackers, raisins etc so he certainly won't go hungry!!
And he is nibbling away on trees and leaves and grass etc.
Thank you all for putting my mind at rest for the weekend!   ;D

Title: Re: what can goats eat?!
Post by: langdon on July 03, 2010, 08:38:59 pm

apples
bananas
most veg in reason  :goat:

Title: Re: what can goats eat?!
Post by: lassemista on July 07, 2010, 04:52:20 pm

You will have solved this problem for now, but I have been pulling nettles for mine recently - we have lots of them ::), and the goats love them.
Andrea.

Title: Re: what can goats eat?!
Post by: little blue on July 08, 2010, 06:28:59 pm

andrea, do you dry the nettles first?
just wondered...
ours wouldn't touch nettles either fresh or dry....  until we got Cesar who likes them dried and the others thought they were missing out!!

Title: Re: what can goats eat?!
Post by: langdon on July 09, 2010, 10:16:14 pm

can goats eat potato plants ???
langdon :goat:

Title: Re: what can goats eat?!
Post by: little blue on July 09, 2010, 10:37:21 pm

not the leaves, stems or  ?? the tubers raw??
I dont feed my goats any part,
the pigs get cooked potato skins if we've had the bbq on - 1) it cant be cooked indoors and 2) It stinks!!

Title: Re: what can goats eat?!
Post by: Anke on July 09, 2010, 10:40:12 pm

All member of the solanum family (incl tomoatoes) are poisonous! Do not feed any parts of these plants to goats or any livestock, although the tomatoes themselves are very good and ok for the goats. I wouldn't feed potatoes, you would have to cook them, and the pigs make better use of them!

Title: Re: what can goats eat?!
Post by: little blue on July 09, 2010, 10:44:49 pm

Quote from: Anke on July 09, 2010, 10:40:12 pm

the pigs make better use of them!

and have iron bellies!!   no sensitivity there...