Winter Care/Feeding of Goats/Donkeys

[redlevel]

I am using goats as pasture cleaner-uppers. I have a couple of donkeys with them for pred protection. Right now, they have knee-deep kudzu and briars, plus tons of Chinese/Japanese Privet. Lots of other weedy, brushy material. I feed them a little bit of sweet feed two or three times per week, plus treats for the donks, apples, carrots, etc, just so they will love me. I keep a salt block and fresh water for them.

Soon, after the first hard frost in a month or so, the privet will be about the only green stuff available for a while. I want the goats to really work on the privet. I don't want to weaken them by not supplementing their diet if needed, but I want them to work for what they eat. The donks eat a lot of that stuff too, stuff that would probably kill a horse, and cows would starve. My question; how much, if any, supplementation do the goats and donks need?

My goats aren't pets. Right now, they are working for me, and I'll keep them, but later, if someone wanted one for slaughter, I would sell it. I want to keep them healthy, but I don't want them to stop browsing. I have provided shelter from rain. Winter temps down here will rarely get below 15 degrees, and that infrequently. A real cool snap might see 22 degrees one night, with a warming trend almost immediately. I don't really think they need any other shelter from the cold, as there is a bluff to cut off the NW wind.

Most of the green bushy stuff is privet. Kudzu is growing on some of the privet. The first hint of a frost will kill the kudzu back, but the privet will stay green. The pictures were made in summer, after about three inches of rain, but there is still plenty of privet.

 

[MikeInEburg]

I don't think the goats will need much, if any, supplemental food. They'll eat the weeds to the ground all winter long. The donkey will need more. Of course, much depends on weather and snowfall.
Mike

 

[DNC]

I'm considering goats myself for land clearing. What type of goats do I need? Everyone tells me they need shelter.

 

[brin]

I am using goats as pasture cleaner-uppers. I have a couple of donkeys with them for pred protection. Right now, they have knee-deep kudzu and briars, plus tons of Chinese/Japanese Privet. Lots of other weedy, brushy material. I feed them a little bit of sweet feed two or three times per week, plus treats for the donks, apples, carrots, etc, just so they will love me. I keep a salt block and fresh water for them.

Soon, after the first hard frost in a month or so, the privet will be about the only green stuff available for a while. I want the goats to really work on the privet. I don't want to weaken them by not supplementing their diet if needed, but I want them to work for what they eat. The donks eat a lot of that stuff too, stuff that would probably kill a horse, and cows would starve. My question; how much, if any, supplementation do the goats and donks need?

My goats aren't pets. Right now, they are working for me, and I'll keep them, but later, if someone wanted one for slaughter, I would sell it. I want to keep them healthy, but I don't want them to stop browsing. I have provided shelter from rain. Winter temps down here will rarely get below 15 degrees, and that infrequently. A real cool snap might see 22 degrees one night, with a warming trend almost immediately. I don't really think they need any other shelter from the cold, as there is a bluff to cut off the NW wind.

Most of the green bushy stuff is privet. Kudzu is growing on some of the privet. The first hint of a frost will kill the kudzu back, but the privet will stay green. The pictures were made in summer, after about three inches of rain, but there is still plenty of privet.

Wow ! You have a severe Private problem...My farm is about 42 miles North east of Atlanta and I have privet and I had a mulcher come in and I keep it bush hogged and now I have started spraying it with round up...I hate private worse than cudzu.....mine is not near as bad as your pictures show yours to be...

The goats will eat the green tops but it is the privet roots , stolons you have to be concerned about..the only real way is to keep it cut and spray it over a 3 yr. period to eradicate it...and you can't spay poison on it while you have goats eating it...I would check with a vet or a conservation agent about supplements for your goats...good luck ....Privet is evil...

 

[MikeInEburg]

I'm considering goats myself for land clearing. What type of goats do I need? Everyone tells me they need shelter.

They need shelter - often in the form of a run-in open on one side. They also like to climb on things - and would appreciate you constructing appropriate play toys. Goats are herd animals - so one would be lonely. Un-"fixed" males tend to smell really foul. Females are sweeter - or males that were fixed early in life. Neubian is my favorite variety.
Mike

 

[DNC]

Females definitively! Will they stay with the cows and donkeys? I need them to eat what the cows don't. My vet said a boer goat will eat the grass. What should I expect to pay for a brush eating goat?

 

[Soundguy]

if feedstuff goes away.. provide hay.. last seasons old hay is fine for donks, cows and sheet/goats ( watch copepr on sheep / goats, and watch urea based feeds for the donk.. while not a s sensitive as a horse.. urea based feeds will still cause laminitis to donks.. and watch out about silage around the donk.. eventhe treated silage is dicey ).

mineral lick, some hay.. even if low quality.. and a lil supplemental feeding just to keep them friendly and following a bucket will do if ya love them.. then a horse safe protien lick or molassis wheel / lick.

soundguy

 

[blueriver]

When they look hungry ... like bleating, braying, standing there looking at you like "Hey I need something to eat" Then supplement them ... keep an eye on them and don't let them come "off" before you supplement them. Its difficult to put it back on.

Goats and Donkeys don't need a shelter ... unless your in sub zero temp's with snow and ice a.h. deep.

 

[IndyIan]

Our goats really don't like the rain even in the summer, and if they get wet I think anything near freezing isn't really good for them. Ours always have a barn so I don't know what happens to them if you let them get soaked and cold to often. Maybe they'll decide make short work of your fences and leave for drier pastures?:laughing: They aren't sheep.
Kept dry, out of the wind, and well fed, ours have no trouble -10F for a week and the odd -20F night.

 

[roygage]

Have both goats and a donkey. Mine are kept in a dry lot which is short hand for a pen small enough they have every blade of grass eaten.


More donkeys suffer from over eating as opposed to under eating IMHO. This is easy to spot as if they are given too much food they will develop a fat roll on their neck directly under their mane.

For this reason I would be leery of giving them a lot of supplemental food or protein.

A handful of sweet feed when you walk thru them though, that is just telling them you love them. Perfectly acceptable.

Good you have a place for them to get out of the rain, as long as they stay dry I don't think the cold will be and issue.

Goats and donkeys, nice combination. Enjoy them.