Winter Care/Feeding of Goats/Donkeys

[SandburRanch]

not only will they grow on you.. they will walk on your vehicles too!



soundguy

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DANG IT, now you've given away my secret for trimming trees higher so I may as well give the details. A 5 ft. tall car and a goat that can stretch up to 6 ft. standing on his hind feet gets trees trimmed to 11 ft. BIG GRIN

 

[Soundguy]

a wooden crate standing near that tree will accomplish the same thing.. just move the crate every day a few feet over to get even trimming.

and yes.. before anyone asks.. these animals, when left with nothing else, finally, will strip bark from trees to eat. even non palitable trees like cedar!!

soundguy

 

[jimmyj]

I always thought it was funny when I was a kid and the goats in cartoons ate just about everything. Now I know that it is true though! Ha ha

Re shelter, for the shelter a simple lean too to keep them from wind, sun and rain is probably all you need.

I know some people raise a lot of animals without shelter but whenever then have the option they seem to use them. That to me says if you can provide one it would be good.

 

[Soundguy]

environment has alot to do with it.

big difference her in florida vs canada.

also makes a difference if you have any tree cover for shelter from sun / wind / rain

soundguy

 

[Larry Caldwell]

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

If you are in a cold climate, buy long haired goats bred for cold climate. Meat goats tend to be hardier than dairy goats. A roof and a wind break are all they need, but they also need dry fodder to keep their rumen in shape. Bright wheat straw or cheap hay will work fine. Fencing will cost you more than the goats. I had one doe once who learned that if she took a run at it and flattened out, she could slide under a 4" gap between the fence and the ground. They will also climb any fence that is not electrified.

If you really want to clear ground, alternate goats and hogs. About 4 weaner pigs per acre will plow the ground on the way to market, the goats will eat everything from the ground to head high, and you will actually be able to walk through your property. Pigs need a shed where they can stay warm in wet or cold weather, and lots of shade and water in hot weather. They are short rotation, so you can buy them on the 4th of July and finish them on garden scraps and fruit. It takes about 16 weeks to raise them to market weight. They will make good use of pasture, snails, slugs, rodents and anything else edible at ground level or immediately below, but you will still have to feed them corn, ground barley, or whatever else is cheap. They will root deeper if the ground is moist. All pigs need for a fence is an electric nose wire. They will touch it once and never go near it again.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Do you think there might be a little difference between shelter requirements between Vancouver Island or Ontario and South Georgia?

Not much, since they need a place to get out of wind and rain no matter what the temperatures

 

[JRobyn]

My FIL keeps goats, mostly Boer and Nubian, generally somewhere between 6 and 12 in about 1/2 acre. They do fine all winter with just the available browse and a bit of supplemental hay, particulalry if there is much snow. It surprised me to find that they absolutely LOVE to eat dry leaves! He collects bags of them from the yard for "treats".

 

[feedjake]

Very cool about the dry leaves. I'm planning on getting a couple of dairy goats next summer. I was planning on keeping just two (to start with) on a small portion of my 1 acre. I'm just not sure if that will be enough room for them, and their kids when they have them. The red line indicate my plan for fencing. Three paddocks are better then two, I hear.

 

[SandburRanch]

Both goats and donkeys will do very well when fed good leafy alfalfa, whole oats and a mineral salt mix free choice. Water - goats like good clean fresh water. If the drinking container gets a yellow scum clean it with a detergent and scrub brush. But don't wait for it to get in that condition by cleaning about once per week. Will they drink from a dirty source? Certainly, and you would too if it that's all you had.

Wheat pasture in winter is as good as it gets for economically feeding goats and donkeys. Wheat and dairy goats - one must be careful about the grazing hours as not to give the milk an off flavor. Rye may be better in that respect. I don't claim to know that so you may want to check with your county extension service about rye pasture.

 

[Mousefield]

Both goats and donkeys will do very well when fed good leafy alfalfa, whole oats and a mineral salt mix free choice. Water - goats like good clean fresh water. If the drinking container gets a yellow scum clean it with a detergent and scrub brush. But don't wait for it to get in that condition by cleaning about once per week. Will they drink from a dirty source? Certainly, and you would too if it that's all you had.

Wheat pasture in winter is as good as it gets for economically feeding goats and donkeys. Wheat and dairy goats - one must be careful about the grazing hours as not to give the milk an off flavor. Rye may be better in that respect. I don't claim to know that so you may want to check with your county extension service about rye pasture.

Goats tend to be browsers: brush, the ends of branches, tree bark and do graze on pasture. At least in our case we do NOT buy "rich" hay for them. It is better to have some roughage and even some weeds in the hay. While they can eat alfalfa it is not the best for them, especially in large quality. We do feed ours a bit of goat tex and the ones giving milk get a fair amount of grain (goat tex). Our goats have both pasture and several acres of brush/treed area to browse/graze in. They are always put away at night into the barn for safety. In the barn the manger always has hay for them and there is a mineral block in all 4 pens