Hello Friends!
Leafhopper Farm has had goats for many years. Liz introduces them in the video below and explains what she's learned during her time raising them on the Permaculture Farm.
What Goats Eat
Goats are Browsers as opposed to Grazers. They can eat grasses, but they prefer to eat off of shrubs and trees elevated above the ground.
Goats need diversity in their diet in order to get proper nutrition, so consider grazers such as cows, horses or sheep if your land consists mostly of grassy fields.
Unlike sheep, goats can stand up on their back legs which allows them to reach leaves and greens on branches high above them.
It may be wise to find ways to protect trees and shrubs you value from the goats with fencing or by tethering the goats away from sensitive areas.
Eating food raised up off of the ground reduces the likelihood that goats will get parasites from the poop of various animals.
If you have goats on primarily grassy fields without much available for them to browse on, consider supplementing with alphalpha. It's a legume that adds some variety to their diet as opposed to hay which is just more grass.
Assessing Health
Glossiness to a goat's coat is a sign of good health.
Another sign of good health is alertness with the head up and looking around.
Goat's bellies change size constantly so it isn't a good indicator of overall body fat. Check the areas on either side of the spine near the butt for indentation as an indicator of low stored fat levels.
Breeds
- Boer and Nubian breeds are from desert climates in African and are known for their long ears. They are accustomed to dry regions and so remain well hydrated in temperate climates.
Horns
Boer females grow horns just like the males.
The male Boer horns grow long and wavy. When fully grown they can add between 20 and 30 pounds of weight to their head, making even a simple affectionate rubbing against your leg a dangerous situation.
Goats often have their horns removed when they're young in a process called 'disbudding'.
It may be worthwhile to leave the horns on so they can defend themselves in areas with dogs or other predators. If you opt to keep the horns on, please remain aware of to the significant damage they can cause.
Predators
Dogs are a major threat to goats, as they will instinctively chase and attack a goat when it runs away.
Other predators in the Pacific Northwest include Bobcats and Cougars.
Breeding
It may be worthwhile to allow a doe a year off of breeding every so often to recover.
A doe is likely to lose body fat after birth when they are doing a lot of milking.
The smell of a goat's urine can be used by other goats to assess its health, and bucks use it to determine if a doe is in heat or already bred.
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