OT Goats [was: RE: [TheForge] Beware the quiet welder]

[Jerry Frost]

James covered it pretty well. Sheep and horses are 
grazers, preferring grasses and other ground cover 
while goats, like deer are browsers preferring broad 
leaf plants, bark and the like. Check with the local ag 
extension service about goat poisonous plants you may 
have on the land.

They'll also need some cover in bad weather, clean 
reliable water source, supplemental feed, minerals and 
regular vet checks and predator protection of some 
sort. Other than that goats are pretty tough critters 
and will happily kill anything edible including your 
MOST prized ornamental plants. Trees are toast.

If you have more specific questions contact me on the 
side and I'll put you in contact with Deb, she's the 
expert and undoubtably knows a reliable goat breeder in 
your area.

Frosty
-------------------------------
If it ain't forged
it ain't real.
Wrought iron is.
The FrostWorks

Meadow Lakes, AK.


From: "Washington, Aubrey O." <awashington at ou.edu>


Frosty,

Do goats prefer to eat shrubs or pasture grass?  The 
reason I ask is my daughter and son-in-law have horses. 
They also have 20 acres that is mostly overgrown with 
black jack oak, cottonwood, redbud, poison ivy, sumac, 
etc.  They are gradually trying to clear parts of it 
for horse pasture.  But, almost as soon as they clear 
an area, the voluntary trees and shrubs start to come 
back before they get the pasture grass growing.

I was just wondering if a couple of goats would eat the 
saplings but leave the grass alone.

Aubrey