# Good winter cover crop for goats?



## Mini-M Ranch

We are looking for a great winter cover crop that we can allow the goats to eat  AND that will bloom in early spriing for our bees.

So far, everything that is supposed to be GREAT for bees (ie Canola oilseed, aramanth, etc) are no-nos for goats.

Any suggestions?


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## Griffin's Ark

You just had to put the bees in the mix.  You could try mixing your own cover with winter wheat, Rye, Fescue and some clover.  The clover though is not what you want your goats to eat a lot of.

We don't have bees, so I mix wheat, rye and fescue.

Chris


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## Marta

wow thanks for that, I came on here to ask the very same question...Ill sow along with the sweetcorn for the green stuff as well...that should be an interesting mix....wheat sweetcorn and oats or barley then dig it over in the spring...will that work?


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## cmjust0

Griffin's Ark said:
			
		

> You just had to put the bees in the mix.  You could try mixing your own cover with winter wheat, Rye, Fescue and some clover.  The clover though is not what you want your goats to eat a lot of.
> 
> We don't have bees, so I mix wheat, rye and fescue.
> 
> Chris


Why not clover?  In looking at the nutritional values on it, it seems very similar to alfalfa...high calcium, high protein, low phosphorus..  I love nothing more than finding good bales of cheap "grass" hay that end up being about half red clover, half timothy or orchardgrass or some other grass..  It's like hitting the lottery around here..  

Matter of fact, my hay guy has 5'x6' round bales of "grass" hay that are just as I described -- about 50/50 clover and grass -- for a mere $25 a bale..  I'm thinking that instead of stacking bale after bale of expensive squares in the loft, I'll be buying maybe three of those and actually putting them in the barn, free choice, for this winter's hay..  



Unless, that is, there's some reason I shouldn't be feeding so much clover..?  I know white clover is toxic, but red clover is used to 'dilute' fescue around here because of fescue toxicosis..


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## Marta

heres what they say about clover lol notice it only mentions horse and cattle

http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/php/plants.php?action=indiv&byname=common&keynum=88


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## cmjust0

Umm...  I think somebody over at Cornell has been smoking some poisonous plants..  

Check this out ...it's linked off the clover page.

If Alfalfa's poisonous, I'll eat my shorts.


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## Mini-M Ranch

yeah, I keep reading that alfalfa is SO dangerous and alfalfa hay will cause increased aggression and bloat, etc.  Guess my goats didn't read about that either!  lol


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## cmjust0

Mini-M Ranch said:
			
		

> yeah, I keep reading that alfalfa is SO dangerous and alfalfa hay will cause increased aggression and bloat, etc.  Guess my goats didn't read about that either!  lol


Increased aggression, maybe..  They tend to beat the hell out of each other to get at alfalfa hay, whereas with grass hay...meh...not so much.



I suppose, then, it could be said that apple tree prunings, pumpkins, watermelons, and sunflower stalks cause increased aggression, too!


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## Marta

but at least they may have got something right on that link to Alfalfa, they mentioned all other species bar goats....the 1 I found funny was for commercial onions
http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/php/plants.php?action=indiv&byname=common&keynum=7
Common Name:  Commercial Onions, Wild Onions, Swamp Onions, and Chives 
Species Most Often Affected: cattle, horses, children......... its the children part


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## ohiofarmgirl

hey i'm glad i found this too - 

what about buckwheat for goats???

i'm planting winter rye and buckwheat mostly for the soil but the buckwheat is a great hit for the bees.


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## Marta

from what I can gather Buckwheat and goats do not get on especially if they are of a light color, by the looks of it, Plants That Are Photodynamic for one thing.

found this link from the goat handbook the related topic is in paragraph 19 onwards

http://netvet.wustl.edu/species/goats/goatpois.txt


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## ohiofarmgirl

well i'll be darned.... i guess its more buckwheat for the bees! or us...hum......


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