# New to goats - lots of questions



## crittergal (Jun 11, 2009)

I have always heard that goats will eat anything.  Is that true?  We have some weedy areas by our trees and fenceline - if we get a goat will it eat the weeds and stuff?  I would hope that it knows not to eat anything poisionous. . . .but just in case, is there anything we should look out for?   I think it would be fun to get a milk doe, but I read on here some weeds will make the milk taste funny.  Would it still be okay to let her eat in the weedy areas, or would it be better to get a non milker or wether?   

We also have horses and alpacas (in separate pastures), would it get along with either of them?  (I was thinking of letting the goat graze during the day, then put it in one of the barns - either horse or alpaca - at night.)

Will it hurt it if it eats some of the alpaca feed?  The neighbor has a goat in with her alpacas and they all eat the same stuff, hay minerals, grain, etc and she seems to do fine.

Sorry for so many questions!   Thanks in advance


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## mully (Jun 11, 2009)

First there are many poisonous plants that is not good for goats as well as other animals. Goats would get along with your other animals. Goats also tend to overeat when it comes to sweet feeds and i am sure it would like the Alpaca food, I just question if it is healthy to feed to goats on a regular basis.  They would clean up a fence line in no time but you have to walk the area and look for poisonous plants. Goats love brush more than weeds as they are not grazers.


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## Rence (Jun 11, 2009)

I haven't had a trouble with an off taste with my milkers. 

No, it's not true that goats will eat *anything*, unless they are forced to do so. Though they can get into poisonous plants, so you'll have to look them up and get familiar with them so that your goats don't get into them.

Goats don't particularly like grass, they prefer brush, weeds, brambles, leaves, and other forage. Mine get free choice hay at all times. When I milk my goats, they get sweet feed, alfalfa pellets and beet pulp. And of course that depends on how much forage their eating. The more hay and pasture they eat, the less you'll have to grain them.

Goats don't like dirty water either. Make sure they have clean fresh water, it's also very important when they're being milked. If they're not drinking enough water, their production will go down.

I leave out loose minerals at all times, as well as baking soda.


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## lupinfarm (Jun 11, 2009)

I wouldn't put your goats with your horses, rather put them out with the alpacas. My brothers friends mom had goats until very recently and her horse actually killed one of the goats when they were in mixed pasture, she separated them right after.


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## username taken (Jun 12, 2009)

crittergal said:
			
		

> I have always heard that goats will eat anything.  Is that true?
> 
> *No they are quite fussy*
> 
> ...


It is a myth that goats are 'browsers not grazers, and wont eat grass'. Bunch of balony. Goats are in actual fact mixed feeders, which means they enjoy both browsing (trees, brush, and woody and broadleaf weeds fit into this category) as well as traditional grazing (grassy species). Goats have been managed for years on just grazing alone, and do fine. They will do very poorly if fed exclusively on browse.


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## Chaty (Jun 12, 2009)

My goats eat weeds, tree leaves, brush and yes they will eat grass...mine love grass and they love it when I trim trees or some get blown down as they will run to the branches. Most goat will sample the weed or smell it first before eating it. Mine are milked each day 2x a day and the milk is fine. If they get into onions the milk will have a oniony taste. I have cleared out all the wild onions and mostly they wont eat it. A starving goat will eat every type of weed around if thats all they have. Mine are fed and hayed and then turned out as a semi full goat wont gorge on weeds that way. Good luck


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## OHMYKIDS (Jun 12, 2009)

Mine are very picky probably because I have free choice hay out plus give them alfalfa hay.  I try to give them treats and they think I'm nuts to give them carrots and romaine lettuce.  They browse where they are, eating only a little of the stuff we have in their pen.  But give them green pine needles and they go to town on it.  Go figure.  I believe every goat is different.


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## Chirpy (Jun 12, 2009)

I would also be very careful of having your goats with horses.   Although it can work great with some - other people have had their goats killed by their horse.   

My goats are around my llamas all the time and have always done just fine together; I'm sure Alpacas would be fine with the goats once the Alpacas figure out that they don't have to fear them.   Make sure you don't have a goat who wants to 'ram' the Alpacas though; most especially if your goats have horns.


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## ()relics (Jun 13, 2009)

All of  our goats have been with our horses ,at one time or another...I have never had any problems...I have does with late kids in the pasture now amongst the horses.  I would moniter the situation for awhile the first time the goats are introduced to the horses but I wouldn't hesitate doing it...Horses are not the wild simple minded animals that sometimes they seem to be...I tell my son if they step on you,bump into you, kick at you,whatever;  it wasn't an accident they saw you and meant to do it.....They are very gentle with our goats and some of our billies stay with them all year around...even sharing stalls with them when it gets "really cold"...Again use caution for awhile until everyone is "OK" with the situation.  The horse is the animal more prone to be injured by the goat....That said I would never put a horned goat with a horse....All my horned goats, most of them are show animals, are pastured with my donkey


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## lovemydonkeys (Jun 25, 2009)

We have been feeding our goats a special mix of sweet horse feed with some of the sweetness taken out of it mixed with baking soda.  That is just what we were told to feed them.    We get this mix made at our local feed mill.   Is this wrong?


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## username taken (Jun 25, 2009)

as long as you are giving it in small amounts (1 - 2 cups) along with free choice hay, then that feed is fine


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## username taken (Jun 25, 2009)

blonde moment, forgot to put in 1 - 2 cups PER GOAT PER DAY


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## lovemydonkeys (Jun 26, 2009)

Thanks.  I did buy them some regular goat feed last night and gave it to them this morning.  At first they had their snoots in the air but after a few minutes, they started eating it.  I put some of their regular feed in with it just in case they wouldn't eat it.  I usually feed them one to two cups of feed both morning and evening.  They are pygmy goats.


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