# pasture for goats



## rmonge00 (May 31, 2011)

Hi everyone,

I am going to be turning a very large lawn into pasture land for goats and was wondering how I should do it.  I have free access to horse manure and am thinking about spreading it over the entire thing.  I was thinking this would give it a bunch of nutrients and the seeds in the manure would be good at introducing some good pasture grasses.  What do you guys think...  I am hoping it may introduce some alfalfa and other nice hay grasses.
Thanks for the advice!


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## RockyToggRanch (Jun 1, 2011)

I think if it were me, I'd go for the hay chaff instead of the manure. Ask the horse owner if you can sweep out the hay loft. Just a thought. Your goats should add plenty of manure all by them selves


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## chubbydog811 (Jun 1, 2011)

We used older horse manure as a base layer for our goat field...Worked great! The pasture was grown up/sturdy enough to put them out there after only 2 months. Then when it came back this spring, it exploded. The grass is so healthy, that my goats can't even keep up with it this year.

I would also agree though - clean out someone's hayloft and spread that over what you seed. 
Also - I would buy a good horse pasture seed mix for it. I'm not sure how picky everyone's goats are, but mine are VERY picky about what kind of grass they will eat. They'll only eat clover and thick stocked grass, no wispy grass. The horse pasture mix that we got was perfect.


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## 20kidsonhill (Jun 1, 2011)

If you wont clover in the field you may need to seed that, but the hay shaft and the horse manure are a good idea for the field grasses.  Correct me if I am wrong, but do horses even have clover in their hay?


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## chubbydog811 (Jun 1, 2011)

20kidsonhill said:
			
		

> If you wont clover in the field you may need to seed that, but the hay shaft and the horse manure are a good idea for the field grasses.  Correct me if I am wrong, but do horses even have clover in their hay?


Depends on your hay provider. Ours has a little - but we bought a horse pasture seed mix, and seeded it ourselves...Should have clarified that. 

BUT - The horse poop alone wont grow enough/good grass on it's own - especially if you have really nice manure that has been composting for more than a year. Need to either spread hay on top, or seed it yourself to get the pasture you want. Our area was WAY too big to spread hay, so we had to seed it...Though I do spread hay in the areas that get washed out with great results.
The poop just makes a really fertile growing spot for your grass seed mix!

ETA - I hadn't had my morning coffee before I posted the first thing...I get confused easily before that


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## freemotion (Jun 1, 2011)

I've been known to collect seeds from the biggest, most upright-growing dandelions I can find and sprinkle them in my pasture.....they are very nutritious and all my pastured critters favor them.  The first time I did this it was with trepidation!  I've become more relaxed about "weeds" and was actually thrilled to see a nettle in my pasture...instead of grabbing the gloves and the shovel, I clapped in delight.  But the goats ate it and killed it. 

Goldenrod is another favorite that the goats have almost eradicated from my pasture.  

I'm thinking of experimenting with 12 Aprils' method of over seeding crops in paddocks, if and when I can afford to get my field cross-fenced into more paddocks.  They over seed (no-till) with whatever crop will do best in their area (SC) during the time of year that the particular field will be grazed....alfalfa, sorghum, peas, etc.  So the cows get grass plus the crop.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLDKRXPyOh4

Horse hay is not the best bet for goats.  They need some leafy stuff, too.  I cleared land and planted haymaker mix for my horse when we bought this property, and battled weeds for a few years.  Then the horse died (old age) and the goats started multiplying.  They've eaten all the weeds and now I have a beautiful horse pasture of grass....and am trying to get more "weeds!"


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## chubbydog811 (Jun 1, 2011)

I think my goats are the only goats who actually enjoy grazing on thick grass! The prefer the clover/thick stocked grass over the weeds


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## rmonge00 (Jun 1, 2011)

Thanks for the great replies!  The horse manure is fresh so I think it will have a lot of seeds - maybe I will throw in some clover seed with it.  Should I throw it on top or rake it in?  What other seed will do well - alfalfa? wheat?  I have TONS of dandelions in the field already - will the spread manure help them out or smother them?  Thanks again!

Ryan


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## RockyToggRanch (Jun 1, 2011)

Horse manure is HOT and will kill (burn) most plants. I assumed you were trying to boost what you already had growing and introduce some grass/weed seeds? I would suggest using aged manure to reduce the burn (and parasites?).

I've never put in a goat field, just speaking from yrs of plant fertilizing experience in general. Just my opinion


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## freemotion (Jun 1, 2011)

Many horse farms clean the stalls directly into the spreader and then hitch it up and spread it on the hay fields.  As long as it is well-scattered, it should be ok.  I will put 3-4 inches to smother if I want to kill a section, then the next year, it is gorgeous grass without even planting.  But the goats avoid it the first year, so just do a patch this way if you want to smother something.  I have some sections with nothing growing but useless wild strawberries and violets, so I am smothering those a bit each year.  Otherwise, I fling well-composted stuff in the "good" areas and even on my lawn.  In the veggie  and flower gardens, too, of course!  You can never have enough poop!


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## RockyToggRanch (Jun 1, 2011)

freemotion said:
			
		

> Many horse farms clean the stalls directly into the spreader and then hitch it up and spread it on the hay fields.  As long as it is well-scattered, it should be ok.  I will put 3-4 inches to smother if I want to kill a section, then the next year, it is gorgeous grass without even planting.  But the goats avoid it the first year, so just do a patch this way if you want to smother something.  I have some sections with nothing growing but useless wild strawberries and violets, so I am smothering those a bit each year.  Otherwise, I fling well-composted stuff in the "good" areas and even on my lawn.  In the veggie  and flower gardens, too, of course!  You can never have enough poop!


I use my aged manure everywhere as well. I didn't realize it was good to put fresh manure on a field where goats are actively grazing...   A hay field or corn field...I can see.

My girls avoid any place that the horses poop. Even after it's been picked up. Heck..they even avoid places that they've pooped.

The kids on the other hand, like nothing better than to climb the compost piles and pounce on them...but even they avoid the fresh manure pile, come to think of it.


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