# Growing browse for goats?



## Back to Nature (Jan 20, 2013)

http://www.backyardherds.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=302086#p302086

So I saw this link to another topic. It's about a woman who gives old Christmas trees to her goats, as the nutrients help them get through the winters. I thought pine wasn't good for animals, or is that just as bedding? Also, I wouldn't know if the farmer who grew the tree used pesticides... So would it be a good idea to grow trees for the goats? On that note, could I just feed them trimmings from the orchards over the winter to give them nourishment? Thanks in advance!


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Jan 21, 2013)

Pine is good for goats and pine bark and leaves are somewhat a natural wormer for goats.  Yes you can throw clipping of most stuff to goats and they will eat them but you must know if it is poisonous or not. There are actually a fair amount of poisonous plants to goats.


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## Pearce Pastures (Jan 21, 2013)

Funny enough, pine is actually on the toxic for ruminants list, and has been linked to abortions in cattle.  However, they would have to eat a lot of it it seems.


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## Jenski (Jan 21, 2013)

Yep, I would be concerned about pesticides on plants coming from other places...especially orchards, where there are often lots of chemicals used.  There is a peach and apple orchard a couple of miles from us, and I know they use lots of pesticides on their trees.  

If you are getting or making cuttings for your goats to eat, be sure to look at various lists of toxic plants.  I also read a lot of goat forums (like this one!), since some of the toxicity info can be conflicting.  Pine is one thing I found conflicting info on, but when I read enough info from goat people, I started out by trying a very small amount at a time over several days.  Now my goats eat white pine branches on a regular basis.  They also love to strip the bark from larger branches.  

I did the same thing for Chinese privet, which in TN is a non-native invasive bush that goats love to eat...I started out with a small branch at a time over several days just to be sure.  (It is also a good idea to make new food additions gradually anyway.)

The main toxic plants I watch for here are wild cherry and azalea.  Those I do not take chances on...very toxic.


http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/goatlist.html

http://kinne.net/poison.htm

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


You might try asking local landowners/farmers for brush cuttings, or offer to respectfully go in and do the trimming yourself.  I can't think of a single farmer around here who wouldn't like to get rid of all the privet!  I would specifically ask if any pesticides had been used, though.  

Good luck!


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## OneFineAcre (Jan 21, 2013)

My goats live in a wood lot dominated by pines.  They nibble the pine bark and nibble pine straw.  But not a lot.  

There are some oaks mixed in as well, which I think some varieties are toxic for goats?  They eat those leaves but when they dry and fall off of the trees. They are stripping the bark off as well, so they will probably eventually be gone. I've seen them eating acorns as well, which I believe are toxic at least for some varieties of oaks.

Had no idea when we put the goats back there that oak could be toxic.

I think that for the most part goats that are well fed will not eat enough of a toxic plant to bother them.  At least I think that's the case with mine and the oak and pine.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Jan 21, 2013)

*Mine eat a tone of scrub oak (by their own choice, and with other feed available) and I've never had a problem. *


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## Back to Nature (Jan 21, 2013)

I too read that if a foraging animal has enough options, they won't eat enough of one plant to poison them. I will look into poisonous plants though, to be sure. I am just looking for ways to feed my animals through winter (as well as hay) without resorting to excess grains.


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Jan 21, 2013)

I know ponderosa pine is "known" to cause abortions in goats and thats why pine is on some of the 'toxic plants for goats' lists.  

We feed a lot of cedar, black oak and ponderosa pine. We live in the mountains in the tall pines. They also get berry vines, scotch broom, and anything else we take out during the spring/summer. We also have manzanita, madrone(a favorite that they dont get very often), a few types of fir, sugar pines, live oak, tan oak. I'm sure I'm forgeting something! We have quite the variety though.  For now its mostly branches that came down in our last big snow storm. We've been scalping the neighborhood pretty much! They eat probably 1/3 hay, 2/3 brush and they have access to both all the time.


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## Back to Nature (Jan 21, 2013)

So feeding 1/3 hay and 2/3 a variety of brush works for you? And does the meat/milk get affected by the plants?


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