Goat Pasture INPUT DESPERATELY WANTED

[BarredBuff]

What we would be converting into a goat enclosure would be a fairly large flower garden that is way past its prime and is mainly briars and dead trees. Also lots of cover plants like juniper and piles of leaves and this is big enough to put a fairly large house with milking station and a place to put the kids. Would this support two dairy goats pasture wise? After they demolished the leaves what do you think would come back plant wise? What is their primary diet when on a pasture such as this? I understand hay and sweet feed or dairy feed would have to be supplemented, I just need some input. Thanks.

 

[ksalvagno]

Do you know the actual dimensions of the area?

 

[BarredBuff]

Do you know the actual dimensions of the area?

No but it is probably an acre.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Where are you located? I really suggest you contact your local Extension Service and Soil Conservation District and ask for someone to help give you pasture assistance. They'll come out for free and give advice on what to do with your specific spot.

 

[Roll farms]

Keep in mind that some of your 'ornamentals' may be toxic to goats as well.

 

[cmjust0]

Do you know the actual dimensions of the area?

No but it is probably an acre.

Wow.. That's HUGE for a flower garden! An acre's 43,560 square feet....like 4,500 square feet shy of an NFL football field.

 

[BarredBuff]

CORRECTION
The area looks big due to the trees I take back saying it being an acre I would say it looks more like 3/4 of an acre.

 

[freemotion]

Still a nice size! If you are not good at plant identification, you really, really need to get an experienced gardener or two or three in there to identify stuff. Have a list with you of poisonous ornamentals and local wild plants. There is a good one on the Fias Co Farm site, as some plants that are listed as poisonous are not a concern with well-fed goats.

Others are deadly, even a mouthful. For example, I would rip out all azalea's, rhododendrons, lily-of-the-valley (good luck with that!) and yew, all common plants here.

On the other hand, I have plants listed as poisonous in my pasture that are not an issue and I don't worry about them. I have nightshade, poke, comfrey, buttercups, cherry trees, oaks, ferns, etc.

I have wild mountain laurel that I search for at least three times a year and rip out by hand. The birds seed yew as well, so I keep an eye out for that.

You need to know what you have and what might be a problem. Once you go through it...actually, several times throughout the growing season....the goats will take care of everything else, with great delight.