Goats browsing down pasture

[gigiintheforest]

We have four young pygmy goats that have been in our heavily forested, brushy 1 acre pasture for a week. I am amazed on how quickly they can knock down an area. That's not a problem but they are not eating any grass hay. Should I be only letting them browse 3-4 hours a day and letting them eat good hay in the enclosed area the rest of the time?

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

If they aren't eating the hay then the are content with the browse. Let them stay out there, don't cut their browse time down. There is an outside chance they don't like the hay, but I don't think that's it. Did they used to eat he hay?

 

[gigiintheforest]

They were in a dry lot and had hay and grass. They seem to love the browse and merely nibble at the hay when they come into the barn at night and early in the morning. I'm nervous that they aren't used to browse and may bloat -- but then I don't know much about bloat except it can be triggered by large amounts of food they aren't used to????

 

[redtailgal]

My guys wont touch hay when they have good browse.

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

They were in a dry lot and had hay and grass. They seem to love the browse and merely nibble at the hay when they come into the barn at night and early in the morning. I'm nervous that they aren't used to browse and may bloat -- but then I don't know much about bloat except it can be triggered by large amounts of food they aren't used to????

No way man!! lol Goats will NOT get bloat by eating browse. The get bloat by eating poisonous plants and eating to much grain. Your goats will not get bloat by eating browse. That is the best thing the can eat. I know someone who doesn't even feed her goats hay until the winter. Goats are browses not grazers, like sheep. Sheep eat open pasture. Goats like to eat some of this and some of that. If they need it they will eat hay. You said the were on grass. That's why they ate more hay, because they needed it. With all the good browse they are getting the don't really need as much. Your goats will be heather if the can be on that wooded lot. Just keep doing what you are doing. If they have any issues let me know, but they shouldn't. Hope that helps.

 

[gigiintheforest]

Thanks so much. We are quite new to pygmys and I'm trying not to do anything that would endanger them. Love those goats and I'll just keep them on the woods.

They were in a dry lot and had hay and grass. They seem to love the browse and merely nibble at the hay when they come into the barn at night and early in the morning. I'm nervous that they aren't used to browse and may bloat -- but then I don't know much about bloat except it can be triggered by large amounts of food they aren't used to????

No way man!! lol Goats will NOT get bloat by eating browse. The get bloat by eating poisonous plants and eating to much grain. Your goats will not get bloat by eating browse. That is the best thing the can eat. I know someone who doesn't even feed her goats hay until the winter. Goats are browses not grazers, like sheep. Sheep eat open pasture. Goats like to eat some of this and some of that. If they need it they will eat hay. You said the were on grass. That's why they ate more hay, because they needed it. With all the good browse they are getting the don't really need as much. Your goats will be heather if the can be on that wooded lot. Just keep doing what you are doing. If they have any issues let me know, but they shouldn't. Hope that helps.

 

[gigiintheforest]

My guys wont touch hay when they have good browse.

This is reassuring!

 

[20kidsonhill]

We don't feed any hay from April until November or December. Unless we have drought conditions. If I wont to medicate their water and get them to drink more I will put out some hay during that time, and they will eat it, because they haven't had it in a while and it is something new to munch on. But after 3 days or so they loose interest in it and go back to grazing.

 

[Teeah3612]

I don't feed hay at all in the summer to the goats, or the horses for that matter. They have all the grass and weeds they can eat in their area. I do throw any weeds that we cut down around the farm into their pen. It gives them a better variety. I am going to cut down the weeds the horses won't eat this weekend and throw it to the goats also.

I have a NG/Fainter cross and a pygmy. I am thinking about getting a couple of larger goats that I could run with the horses to eat the weeds they don't. Does anyone have any suggestions? I would want hornless, so they don't injury the horses.

 

[KFaye]

I have 2 fainters that are about 6 months and a 3 month old Nigerian dwarf. They are in the woods with never ending buckthorn. I have been feeding them a cup of sweet feed a day with a mineral block in their area. Is this ok? Should they get more feed?