How Much Forage Time...

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

How many hours of free-ranging or forage time do goats need to meet their daily caloric needs? We are trying to reduce our feed bill and I am trying to determine how long I need to free-range them each day.

Here is our area;

 

[Southern by choice]

It depends on what and how much they are eating.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

LOL, whatever they can eat that you see in that picture. It's California chaparral; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_chaparral_and_woodlands

 

[jodief100]

I have read that if they have good forage and don't need to travel a lot, they can eat a days worth of calories in about 2-3 hours.

 

[Southern by choice]

How does the brush make their milk taste?

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

They don't need to travel at all, I just let them out of their pen and that's it. How wonderful if they could get all their calories in 3 hours!!!

The brush hasn't affected the taste of the milk at all, though they are still on some alfalfa.

 

[KinderKorner]

I have read that if they have good forage and don't need to travel a lot, they can eat a days worth of calories in about 2-3 hours.

I wonder thought about the quality of forage in those pictures. I'm from the Mid West. So what my girls eat is mostly straight green grass. I'd think grass or bushes/leaves our have a lot more nutritional value than sage brush and the sticky looking forage out west.

But honestly I have no idea.

BTW WhiteMountainsRanch I am also soooo jealous of the beauty of your place! That scenery is amazing.

I get corn fields.... boo

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I agree, there would be more nutrition in browse on the East Coast I am sure. But I deal with what I have.

Aww thank you, it's definitely prettier than where I USED to live, but not as pretty as forests and meadows and log cabins!

 

[20kidsonhill]

I would think 1 1/2 to 2 hours morning and then again before dark would be helpful on the feed bill. I notice mine graze early in the morning and then nap and lay around a lot for the afternoon and graze again before dark.

 

[Southern by choice]

we pretty much have ours stay out all day. They get 1 cup of food in the am... they get hay but we try to keep them in the front feild a lot or they will just get lazy and eat the hay all day and not bother to forage. LAZY!