sod or seed in pen

[jasonsbrass]

hello new Goat dad here. I have a small heard (6) of Nigerian dwarf goats here in Florida. The pen I have them in is mostly sand and dirt. I would love to give them grass to live on. They do get out for a bit to graze in other fields from time to time, but mostly in one spot. My question is it better to put sod down or seed? I can afford to do either right now so money is not the problem. I know sod if instant, but will they kill it? I see some goat pens with grass and i would love my babies to live on grass and not dirt. or am I just waiting my time and money. thanks for your input.

 

[Stephine]

hello new Goat dad here. I have a small heard (6) of Nigerian dwarf goats here in Florida. The pen I have them in is mostly sand and dirt. I would love to give them grass to live on. They do get out for a bit to graze in other fields from time to time, but mostly in one spot. My question is it better to put sod down or seed? I can afford to do either right now so money is not the problem. I know sod if instant, but will they kill it? I see some goat pens with grass and i would love my babies to live on grass and not dirt. or am I just waiting my time and money. thanks for your input.

Yep, it would be a waste of money, they’ll kill it. If you have them confined in a smallish area, they will just trample it to death and eat the rest or vice versa. If you want them to be on green pasture you have to have a good area of pasture, divide it into sections and rotate the goats between the sections before they stress the vegetation too much.

 

[Ridgetop]

Also goats are browsers not grazers. Grass is nice looking if they are in a huge field, but in a small pen, not worth the time and money to put it in. They will trample it out eventually. And you wil still have to feed them because goats are not made to live on grass alone.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Just grass no not worth it. How big of an area do they have? If you are below your local stocking rates it may just be a case of keeping them off the pasture or strip grazing while the pasture establishes. Also don't do sod but do plant a good pasture mix seed, we just seeded ours with alfalfa, orchard grass, 3 types of clover, trefoil, and rye as a buyable mix and added in 10lbs of buckwheat to the mix because it is FAST growing and will help it not be grazed to dirt. Rye is also fast growing which is why it is in the mix. As long as you are under your local stocking rate it is possible for them to live on green pasture. We are also on mostly sandy soil.