We are clearing 1/2 an acre for an additional pasture, and I am wondering what type(s) of grass to plant. I think I remember reading either on here or somewhere else on the web that there are three types of grasses that are best to plant to give the goats variety, but I can't remember what exactly those three types were, so after searching and coming up empty, I decided to post the question here. We are leaving 2-3 of the older, bigger trees for shade and bark, but the rest is going to be totally cleared. So what type(s) of vegetation would best? Thanks
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Yes, I am sure they would enjoy it and it would be very beneficial to them. I don't know how you can burn the leaves without burning the browse that the goats should be eating. And you also would not want to put any gas or anything on it to burn it and then put the goats on it. The leaves are not going to hurt the goats either and any snakes are going to run from the goats. Like I said you could always add bells to them if in doubt to make you feel better.
I've thought about that too - the livestock panels. There's not a big urgency about putting them back there. It's more like a "that would be nice for them to be able to browse in the woods and use it as an additional 'pasture'" I'm going to see if we can just burn the leaves and expose the ground to plant a type of natural dewormer vegetation for them. And that way the snakes can't hide in the leaves ;)
Kailyn, it's just a sudden thought, but I was wondering if you would like for them to be able to start on that soon with out a lot of fencing effort maybe you could just put a few of the livestock panels up on it and let them start eating in that area and then move them over a space at a time. Think of it like a chess board and start in the corner nearest to you and clear a square at a time moving them will help keep them from re-infesting themselves with parasites and you can put up a few fence post at a time that way. If you want to clear around it you could just move the pen around the outside squares of your chess board following their clearing with your fence.
BTW if you are worried about the goats being snake bit, you can put bells on them. Snakes feel the vibrations from the bell since they don't hear and it scares them away.
Well, we have an abundance of vibrant, thick green grass. No shortage there. I read that pine needles are also a natural dewormer and all but one of my goats go crazy over them. Fortunately, we have plenty of pine trees but I had no idea lespedeza and chicory are also natural dewormers. Thank you for that info, Deborah! We don't have any of that around so they probably won't be eating those anytime soon, but I'm happy to hear there are other natural dewormers out there aside from pine needles and wormwood.
There are people all over the US who rent out their goats to clear areas exactly like what you are talking about. I used to post the news articles on my blog, and I've posted some on here, but it's not exactly "news" anymore. It is becoming so common. Google has the wilder parts of their campus in California cleared annually by goats. The pros use temporary electric fencing (like ElectroNet) with a solar or battery charger to fence off the area that needs to be cleaned up. We've done the same thing in brushy parts of our property. We've had areas that were so thick with raspberry bushes and baby trees that we couldn't walk through them, and the goats clear that up in a couple weeks so that you can see right through it. I don't remember how many goats you have, but 1/2 acre of browse could keep a few goats busy for a couple months.
A few years ago I remember reading about a dairy out west that was planting willow trees for their goats because they are very fast growing. That's when I realized I was under-utilizing our property with all of the volunteer baby willows around our pond. I have pictures of the goats standing in the pond to get the leaves off the trees! And you know how much goats hate getting wet!
If you have a place that needs reseeding with grasses/weeds, lespedeza and chicory are great choices because they're natural dewormers. And chicory blooms with pretty purple flowers.
I actually agree with just letting the goats browse the area. The thing is, it's not fenced in and I personally do not want to walk back there for fear of snakes and spiders. But that's just me, I'm terrifed of them! And I fear my goats will get bitten. It's very thick and there is probably a good foot of leaves covering the ground. Sometimes I find myself reverting back to equine mentality when it comes to the pasture but I do know goats are browsers instead of grazers. As for the clearing, it hasn't been finalized yet and another thing we are considering is to just clear a pathway around the perimeter for fencing, then we can let them and the GP loose in there and the goats will be thrilled. Nothing is going to happen for another four weeks, but we still need to figure how we are going to utilize the unused property for the goats. I haven't dewormed since February, and even then it was just one of the yearling does so they seem to do well with the current pasture/browse but I would still really like for them to be able to browse that additional area. Do you think it would be good to do a controlled burn on the dead leaves covering the ground? Just thinking here. Thank you for all the comments! They are greatly appreciated.
I don't know where my brain was when I first read this. I did wonder why you said you were "clearing" a pasture. When clearing would mean you wear destroying better food for them than you could possibly plant for them. People generally use the grass mixes to plant bare spots etc. It should be a replacement for when the goats have over eaten areas or spots that just haven't been growing etc. If I had that space I would just turn them loose with what is already there and then get me some seed to put anywhere that had dirt showing etc. I don't even want to put up fence post where I can just attach it to trees the old fashion way. We actually need a different name than pasture for a good goat yard. Pasture seems to imply pretty green short grass and fence attached in straight lines to post, maybe a little watering hole or pond. This is a good cow or sheep pasture, not a good goat pasture.
Interesting about the clover and rye grass. That is what I planted in the expanded area for the girls because the feed store owner (with his degree in animal husbandry) said they would like it. Well, the rye went to seed (straw?) where it was still growing (after the gas company dug in the east end which is all dirt now), and the clover has a nice lush green stand. The only time they eat the clover is if I hand feed it to them. However any tree branch I hang on the fence is stripped. (I learned the taste-test way to not give them lilacs as the milk is affected.) The filbert tree, which I've tried to keep cut back is growing along the chain-link fence and is green-free on their side of the fence and mostly stripped of bark (nice looking wood underneath). I've left the stump there (about two feet high) because it has multiple branches that they can use for scratching; it had sent out shoots when I cut the main trunk way back when. It looks a little odd but they seem to really like it. <g>
They absolutely love the first hour in the alternate pen as they clean up new apple leaves/twigs and anything else that has appeared.
I am considering planting raspberries along the chain-link fence with a 2x4 fence lined with chicken wire paralleling the chain link. That way they will have raspberry branches coming through to munch on. (The comfrey plant I put there now has three leaves ready to unfold!) I could also put honeysuckle there with the truck protected and as the vines send down shoots, they can have those, the same with grapes. In the fall, I will let them have the main part of the garden after I pull up tomato plants; perhaps they will clean out the fennel as well as everything else (will protect my bayberry tree and the raspberries however).
Love these girls to bits!
Aaack! Don't clear the trees! Goats are browsers, not grazers. They prefer bushes and young trees to grass any day of the week. If you have a brushy area, that is the perfect place for goats. And if you have trees on there that with trunks less than a diameter, the goats will kill them for you in to time flat. They will eat all the leaves and strip the bark. Grazing is why goats have such a bad time with parasites. In nature, they never eat below their knees. Unlike cattle, which are grazers, goats have not developed a strong resistance to internal parasites over the millennia because they don't eat grass unless we force them to by giving them nothing else.
I actually did look at that yesterday and I only recognized red clover and rye grass since we do have a little of both those types, though mainly centipede with some bermuda and crab grass. She lives in Michigan so the climate is colder compared to NC, but I'm sure I can research and see if any of those other types can be grown here. Thank you Debbie and Margaret!
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