# Is anybody planting for their goats?



## Apehuntress (Jan 19, 2010)

Does anybody here plant veggies for their goats? I did some last year but all they want to eat is the tops! I discovered when they (oops) got into the garden that they love carrot tops, corn leaves, spinach, lettuce, beet tops and especially swiss chard and apple tree leaves. But as for the root crops that people use to feed their goats, like beets and carrots, they wont touch them. I don't get it. I'm going to try again this year anyways because if they wont eat them then the chickens at least will.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

I think I'm going to grow some sunflowers for them. And we grow our own prairie hay and alfalfa hay, but that's different from veggies.


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## HeidiEllsworth (May 28, 2009)

Last year I planted a whole bunch of swiss chard, turnips, sunflowers and carrots next to their pasture. Then I would pick some everyday for them. They really liked it, especially the carrot and turnip tops. I also would throw a couple of corn stalks to them as I harvested corn for my dinner. During the winter, I wheel barrow their poop to the garden and it makes great fertilizer!


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Mine get squash every summer. I plant enough for them and the chickens...and the family, of course.


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

Ours eat everything extra we are willing to give them- tomatoes- esp cherry- peppers squash cukes and zukes and all fruit we don't use and peels and cores and whatever isn't tagged for putting up. I have a chopping block on a stand in the garden because I got so tired of hauling it to the house - chopping and then hauling it back to the barn. They particularly love cucumber rounds and melon peels. So now it is pick- chop- push off into a bucket and serve. We built an 8 foot metal trough out of the studs that are used to build metal buildings and put it up on feet so everyone can line up and munch without fighting and stepping on the little ones.
2 things cause a stampede here- the chainsaw starting up and me heading to the garden. They never get carrots or parsley tho- reserved for the rabbits. And we have never been able to grow enough sunflowers but when we do they love the entire head and plant. 
Lee


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## feistymomma (May 20, 2009)

Mine will get the leftovers we didn't sell at farmers market!! I think she will be quite spoiled this summer!!!


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## MiaBella Farm (Jul 22, 2008)

We took a few handfulls of BOSS that we usually put on top of the milkstand grain and threw them out into the pasture...they grew and the goats loved them! Did not do anything special to them...just threw them out there!


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## Apehuntress (Jan 19, 2010)

My goats must be picky because they won't eat sunflower plants either. How do I get them to try new things?


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## Hollybrook (Jul 17, 2009)

My goats are picky too Ive tried giving them Cabbage, corn, carrots, beans, peas they dont seem to want much to do with it unless Andrew leaves the gate open and they get to pick it themselves Ive got some BOSS Im gonna plant later on though


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## Poverty Knob Goats (Apr 13, 2010)

We always plant extra Tomatoe's for the goats they also get the extra squash when in abounds.


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## newbie nubian (Feb 7, 2009)

Mine LOVE pumpkins. I can never seem to grow them, so I get all of my friends' pumpkins after Halloween. Any that are still intact and in good shape are put in the goat pen one by one and the goats eat the whole thing, minus the stem. This past fall it got cold so quickly and severely here and after Thanksgiving that I had some sitting out in a line behind the chicken coop; our giant Boer doe, who runs with the horses and is kind of "free range" during the day, chewed on them all winter even though they were frozen solid. She had pumpkin-sickles all winter. 

I planted lettuce and spinach almost exclusively for the chickens and goats. Of course, the goats' absolute favorite are mulberry leaves and fruit.


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## LMonty (Oct 25, 2007)

same situation here, they werent interested at all in beets or carrot roots, much to my disappointment. I wanted to have something freshish for them to supplement with during winter and thought that would help. Pigs liked them, though! So this year I'm sticking with squash and pumpkins and hopefully soem BOSS heads for the goats- that they really liked.


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## Cotton Eyed Does (Oct 26, 2007)

I have crazy goats. My dairy goats have never liked to eat anything different. They act like it is poisoned or something. Crazy things. The boer goats would eat left over persimmons and some watermellon.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

Outside of winter wheat and rye grass, we don't plant anything for the goats.


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## NPgoats (Mar 18, 2010)

I love to garden and plant lots of different things for us but I didn't think about my goats (first year for me). Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm glad I read this and will plant some for my goats. 

Linda


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## Poverty Knob Goats (Apr 13, 2010)

DW just reminded me that we also feed alot of Spaghetti Squash to the goats!


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## ellie (Nov 17, 2007)

I read a research paper (actually one done on goats) and they concluded that goats that are bottle raised will try anything presented by their people, while dam raised are far less willing to try new things. So you folks with goats who won't eat garden stuff...are they dam raised?

I have a long rang project going to plant fast growing plants for goats. So far I'm considering grapes, kudzu, blackberries, maybe mulberry and poplar. The trick is going to be balancing the number of goats and the plants so nothing gets out of hand, especially the kudzu, but also the goats, lol!!!


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