[APWG] goat grazing
Margaret McCasland
mmccasla at twcny.rr.com
Mon Nov 28 11:09:37 CST 2005
Hi folks,
I am neither a botanist nor an ecologist, but I grew up with goats
and felt it worth sharing a caution re: their eating habits. (I do
have a general background in environmental education and my daughter
has done work on invasive species, so I appreciate the dangers of
introducing plants or animals into any ecosystem.) We acquired goats
partially as a food source, but mostly to clear brush and poison ivy.
What we found, and what I have heard from others, is that, in spite
of their reputation to the contrary, goats are very selective in what
they eat. They will under some circumstances eat all kinds of things,
but given choices, they are choosey.
So I think introducing them--especially on a large scale--will be
risky unless you know exactly what plants are in the area and which
ones they will and will not eat. If there are any native plants still
in the area, they might prefer those to the species you are trying to
eradicate. You probably can't count on them eating the plant(s) you
want to be rid of unless you plan to have so many goats that they end
up with nothing else to eat and, as Craig indicated, overgraze.
A question I have is whether the variety of goat affects which plants
they are likely to eat (I have no idea what the answer is, but goats
bred for arid areas seem like they may have different food
preferences than those raised in more temperate areas such as
Europe). But maybe all goats are adaptable enough that variety isn't
relevant.
Margaret McCasland
Ithaca, NY
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