# How many goats per acre? Tx hill country



## steeplechaser (Sep 21, 2013)

3 female boers, an 1 male boer/nubian mix. I believe they are pregnant but that's a different issue.
So...
I've got a bit over 2.5 acres(1st is 1.1+, 2nd is 1.4+) fenced off. Their both side by side but they mainly stay in the smaller side. Gate is always open for them to roam. 

I do have the water n a mineral bucket in the smaller side too. 
Its mainly brush, cedar trees, with some grassy areas and just rocky areas they like to play in but they almost never eat the grass out there. They stick to the brush n trees. 
Well I was worried they would run out of food during the winter(just got the females in july, male in dec so their first winter with me) an put one of my deer feeders with a mix of alfalfa pellets, timothy pellets an corn on the smaller side as a just in case. Shoots once a day for 6 seconds so by all means not a lot. Of course the brush went down during winter but they still rarely went to the other bigger side which is grassier n brushy not to mention more cedar trees. They go to the bigger side I say for an hour/two or so a day only 

I'm just thinking ahead here but what's a good number of goats to have out there?(for the 2.5/2.6) I am thinking kids are in the way end may/June. Plus wondering for the future too. 

So my question again is how many goats do u think this 2.5 acres can handle. ? Texas hill country area. So rocky too but avg amount of food in my mind. Not a feast but not a dessert.

My plan right now is to move the water an mineral bucket to the bigger side an shut the gate so they stay on that bigger side for a few weeks. 
Spring is here so figure swapping area would be good anyways to let the smaller side to grow out again quicker. Good plan? ?

I have total of 36 acres but this 2.5 is the only area properly fenced for goats. I hope next winter or so to "goat fence" the adjacent area just doing nothing. Approx 4 acres to it. 


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## SalteyLove (Jun 18, 2011)

Typical loading for goats is 2 goats/acre if you are trying to feed them only browse and they stay on it all the time (and depending on seasons - not sure how the season are down in Texas.) If you get a rotational grazing system going (locking them out of one side, as you stated, to let it grow) then you can load the pastures heavier. Usually rotational grazing has at least 3 pastures that are used for 3 week periods and then left fallow for 6 weeks while the other two are used. OR people graze the pasture with cows after the goats, which eat more grass than browse. The 3 week cycle is to break the parasite cycle, (and cows trimming the grass help with that too.)

I would keep up the supplemental alfalfa, you could probably nix the timothy & corn if it would save you money. Alfalfa helps keep your Calciumhosphorous ratio proper which is very important for goats.


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