# Black Berry Bushes for our meat goats



## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

This has been an interesting observation. We have our 'meat' wethers in a blackberry field with plenty of green pasture. They have not been supplemented with anything else other than a small bit of hay. The rest of our goats are on our dry land grass acres. So far the wethers on the blackberries are growing quite well with good muscle tone and no sign of heavy worm load. We have not given the wethers any worming medication at all. They were born in February and will be butchered this fall or earlier. What is in the blackberries that would cause them to grow so well? They look very healthy-shiny hair-good weight gain and have been treated very well. They do not look like they need any mineral supplement at all. We have to really work at giving our dry land, dry grass does all the necessary nutrients along with wormings to keep them looking like they do. All of our does have grass/alfalfa hay, goat feed, mineral supplements, apples, and blocks. So it is just another proof to me that goats are meant to be browsers and not grazers. We were amazed at how well our meat wethers are doing on just the blackberry bushes. I do wonder what is in these blackberry bushes. It must be providing the copper they need along with other nutrients.
Plus, they are browsing up high away from the ground and may not get worms as easily in doing this.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

Glad they are growing so well! Maybe the blackberry also has some natural worming agent.


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

I agree with what you are saying. I have most of my does on an acre and a half that is full of black berry bushes. Here is what I have noted. The grass is doing awesome. The goats don't eat it. I have experimented with supplementing these dairy does with good alfalfa to increase milk production and found that it was a total waste of good hay. They don't milk any better at all. The only thing my does like better than black berry bushes (besides grain), is black berry bushes on the other side of the fence. They will also eat alder saplings and douglas fir boughs. It's one of the things that has really been a pleasant surprise since I've started with goats. That same pasture is pretty much worthless for cows and horses. Time will tell, but I bet those black berries are a pretty sustainable feed sorce too. They keep growing back. Goats and black berries rock.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Well at least our does have eaten all the star thistles down on our hill right down to the nub of the plant. They really love them and I have read that it is full of protein. I was worried about the sharp thistles on them but they just dont let them get to the flower thistles stage so eventually they will have eliminated them completely.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Hmmm that is strange...not sure why or how....but ...I may want to plant some.. :chin: :wink:


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## Tenacross (May 26, 2011)

Relevent article from Down Under.
http://www.acga.org.au/goatnotes/C001.php


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> Relevent article from Down Under.
> http://www.acga.org.au/goatnotes/C001.php


 thanks for the link....... :thumb:


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

toth boer goats said:


> Hmmm that is strange...not sure why or how....but ...I may want to plant some.. :chin: :wink:


Ha ha.. Pam, you were thinking of blackberries I assume and not star thistles? I always wondered what the purpose of the star thistle was for. Perhaps the nasty weed wasnt always this terrible. I have had some of the Star Thistle honey.(Very good) We are so glad to have it off of our property now. It is so hard to get rid of and goats have been our only way to control it. We have been thinking to start some wild blackberries at the bottom of our hill. They can keep them under control.


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Tenacross said:


> Relevent article from Down Under.
> http://www.acga.org.au/goatnotes/C001.php


Thanks for the link. It was an interesting read.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

> Ha ha.. Pam, you were thinking of blackberries I assume and not star thistles? I always wondered what the purpose of the star thistle was for. Perhaps the nasty weed wasnt always this terrible. I have had some of the Star Thistle honey.(Very good) We are so glad to have it off of our property now. It is so hard to get rid of and goats have been our only way to control it. We have been thinking to start some wild blackberries at the bottom of our hill. They can keep them under control.


 LOL... :laugh: we had a whole field of star thistle....our neighbors said ...we had a great crop of them going... :laugh: Goats are amazing ...they took care of them and we no longer have any in the field... :wink: 
I have had star thistle honey...as we use to be "Bee keepers" and it was delicious.... :thumb:


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

I have my goats in a 5 acre plot FILLED with blackberries, and you're right! They love them! I'm not sure what it is about goats but it seems like the plants we hate the most, they love the most! Mine especially love hitchhikers. lol


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## packhillboers (Feb 2, 2011)

Yes, it is amazing how goats will eat some of the worst weeds. I didnt believe they would do it, but I think that they have taken care of the poison oak too as I havent seen anymore of it inside our fenced area. It is still on the outside growing obnoxiously. They are custom made animals to keep some of these cursed weeds under control.


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Great link Tenacross!

You all need to move to the Pac NW, blackberries a plenty!


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## Steve (Mar 12, 2011)

I know im a little late on this post but it is a good one.
All goats like browse,and i agree with everyone here that i think that is what God put them here to do.
Blackberries do have alot of minerals and vitamins as does most browse,but i have always heard that blackberries cure alot of simple illnesses and clean the urinary tract of anything that eats them.

Wethers and blackberries are a very good plan.

Tenacross i agree with you that they like the ones they have to eat through the fence more,today i let mine back into a pasture they havent been in for a month,they all went to the tall ragweed,but one was just outside the fence and of course one goat had to got for it,walked over other weeds to get to the one outside.

Most of my blackberries are gone,they do keep coming back but the goats will eventually kill them out.


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## Tolers Boers (Jul 4, 2011)

I guessing it is a dietary supplement somehow much like slippery elm bark or cinnamon. We have alot of honeysuckle i must look into the blackberry bushs.

get some on our pasture. so far all our goats love fruits stuff. and anything else we hand feed them but i won't pick blackberries i plant the them they have to pick them.
lol.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

:thumbup:


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