# Do goats really eat weeds instead of grass?



## brandyray2000 (Jul 12, 2014)

Hi,
I have never owed a goat before but have horses my whole life. I currently have 2 horses on 9 acres of pasture. I have a lot of weeds and am tired of paying someone to brush hog my pastures. I have heard that goats eat weeds. 
My question is, does a goat prefer to eat weeds over grass? Or if there is good grass, will they eat the grass instead of the weeds? 
I have talked to some people and am getting mixed reviews. Some say the goats will eat the weeds regardless if there is grass there. Other people said their goats will only eat weeds if there is nothing else to eat.
I don't want to spend the money on upgrading my fence for them and spend my money on buying them only to find they aren't eating my weeds. 
Can any of you give me some feed back?
Thanks!


----------



## Chadwick (Jan 24, 2014)

They browse not graze so they will eat a little weeds and then some grass, find some tree leaves then grass, them bushes. They are unlike grazers in that way, I would say it depends on the weeds.


----------



## lottsagoats1 (Apr 12, 2014)

Mine would rather eat weeds than hay or grass any day of the week. Thye go thru the hay looking for the weeds and gulp those down, mostly wasting the actual hay. Since I have no area for them to pasture, if bring stuff to them. They eat all the tree leaves first, followed by the weeds I pick for them and will eat any grass only if there is some mixed in with the weeds. My goats think burdock, plantain, thistle, jewel weed and dandelion are the best!


----------



## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I would say it depends on the weeds. They do like weeds but not just anything.


----------



## crossbredcalves (Oct 24, 2013)

Mine eat pretty much anything in front of them. They like Bermuda grass, but they also chow down on weeds and leaves/trees. I've had some in the past that were much pickier.


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I say it depends on the weeds as well. My goats love tar weed. When it's just coming up the will choose that first. They like fiddle neck but if there is some nice green grass or clover then they won't touch it till that's all gone. The one thing that mine will pick over anything in the world is brush and oak trees.


Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


----------



## slobberdoc (Apr 11, 2014)

On a range setting with pretty much unlimited choices on over 1000 acres, my kiko goats eat about 75% brush (mostly woody plants--coyote brush, poison oak, also blackberry vines, etc.) and 25% weeds and grass (they prefer weeds over grass and really only eat a few mouthfuls of grass here and there).


----------



## DonnaBelle66 (Mar 4, 2013)

I can tell you for sure they love multi flora (wild) roses. OF course, they will eat tame roses too.

Mine will go to the front pasture which is mostly native grasses. There is some sereca lespedisa also and they like it too.

But their favorite by far is brush. They love it when DH cuts down a tree for them to eat the leaves from.

But they are terrific brush killers.

How much weedy pasture do you have? How many acres??

DonnaBelle


----------



## groovyoldlady (Jul 21, 2011)

Well, gee. Mine eat grass and clover and poison ivy and dandelions and my lettuce and garlic plants (BAD goaties!) and Maple leaves and elm leaves and rhodedendron leaves (NOOOO! Those are poisonous for goats!!! - Happily, no one has ever eaten enough to get ill...) They eat pine trees and bite the tomatoes I just picked (BAD goaties!) and burdock and bracken fern (NOOO! Those are bad for goats!!!) and crabapples and peonies (NO, Ditza! Those give you diarrhea!!) and raspberry bushes and my high bush blueberries (BAD goaties!) and...


----------



## NubianFan (Jun 3, 2013)

groovyoldlady said:


> Well, gee. Mine eat grass and clover and poison ivy and dandelions and my lettuce and garlic plants (BAD goaties!) and Maple leaves and elm leaves and rhodedendron leaves (NOOOO! Those are poisonous for goats!!! - Happily, no one has ever eaten enough to get ill...) They eat pine trees and bite the tomatoes I just picked (BAD goaties!) and burdock and bracken fern (NOOO! Those are bad for goats!!!) and crabapples and peonies (NO, Ditza! Those give you diarrhea!!) and raspberry bushes and my high bush blueberries (BAD goaties!) and...


I wish I could like this more than once because this sounds just like a goat.

Mine prefer weeds to grass, and they like bushes, trees, vines, better than pasture type weeds. Mine will BARELY eat grass at all. But hey, Dru ate sausage spaghetti one day....:-o:roll:


----------



## Chadwick (Jan 24, 2014)

groovyoldlady said:


> Well, gee. Mine eat grass and clover and poison ivy and dandelions and my lettuce and garlic plants (BAD goaties!) and Maple leaves and elm leaves and rhodedendron leaves (NOOOO! Those are poisonous for goats!!! - Happily, no one has ever eaten enough to get ill...) They eat pine trees and bite the tomatoes I just picked (BAD goaties!) and burdock and bracken fern (NOOO! Those are bad for goats!!!) and crabapples and peonies (NO, Ditza! Those give you diarrhea!!) and raspberry bushes and my high bush blueberries (BAD goaties!) and...


Agreed that's perfect!


----------



## brandyray2000 (Jul 12, 2014)

Wow, thank you for the great feed back! You all are basically saying the same thing. I think if I go through with this, I won't be disappointed! And I will have a few very satisfied goats!


----------



## brandyray2000 (Jul 12, 2014)

DonnaBelle66, I have a total of 9 acres of pasture and about 8 acres of it has weeds. There is still plenty of grass for my horses, but the weeds look so ugly!


----------



## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

You could always start with just a few goats like 2 and just watch and see if they like the weeds you have then add to it. That way your not pouring a lot of money into it if it doesn't work out. The only bad thing is I notice with my goats they eat different things at different times. 
The tar weed and thistles they like when they are just coming up. Live oak they only eat the leaves in the fall. Then there are things they will eat all year long. They are very interesting animals to watch.


Sent from my iPhone using Goat Forum


----------



## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

brandyray2000 said:


> I don't want to spend the money on upgrading my fence for them and spend my money on buying them only to find they aren't eating my weeds.
> Can any of you give me some feed back?
> Thanks!


All I can tell you is that my goats love weeds! I am currently using one pen for weed control in the alleyways. The fence is not goat proof, they get out on a regular basis and have easy access to a 120 acre pivot of grass/alfalfa and another 40 acre field of straight grass - I'm talking a matter of a few feet to either one - yet they have never gotten into either field.


----------



## crossbredcalves (Oct 24, 2013)

DonnaBelle66, I guess I never paid attention to the Sericea Lespodeza, but my cousin was telling me about it and realized there is a bunch around. We baled some last week, and my goats ate every bite I gave them.


----------

