As the fog lifted this morning I enjoyed the beauty, the quiet, and the cool air. It (the cool air) did not last long, but I am still purposely treasuring summer, despite the drought and the heat. Winter will be on its way before we know it.
I mentioned drought because, as you can see in the photo, between the sidewalk and the trench to the right of it (not quite filled in yet from our well installation last spring), there is no grass, and what is available is brown.
The goats are struggling to find grass to graze on.
The goats are on hay, which is important to their well-being. A good alfalfa blend is fed twice a day on our farm during times when pasture is scarce.
I also feed minerals from a bag, but a truly top-notch mineral for a goat is browse. Goats are browsers in their natural habitats (mountains and hill-sides). A large shrub or tree, a deep-rooted plant, supplies an immense value of natural minerals to a goat.
I made a track around the farm this morning, slicing off branches from various trees such as apple, maple, and spruce.
The goats had a feast, one that was healthy-as-it-could-be.
Fall is a great time to gather up leaves for goats. Have you seen a goat chase after a leaf? Sometimes they catch them as they drift down from a tree, before the leaf has been able to float to the ground. It really is an entertaining sight. Exercise, fun, and minerals combined into one great escapade!
When feeding browse, be aware that certain plants, especially ornamental yard plants, are highly poisonous to a goat. A good reference point is the list of edible and poisonous plants at the Fiasco Farm website.
Enjoy your goating…or even if you don’t have goats, I hope you enjoyed a few tidbits on raising goats!
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Hi Mary – this was VERY interesting – didn’t know minerals for goats were found in “browse” stuff. You taught me something today! I’d love to have a few goats, but we’ll see what hubby allows when we get moved out to the farm! Have a wonderful holiday weekend & keep your fingers crossed for some rain!
Hi Vickie!
I miss blog commenting. I need to catch up with my friends!
My fingers are crossed for rain. We had a chance of it this evening. Not a drop fell.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thanks for sharing but our goat’s are dry-lotted though, it doesn’t matter if our pastures get rain or not since some of our pastures never grow green stuff and they get plenty of hay though.
Amy
Hi Amy! Good to hear from you. I hope all is well!
Hi Mary
I always love to hear about your goats. Just because I am a city girl doesn’t mean I don’t love and value good goat tales! LOL
XOXO
Melissa
I believe you Melissa! When I was a city girl I craved farm tales!
Hey Mary…
I hear you on the rain. We had a good shower one day last week, but it seems like we dry out just as quickly. I’m losing grass and plants. Now that summer is nearing an end, maybe the fall rains will come for us both. Wish I had some goats. Seems like they are as much fun as work! Have a great and blessed week.
Debbie
The rain continues to bypass us. I can see a slippery winter, with no grass to put our feet down on! Ha!
I hope you have a blessed week as well!
No, I don’t have goats. But the visual I experienced of a goat chasing a leaf was comical.
Thanks for the smile, Mary!
Very dry here, too. We haven’t had a drop of rain in weeks. I SOO wish we could get a good downpour or atleast a slow steady rain for a day or two.
I hope you’ve had rain by now! We had one downburst, about 1″ of rain over an hour. It hasn’t rained since. I am sure it is coming, fall is around the corner.
Take care, Becky!