Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
• Amaryllis
• Avocado (leaves and fruit)
• Bracken fern (grows in shade)
• Dock weed
• Hemlock
• Locoweed
• Milkweed
• Mountain laurel
• Oak leaves (some types only)
• Sorrel
• Rhubarb
• White clover
• Wild cherry (wilted)
Be aware of the possibility of nitrate poisoning. Many plants good for goats provide nitrates,
which is a necessary nutrient. However, under certain conditions these healthy plants can
come to contain toxic levels of nitrates. Unusually high levels of nitrates accumulate in some
plants, including oats, corn, alfalfa, pigweed, lamb's quarters, and Johnson and Sudan
grasses, when they undergo a growth spurt after a dry spell. Another common source of ni-
trate poisoning is when goats consume animal waste or fertilizer. This usually happens when
runoff from a nearby, contaminated field waters the plants they eat, or the goats drink it.
Hay
Hay is made from a variety of plants cut when still green and then allowed to dry (cure) be-
fore they are baled for storage. When these plants are cut at the right stage of growth and
cured using the right methods, they retain nutrients that are valuable for your goat in addition
to providing the fibrous material to keep its digestive system working well. Hay is more or
less bright green color and is different from straw, which is the golden-colored dry leaves and
stems left after the harvesting of grains such as wheat, oats, and barley. Hay is used as feed
while straw is used as bedding.
The average goat eats at least 4 ½ pounds of hay per 100 pounds of body weight every day. A
well-built Swiss milker will eat about 5 pounds of hay every day, and more during pregnancy.
Hay that is fresher and composed of high-quality grasses and plants is more expensive. Some
