We have 10 acres that has a lot of shrubbery and weeds. Not a ton of good grass. We were thinking either cattle or goats. What livestock would work for us?
Type of livestock that is good for browsing?
- Thread starter theron
- Start date
Goats sound you best bet - and they are cute too!!
As the land gets cleared by them you will have to 'manage' them and rotate them to different areas otherwise they will just eat everything and you will be left with barren field.
Goats, definitely! just remember they require monthly hoof trimming, a very good fence, and if you are dedicated a trimming once a year. They are one of the best animals though, remember to do your research!
with ten acres you can get 20 goats (2 per acre). Be sure to get some use out of them when you do this. Meat? hair? Dairy? Don't be scared away by the goat milk, its super fresh and IMO, much better than cows milk.
If you get dairy I would recommend the LaMancha, although Alpines give most milk. Alpines have trouble kidding so you dont want that.
I dont know much on hair sheep since we have only ever raised them for meat and dairy. If you get for meat Boers are the best.
Rotate your goats, make each rotation 5 acres. and switch fields every 2 weeks or so. During the winter make one of the rotations the permanent home base where hay will be fed, water heaters in the waters. Dont move around in winter. (you can but its easier not to)
If you have an area, like around your house or really anywhere that you dont have fenced in but want the weeds taken down, take a cement block, a leash and your goat. tie her up to the brick type deal, and let her have at it. MAKE SURE YOUR GOAT DOES NOT GET TANGLED. PLEASE.
with ten acres you can get 20 goats (2 per acre). Be sure to get some use out of them when you do this. Meat? hair? Dairy? Don't be scared away by the goat milk, its super fresh and IMO, much better than cows milk.
If you get dairy I would recommend the LaMancha, although Alpines give most milk. Alpines have trouble kidding so you dont want that.
I dont know much on hair sheep since we have only ever raised them for meat and dairy. If you get for meat Boers are the best.
Rotate your goats, make each rotation 5 acres. and switch fields every 2 weeks or so. During the winter make one of the rotations the permanent home base where hay will be fed, water heaters in the waters. Dont move around in winter. (you can but its easier not to)
If you have an area, like around your house or really anywhere that you dont have fenced in but want the weeds taken down, take a cement block, a leash and your goat. tie her up to the brick type deal, and let her have at it. MAKE SURE YOUR GOAT DOES NOT GET TANGLED. PLEASE.
Goats are your best bet, cattle are not really browsers their more of grazers... You'd probably do well with Nubians, as their dual purpose meat and milk, and they have long legs to give their udders clearance over most brush and brambles (Of course if you have a lot of brambles then perhaps dairy isn't the best way to go as the doe's udders will get scratched and they won't want to be milked)... Just make sure you have good fences and they should be perfectly happy.
Not trying to be biased, but I do think goats would work better than cattle for your situation. For reasons already mentioned, cattle prefer grass and graze, while goats prefer shrubs, weeds, and browse. They eat the grass last!
Though do know that they will likely kill some trees. I don't know if that is an issue for you. Goats love eating bark and rubbing against trees. Horned goats can girdle a tree especially fast, as they rub their horns against the bark and remove it. But if you are OK with that, then it sounds like a paradise for a goat herd!
Depending on your land and the goat genetics, you might get away with hoof trimming less often. You don't need a farrier for it, though, it is easy to learn. I just did six goats today, didn't take me very long since they are well behaved. The rockier your land, the more they get worn naturally, since if there is a rock, the goats will be on it. I read that certain breeds like Kiko's need less hoof trimming (for whatever reason, I'm not sure). Even among my goats, I notice some individuals have slower growing hooves than others. My Boer goat, for instance, needs his hooves trimmed the least. I still do him on hoof trimming day, but need to take much less off.
You will definitely need to provide the goats minerals. Salt blocks actually kind of suck, when it comes to giving a goat what they need. The best option is to buy a 'loose' goat mineral. Feed that free choice in a dry, draft free area and they will lick it up as needed. It has very little NaCl (table salt), but more appropriate amounts of other critical minerals, such as zinc, selenium, and copper. The salt blocks are mostly NaCl with very little of those other minerals, so they lead to deficiencies.
Though do know that they will likely kill some trees. I don't know if that is an issue for you. Goats love eating bark and rubbing against trees. Horned goats can girdle a tree especially fast, as they rub their horns against the bark and remove it. But if you are OK with that, then it sounds like a paradise for a goat herd!
Depending on your land and the goat genetics, you might get away with hoof trimming less often. You don't need a farrier for it, though, it is easy to learn. I just did six goats today, didn't take me very long since they are well behaved. The rockier your land, the more they get worn naturally, since if there is a rock, the goats will be on it. I read that certain breeds like Kiko's need less hoof trimming (for whatever reason, I'm not sure). Even among my goats, I notice some individuals have slower growing hooves than others. My Boer goat, for instance, needs his hooves trimmed the least. I still do him on hoof trimming day, but need to take much less off.
You will definitely need to provide the goats minerals. Salt blocks actually kind of suck, when it comes to giving a goat what they need. The best option is to buy a 'loose' goat mineral. Feed that free choice in a dry, draft free area and they will lick it up as needed. It has very little NaCl (table salt), but more appropriate amounts of other critical minerals, such as zinc, selenium, and copper. The salt blocks are mostly NaCl with very little of those other minerals, so they lead to deficiencies.
We have tons of brambles and they dont seem to get scratched.. Also, Nubians used to be a meat breed. Now they are not very meaty and don't give much milk. I used to raise those and no matter what they wouldn't give more than a quart a time!
I think it just depends on the goat, and good udders held high help, of course if the doe has sagging udders she'll be more prone to scratches... We have blackberries all over the place here and we only get an occasnal scratch... Really? Only a quart? Mine give a gallon a day with minimal concentrates on free range browsing...We have tons of brambles and they dont seem to get scratched.. Also, Nubians used to be a meat breed. Now they are not very meaty and don't give much milk. I used to raise those and no matter what they wouldn't give more than a quart a time!Although pretty darned cute!
Meeehhhhhh!! 
Goats. Yeah.
(Nubians ARE the cutest!
Goats. Yeah.
(Nubians ARE the cutest! 
- Apr 15, 2011
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If you are really very partial to cows, there are possibilities. Longhorn cattle and others will browse more than other breeds, and there are videos on YouTube demonstrating how to train any cattle to add more browse into their diet. Most goat breeds are where browsing is at though.
You can protect any trees you like with strong wire mesh around their trunks, or make a fence around them.
If you land is hard, with rocks and gravel.. they will wear down their own hoofs quite well. You can also make a few piles of large concrete drainage tubes for them to jump on or run through... that will help wear the hoofs down too.
If you land is hard, with rocks and gravel.. they will wear down their own hoofs quite well. You can also make a few piles of large concrete drainage tubes for them to jump on or run through... that will help wear the hoofs down too.
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