Comments on: Adjusting to Our Goat Family http://suchtreasures.com/2008/06/10/adjusting-to-our-goat-family/ Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~Matthew 6:21~ Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:32:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Elaine http://suchtreasures.com/2008/06/10/adjusting-to-our-goat-family/comment-page-1/#comment-3937 Elaine Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:00:56 +0000 http://suchtreasures.com/?p=1782#comment-3937 I'm enjoying reading about your experiences with goats. I've not had much contact with them outside the petting zoo at the fair and zoo. I'm very much a city girl living in a more rural setting. I’m enjoying reading about your experiences with goats. I’ve not had much contact with them outside the petting zoo at the fair and zoo. I’m very much a city girl living in a more rural setting.

]]> By: michelle http://suchtreasures.com/2008/06/10/adjusting-to-our-goat-family/comment-page-1/#comment-3900 michelle Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:45:05 +0000 http://suchtreasures.com/?p=1782#comment-3900 I think they will adjust; it's good that they retain enough instinctual sense of self-preservation to know that tall grass is dangerous, that's where coyotes can get them the most easily. I think most people mow tall grass before using it for graze, because of this. But, they'll relax as they learn their new environment, herd animals are always wary of change at first. They're hard-wired to prefer routine and consistency. You can always tether them during the day, to give them a grazing "project" to tackle. Portable electric fencing works well too, because if you have a ton of graze, they'll just browse here and there, mostly trample, & not really chew things down the way we like for clearing. If you retain them in a smaller area until *you* are happy with their mow job, you can convince them to eat things down a little more before letting them move on to literal "greener pastures." I think they will adjust; it’s good that they retain enough
instinctual sense of self-preservation to know that tall
grass is dangerous, that’s where coyotes can get them the
most easily. I think most people mow tall grass before using
it for graze, because of this. But, they’ll relax as they learn
their new environment, herd animals are always wary of change
at first. They’re hard-wired to prefer routine and consistency.

You can always tether them during the day, to give them a
grazing “project” to tackle. Portable electric
fencing works well too, because if you have a ton of graze,
they’ll just browse here and there, mostly trample, & not really
chew things down the way we like for clearing. If you retain
them in a smaller area until *you* are happy with their mow job,
you can convince them to eat things down a little more before
letting them move on to literal “greener pastures.”

]]>