posted 10 years ago
Hau, Johnmark. It is very preferable for animals to have enough space for them to wander about and eat what they want to eat. Goats like to browse and will munch happily on a wide variety of shrubs, trees, bushes, canes, and in the fall they absolutely love to chow on fallen leaves. They do not want to eat from the ground at any other time. I have seen goats spill hay to the ground, and walk away from it, never to return except to walk over it. They love blackberry vines and most of what we two legs want to grow for our own food, the goats want to eat too. They love cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, and on and on. Chickens will eat a huge variety as well if they are allowed to roam free to pick and choose what they eat.
We free range our poultry, the goats get moved from place to place, staying in one large area no more than a week before they are allowed to move for fresh pickings. I am hoping to get even more land, by purchase or lease, so I can have a few more fenced in areas for them.
The pigs get to move, coming into an area just vacated by the goats. The only areas animals are kept out of are the orchards which also have the vegetable gardens, This one fenced in area is also occupied by our dogs, who love to chase the other animals, which we don't allow to happen.
I have noticed that all our free ranging critters don't need a lot of husbandry care and very rarely get sick. This is because we give them a wide range of foods and let them pick and choose their own diet.
We don't have just grass in any pasture, there are also legumes, native grasses, some vegetables such as squash plants, tomatoes, cucumbers, and lots clovers. with this variety, everyone seems to be happy and healthy.