Jae eaj

Lots of great responses. thanks.

BTW, the space for the 3 goats, (1 medium size, 2 very small dwarf goats), is 50 feet by 40 ish feet, plus 2 longer side areas, not counted. Right now, I provide lots of leaves and browse from neighbors with larger trees, good hay, plus a mineral block, and they get misc. kitchen vegetable scraps. They are pretty happy and healthy goats.

I am thinking about trying the Sepp bone sauce on the trees. Have yet to find anyone who actually has done it, lots of theorists. I was thinking about trying a pressure cooker as an alternative.

My yard is completely flat, so I'd like to build a sort of mountain and cave for them to play in and on. I would also like to build a small forest for them to play in and nibble on.

Anybody know if goats destroy pine? oak? pecan? or fast growing firewood trees? My front yard is also 50 feet across but only 30 feet wide, so I was thinking maybe I could put all my fruit trees in the front yard, and not worry about the goats stripping the bark. There is an invasive tree that grows here called a Chinese elm, that I try to encourage the goats to eat. It grows about 10 feet a year, even when you are trying to stunt it's growth.

Has anyone fed goats hops? As I understand it, its a vine that grows 6 feet in a year. I was thinking that if I covered the side walls in hops that could be a nice spring- fall browse plant for the goats.

oh, and somebody asked about the climate, I am in 6-8, in New Mexico.

thanks everybody, Jae

This pic is from maybe 2 years ago. The pond is now twice as big as the little swimming pool in the center. The trees are also much larger.

This site is awesome, I found through a google search and haven't left for days.

Anyhow, I live in a suburban flat area. I would like to transform my landscape into something for my little goats to enjoy. I would also like to simply grow their food and stop or dramatically limit, buying hay.

I originally got a single goat because someone who works with abused animals called me as the "human" (yes I use quotes to describe this guy), was in prison for animal cruelty and neglect for his domestic animals (dogs, cats, parrots). The goats did not fall under this law so the state would not find them homes. The owner had stopped paying rent for the land his goats were browsing and they were looking for a solution besides to euthanize. (goats had severe whip marks, broken horns, all had worms, lice, and mange). I am a vegetarian who had a super large, highly fenced in area, and had chickens for many years - hence my first goat. Who needed a companion, and then I have my micro herd of 3 goats. It's been an exceptionally wild learning experience for me but ultimately I intend to provide the with the best life they can. (btw, mange, worms, lice and scars are gone).

As of now there is a small 8 -10 foot diameter pond, surrounded by 6 fruit trees, which this year the goats have repeatedly stripped the bark off, despite the metal wires around.

The goats are still babies/teens. I would like to create a space for them to live natural and free, well as much as they can, in a suburban environment. (btw, the neighborhood kids LOvE the goats! Never seen anything so cool) I am thinking a mountain with a cave, a mini forest (that they can nibble on). Don't mind at all if they eat fruit from the 6 fruit trees, as they are super freaking prolific, and it's kind of hilarious seeing them with peach juice on their lips, but I would like them to stop eating the bark, as it will eventually kill the trees.

Ideas?

I have a circle of fruit trees with a little pond in the center. Mine is a little wider than yours. I live in NM were water, and not sun, is the issue (unless it's too much sun). I also have in the front yard a little tiny ultra super dwarf fruit tree circle (3 trees - cherry, oriental pear, white peach(babock?))

NM is a little getting a little bipolar on the weather extremes. A little pond in the center helps balance the temperature. Otherwise the blossoms bloom early and then freezes and unless you can get your tree to bloom again, then you lost any chance of fruit production. So circle is ideal. More ideal might be creating a surrounding moat but that gets a little excessive. : )

ps. The other value of a pond in the middle of a circle of fruit trees is free fertilizer via goldfish.