Rita Celestine

Thank you, Sena! That is an idea, though I wonder how the sting of the nettle would effect them. Would rambling through a patch of nettles and consuming them fresh cause the goats discomfort?  It certainly would help discourage the nettles in their attempt to conquer the world, if the goats were not bothered by it.

Certainly, though, I will need to trial a small plot (I was thinking a raised bed of brick) - or even a pot (placed where no one will brush against it) - before I plant anything large. Since it doesn't grow here naturally to my knowledge, I need to know how it behaved in terms of flowering, setting seed, and the like. The weather here can be strange sometimes.

Happy goating to you also.

I actually have offered them dried stinging nettle. Granted, it was only the dried leaf from a one pound bag meant for tea (which is dried quite differently from animal hay), but they liked it very much - at least most of them did. I would put approximately one Tbsp on their grain or mix it with kelp and put it in a dispenser which they would almost invariably scarf down.  

Wow! Seven years is a while! Thank you for the heads up on that. I knew they were invasive, but I didn't know just how invasive they could be. That is good to know in advance. I will definitely have to give their prolific nature greater weight in the scale.      

Thank you! Those two threads were informative!

Part of the planned site receives shade in the late afternoon. The rest of it is in full sun.

No, I have not. Would you suggest planting a ten by ten test plot or something larger?

Hello!

I am interested in growing and cutting stinging nettle as hay for dairy goats. Does anyone have experience doing this? I would especially be curious to know how much seed you used or would use to plant an acre, what sort of yield you all get (the number and weight of bales per area), and how many cuttings you get in a year. Any information on this topic is welcome though!

I live in zone 8b if that is useful.