Goats like to browse

Hedges, leaves and herbs – it’s goat heaven.    These are some of our Anglo-Nubian (the coloured goats) and Saanen goats (white ones).    Several are a mix!   They love to be out on the lane and browse the hedgerows.Goats are not grazing animals, they only have one set of teeth on the lower jaw, their upper jaw is a hard palate that can tackle almost anything – just watch them crunch a holly twig or a bramble.    They are not only intelligent, too much so sometimes, but goats are one of the most useful animals to humans.    Goats milk is very digestible and similar in constituency to human milk so babies thrive on it.   In the Third World, goats ensure survival and can turn even the roughest pasture into food.

But should we take the goat’s milk?   Isn’t it intended for the kids?    This is a valid point of view but most goats produce more milk than the kids would need.   When a goat is fed supplementary food, in addition to her browsing, there will be enough milk for her offspring as well as the household.    Goat kids are usually weaned before six months old and the mother goat will go on milking for another six months or even an extra year.

Goats are one of the most affectionate species and bond with their human carers.   This may be because they have lived in close companionship with the human race for many hundreds of years.