Goat Salad

Goat Salad

Growing and Feeding for Health

To keep your goats healthy and thriving, it's very important to understand their nutritional needs and how they have these satisfied.

Goats are browsers rather than grazers like sheep, so this means they prefer eating vegetation in the form of twigs, leaves, shrubbery like wild rose bushes and cedars, bark from trees and Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats will eat some pasture (mine require I mow it once or twice a summer). They can also safely eat fruits, vegetables, and herbs in moderation.

Let's talk fresh juicy vegetables & fruits & herbs for Goat Salad!

Before we talk about specific fresh produce & herbs which are most beneficial for your goats, let's answer the following frequently asked questions.

• Are all fruits, vegetables and herbs good for goats? Almost all. Read on for specifics.
• What if my goats don't like goat salad? For many, it is an acquired taste. I always cut up my Goat Salad into bite size pieces. When they are not used to fresh Goat Salad, I will drizzle a small amount of orange juice over the salad and toss. I start my kids out with Goat Salad when they are young so they learn to enjoy eating it with their mamas. 
• Why is cutting and slicing fresh food for Goat Salad so important? Nigerians are usually unable to take whole pieces of vegetables and fruits and eat them in that form and can choke on larger pieces. Also, they tend to toss out of the container anything that isn't easy for them to chew quickly and as you know they won't eat it once it has hit the ground usually.
• Will Goat Salad mess up my goats digestion? Not if you feed it in moderation. I feed 1 cup per adult goat each afternoon 3-4 times a week with total success. That's the key,  fruit, vegetables, nuts, and other high-carb feeds should be fed in small quantities and cut up small to avoid choke. 
• Can pregnant does have goat salad? Yes, see information below.
• Can kids have goat salad? Yes
• How can I afford to feed goat salad? Grow fresh produce and herbs when you can. I also know all of the grocery stores which will mark down their produce which is coming to its expiration date and it is in very nice condition still. I have studied the best time of week to go shop for the reduced produce at each store and plan my whole trip to include these each week. Buying fruits and vegetables in season is also a huge savings. When I get them home, I wash them in a fresh produce soak and then cut up enough produce to be divided into 5 or 6 days worth of goat salads. I use the grocery store bags to store them seperately which makes it easy each afternoon to go out and feed Goat Salad. I feed a small amount of mixed grains and additives and hay each morning only and Goat Salad in the late afternoon. They are healthy and robust.