# Goats and trees



## Appalachia (Jul 11, 2012)

I know essentially zero about goats but I was under the impression that they were bad about eating the bark off of a tree and killing it. 

I just saw a densely wooded goat pen that has probably 4-5 goats in maybe 1/5 acre. There isn't a speck of green growth in there but not a hint of bark damage. Trees are a mixture of hardwood and softwood. 

Obviously they are not getting all their food from this pen but food is being brought in. 

What is keeping the goats from girdling the trees?
Do certain breeds of goats eat bark and others don't?
Do they only like certain kinds of tree bark?
Or am I misinformed on the bark eating habit?

Thanks


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## forphase1 (Aug 5, 2010)

Although I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule, my goats tend to only eat the bark off of young trees. Once their trunk gets about the size of my wrist or so the trees are 'safe'. Anything under that size will get stripped of the bark, especially during the winter months. At least that's been my experience here. 

Now smaller branches and the like off of a main trunk can also be in trouble, but again once they reach a certain size the bark seems to be left alone.


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Mine have killed full grown pine trees.

I don't know the answers to your questions!


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## airotciv (Mar 6, 2005)

My Goats only eat the Fir tree bark and they leave all the other trees alone. We live in the Pacific Northwest, now this could be regional and these are the trees they are use to eating. We use wire fencing around the trees trunks to keep them from killing the trees. I have never had a goat that won't eat the trees, it's trying to out wit them. Got to love them, they always keep me on my toes.


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## parrotman (Jan 27, 2008)

Trees are the favorite food of my goats as you can see. The large pine tree that was cut for them was in their pasture. While it appears green and very much alive, the goats girdled the bark on the trunk and the tree was destined to die. Rather than have the green needles wasted, I cut the tree for them to enjoy before the tree died completely. 

Even with wrapping the trunks with wire and using cattle panels around them, I lost all of the trees in their area due to eating...starting with the bark, which is the kiss of death for a tree.


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## Appalachia (Jul 11, 2012)

Well I reckon that confirms the goats kill trees theory I had. Guess the ones I saw were smart, dumb or lazy. 

What kind of wire did you wrap around the trunk? Seems like a couple wraps of 2" fencing would keep them from damaging the trunk.

Anybody successfully goat-proof a tree?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

We had to build square cattle panel fences (T posts at the corners) around the pecan trees in the goat pen. Be sure they are far enough from the trunk that the goats can't stretch in through the squares and reach the tree.


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## parrotman (Jan 27, 2008)

I did do what Alice mentioned using the cattle panels...it did work very well. Unfortunately, I did it too late. I wrapped wire around the trunk and the goats did their thing right through the wire...then the cattle panels and that worked great, but as I said, it was too late. 

When I used the cattle panel, I didn't really build anything. I just arranged it in a circle around the trunk, which was far enough away from the tree, and used stakes in the bottom of the panel to secure it. It didn't move at all and the goats lost interest real fast when they found that they couldn't move it and get to the trunk.

Trust me, there isn't enough wire/fencing that you can wrap directly around a trunk that a goat will not work until it get's it's teeny, tiny teeth through and starts eating it!


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## o&itw (Dec 19, 2008)

A question for y'all. When it comes to older trees it seems that some goats will eat the bark and some won't, and it may be according to the tree.

I noticed on the cut pine that some of the goats were still eating the bark. it wouldn't seem to be as palatable as the young branches. When dust blows some of it tends to land and imbed itself in rough bark, and therefore most bark has a high mineral content. 

My question is not implying anything about the care of goats, I know that all of you go to great lengths to provide for them. Is there any possibility that the goats are eating the rough bark of older trees for some reason connected to minerals?


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Appalachia said:


> I know essentially zero about goats but I was under the impression that they were bad about eating the bark off of a tree and killing it. Yes goats love the bark from trees; and of course, they like some trees better than others. (My goats destroyed my "grown" dogwood trees; and they love cedar bark for sure.)
> 
> I just saw a densely wooded goat pen that has probably 4-5 goats in maybe 1/5 acre. There isn't a speck of green growth in there but not a hint of bark damage. Trees are a mixture of hardwood and softwood. Cannot speak to this as it is surprising.
> 
> ...


I do hope this helps.


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## parrotman (Jan 27, 2008)

> My question is not implying anything about the care of goats, I know that all of you go to great lengths to provide for them. Is there any possibility that the goats are eating the rough bark of older trees for some reason connected to minerals?


I take no offense to your implication, whatsoever. The one thing I can tell you is that when goats have a choice, their selection of food would stun even the most experienced goatherd. Thorns, burrs, coarse bark, etc. are chosen first over the lush green grasses of a pasture. It's just the nature of goats, I guess. 

Certainly, your theory of dust in bark having a higher mineral content could definitely be a possibility.

With my goats, they have the good fortune of being walked daily in the woods. It's part of their morning routine. We go on the same route every day and in all parts of the forest, the goats have their special plants that they go to and immediately choose those over all others. My goats also eat many poisonous plants that are frowned upon by goat folk, but they seem to know what they want and it doesn't affect them negatively. They do not eat anything in excess but will sample everything at least once.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Goats will generally only eat the trees you don't want. 

Mine are in with older oak trees. They don't touch the bark on those. They do love sassafras, willow, apple (heck, ANY fruit tree!) bark. But they'll eat the oak leaves and acorns like they're candy. 

When the goats go downhill with the LGD, they like to eat raspberry and multiflora rose bushes (how do they get around those thorns?) They also nom-nom-nom on poison hemlock, poison ivy, and poison oak. :shrug: 

They are smart enough to not eat the fescue.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

o&itw said:


> Is there any possibility that the goats are eating the rough bark of older trees for some reason connected to minerals?


That's what the goats would like us to think.

In actuality, they think that they are eating the favorite trees.


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## o&itw (Dec 19, 2008)

Pony said:


> Goats will generally only eat the trees you don't want.
> 
> Mine are in with older oak trees. They don't touch the bark on those. They do love sassafras, willow, apple (heck, ANY fruit tree!) bark. But they'll eat the oak leaves and acorns like they're candy.
> 
> ...


Heh, I am glad you wrote this Ms. P.. I have lived in the Midwest most of my life, and when someone said "hemlock" I always thought of the tree. Since the tree doesn't normally grow in this area, I had to look up "poison hemlock" and find it was a common weed 

Never paid much attention to it, always thought it was some "wild carrot/queen anne's lace" relative. Glad I didn't try going all Euell Gibbons on it


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

o&itw said:


> Heh, I am glad you wrote this Ms. P.. I have lived in the Midwest most of my life, and when someone said "hemlock" I always thought of the tree. Since the tree doesn't normally grow in this area, I had to look up "poison hemlock" and find it was a common weed
> 
> Never paid much attention to it, always thought it was some "wild carrot/queen anne's lace" relative. Glad I didn't try going all Euell Gibbons on it


Carla Emery shared a story of someone who was told that hemlock was "indian carrot" and ate it. Carla made him drink syrup of ipecac. He was miffed, until he went to the county ag agent and found out how bad it could have been!


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