# Goats benefit from eating Seaweed!



## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

There are sites all over the net that offer seaweed for animal consumption. They toute over 60 vitamins and minerals. Google this as it is fascinating! I enjoyed reading about all the uses both human and animal for seaweed as well as for composting for your garden.

My friend says goat owners order this to add to their feed.

Do any of you do this? I have dried seaweed under barter if you need a fresh source from an island in Washington. I just cringe at all the products from over seas when we can get products locally.

Anyone wanting a large order will get a nice price break for animal feed.


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## jil101ca (Jul 2, 2007)

I have a customer who orders kelp meal (seaweed) and feeds it to her goats and calves.


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

I feed dried powdered kelp.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

jil101ca said:


> I have a customer who orders kelp meal (seaweed) and feeds it to her goats and calves.





Alice In TX/MO said:


> I feed dried powdered kelp.


A friend of mine says all her friends who own goats order it and say it is wonderful. I have been harvesting it for my sister in law and then offered it under barter for folks who like it... But I don't want to forget the precious little goats. I could do a special goat box for anyone who wanted one also. I am just now hearing back from my seaweed customers who are very happy. 

I am glad to hear this is a common practice, I was sure wondering!


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## Apryl in ND (Jan 31, 2010)

Is it legal to harvest like that?


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Apryl in ND said:


> Is it legal to harvest like that?


Hello Apryl,
I appreciate your concerns, one never knows unless it is first hand. WHY NOT ASK? I am a great person to ask! I have been harvesting clams, crab, shrimp, oysters, mussels and fish from our lovely coastal waters for years! The seaweed and alot of other produce from the local waters are all legal to harvest as long as you have a LICENSE which I do of course! The license for Washington entitles you to harvest all that seafood with limits on some and no limits on others. The Washington State website has all the numbers on each item the license covers. As a person harvests they must take care to do so responsibly. I live on a private island which incidentally has a very large number of beds surrounding it and it is teeming with seafood. We have a pretty good school of Grey Whales who migrate here for their feasts every year. The seaweed is so dense here it gets caught up in boat motors at times and needs thinned. It would astound you how much breaks loose and just drifts to shore every day to be wasted on the beaches, I collect that for compost in my garden! I the seaweed I dry at low tide from the beds where they grow, cut them off carefully leaving the roots to regrow. I am also thinning not clearing any beds. I am actually doing something very beneficial.

No license is required if you just want to gather the detached seaweed on the beach which is great for garden compost. 

I guess living in North Dakota makes this a little harder to understand. Our area is known to have the best fishing in the state of Washington by sheer volume of fish in our waters..... Our state keeps close tabs on limits! There are only about 2 weeks where we can shrimp, our most limited sport. I went out last weekend and got my limit! 80 shrimp in one day. Then you only get 2 days a week to shrimp and they only guarantee shrimping is open for those two weeks. Sometimes they extend it a little. Crabbing has a daily limit with certain days but it goes for months. Fishing has it's own season and clamming with shell fish harvests is much longer.


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## billooo2 (Nov 23, 2004)

I also feed kelp.


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## Sweet Goats (Nov 30, 2005)

I feed it free choice to all my goats. 

I truly believe this is one reason we have been the Grand Champion at all the shows we have gone to for years.

We are the only ones I know of that feed it.

I buy about 250 pounds or more a year.


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## Goat Servant (Oct 26, 2007)

Sweetgoats how much of it do you feed? I've been thinking about getting some.


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## wintrrwolf (Sep 29, 2009)

hmm sounds very interesting. Think I will give it a try.


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## Sweet Goats (Nov 30, 2005)

Goat Servant said:


> Sweetgoats how much of it do you feed? I've been thinking about getting some.


 Sorry, I have been really busy.

I feed it free choice. It is in a feeder and they eat it as they want.


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## Goat Servant (Oct 26, 2007)

Thanks Lori!!


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

For any of you interested....I posted a Goat Box size of Air Dried all natural seaweed on the barter forum. I am making them as inexpensive as I can to enable folks to get if they wish.


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## Sweet Goats (Nov 30, 2005)

romysbaskets said:


> For any of you interested....I posted a Goat Box size of Air Dried all natural seaweed on the barter forum. I am making them as inexpensive as I can to enable folks to get if they wish.


The Sea Weed or Sea Kelp I feed is like a fine sand.


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Sweet Goats said:


> The Sea Weed or Sea Kelp I feed is like a fine sand.


That is what sets this Seaweed apart. It is harvested fresh in the water, with close attention to the environment. The waters run clean and clear. I rinse the seaweed and air dry it. It is sent in large natural pieces! It is easily broken up if one wishes but it is pretty and not like sand when you break it. If I was feeding my goat seaweed, I would want to spoil them with this. From other countries you have to concern yourself with how much sand is in it and what impurities and pollutions are in the water. Those are my concerns, I won't eat it so I gather my own. Then again I am out there crabbing, clamming, shrimping and fishing.....plus all the gardening.... I eat fresh seafood so I figure fresh seaweed dried by me is just...sigh....so very good!


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## KareninPA (Jan 7, 2010)

I use Source micronutrients ('ocean nutraceuticals') for my horses with awesome results, and have been tempted to feed it to the goats, but I don't know if they should have it. The company only markets their products for horses, dogs and humans. Has anyone used it for goats?


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