let's talk farm animals

Do goats really eat tin cans?

By Patricia Grotenhuis

Many storybooks show goats eating everything around them, including tin cans. It’s a common myth.

When I was 9, I bought my first goat, and had my own herd for 14 years. I did see the goats eat a number of things over those years, but they had a very definite eating pattern – which didn’t include tin cans.

If they did come across a tin can, they would probably get much more enjoyment out of stepping on it and listening to the sound of the tin crinkling than anything else.

In this barn, goats are eating from a fresh bale of hay

Goats are browsing animals, not grazers like cattle and sheep, so goats like treats of leaves, cedar branches, and weeds in their pasture, much like a deer. They take a lot of time to search out the best snacks. They will often stand on their hind legs to reach the best part of foliage that may be out of reach to other types of livestock like sheep.

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Posted by Farm and Food Care on May 16th, 2012 :: Filed under animal handling,Farm life,Goat,Misconceptions
Tags :: animal care, food, goats, misconceptions

Little Hop-a-long

By Patricia Grotenhuis

One day when I was in high school, I noticed that one of my goat kids seemed to be having trouble walking. It was only, at most, a month old, and while the others were out on pasture, it had stayed near the barn. I went out to see what was wrong, and checked the kid over. One hind leg was being favoured, and the hoof was on a slight angle.

I flagged my dad down right away, and he confirmed my suspicions…the kid had a broken leg. We could not call the vet or bring the kid in to the vet clinic, so we made a splint ourselves for the small kid. Popsicle sticks were the perfect size to stabilize the leg, and we wrapped it with multiple layers of vet wrap, which sticks to itself but nothing else and provides support.

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