What Goats Eat

Milligan in blackberry heaven
Milligan in blackberry heaven

Goats are natural browsers and love most plants including weeds, shrubs, grasses, saplings and nuisance trees. They love wattles, sheoak, eucalyptus, pittosporum and other Australian natives.

Some of the goats’ favourite treats are noxious weeds, such as blackberry, scotch broom, gorse, campher laurel, sweet briar, lantana, cape weed, fireweed, english ivy, bitou bush and a variety of grasses. In fact, goats will seek out and graze on weeds rather than desirable pasture species. Seeds are sterilised in the guts of the goats and will not be spread.

Spikey and horrible thorns - bring it on!
Spikey and horrible thorns – bring it on!

There are a few types of plants that will make goats sick, particularly some ornamentals, including azalea and rhododendron. But before the goat herd arrives to work on your land, the goat herder will survey your property to make sure it’s safe for the goats (and that the valuable plants are safe too!)

When the rental goat herd is on your land the goat wrangler will provide nutritional supplements and water. At times the goats may also receive some hay and protein supplement to help stimulate their appetite.

Weeds eaten by goats

Click here for a list of well-known Australian weeds and their palatability to goats. The list has been assembled by Meat & Livestock Australia.