How to Feed Goats Dried Leaves

Feeding goats dried leaves is a common technique many goat owners use to enrich their goats' diets while disposing of excess vegetation. The key to properly feeding goats these leaves is to avoid using dried leaves as their primary source of nutrition. As browsers, goats prefer to nibble on an assortment of different feed sources. Although goats typically savor the taste and texture of dried leaves, they won't be able to derive the proper nutrient levels from a diet that consists solely of leaves.

Things You'll Need

  • Tree leaves
  • Rake
  • Plastic trash cans or bags
  • Feed buckets
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Instructions

    • 1

      Collect leaves for your goats, focusing on an assortment of common tree species, such as apple, sycamore, maple, willow and oak. Rake loose leaves that have fallen to the ground beneath trees during the fall months or collect branch clippings that have a lot of leaves on them. Get leaves from neighbors or friends, who are often willing to give you leaves for free, provided you gather them yourself. Take special care to avoid leaves from fruit trees that produce pitted fruit, such as cherry, apricot, peach and plum trees, since these leaves contain prussic acid, a substance that can be extremely toxic to goats.

    • 2

      Check the consistency of the leaves to make sure they're completely dried. They should be crisp and crunchy to the touch. Leave leaves that aren't completely dried exposed to air and sun until they reach desired consistency. Store dried leaves in plastic trash bins or bags.

    • 3

      Feed leaves to your goats selectively as a treat. Fill each goat's feed bucket full of leaves once or twice daily, feeding them the crunchy treat in addition to their regular daily ration, which typically includes free-choice grass hay or pasture and grain concentrate, depending on the type of goats you raise.

    • 4

      Watch goats for possible signs of plant poisoning as a precaution. Feeding goats a limited amount of leaves each day minimizes their chances of suffering serious adverse health effects from accidentally consuming poisonous leaves, but poisoning could still occur in rare situations, just as it could when your goats graze in a new pasture. Potential signs of plant toxicity in goats may include teeth grinding, frothing at the mouth, abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting. Contact your veterinarian for emergency treatment as soon as you notice physical symptoms of poisoning.