In the News - March 2008
Homespun advice from a veteran county agent
The rudiments of billy goat nutrition
BENTONVILLE, Ark. - When the St. Francis River overflowed its banks in 1957,
as it did every few years, the rising backwater shut us off from the rest of the
county for two days. Our older brothers broke the monotony and entertained their
siblings by paddling the johnboat around the house while we watched from the
porch.
We felt like Noah as the waters subsided on Easter morning and were greeted
by the sound of Grandpa and a truck load of relatives coming to check on us. It
was nothing doing until Grandpa had us out to beachcomb the area and check on
damage. He soon noted, “You’ve got company!”
Standing in the barn lot was the ugliest billy goat we had ever seen and, by
all appearances, he viewed us as the intruders. No telling where he had drifted
in from, but Grandpa shut him in the lot. Taking a defensive position with his
rear against the barn, that old goat just shook his head and dared anyone to
come over the fence.
As we lined up along the corral, speculating about the goat’s origin, Cousin
Spike stuck his arm through the fence and began waving a shiny object. I heard
Dad ask no one in particular, “Now what in the world is that knothead up to?”
Exhibiting as much defiance as the goat, Spike informed us that goats were
known to eat everything from tin cans to rubber tires. He was simply trying to
entice the goat with an aluminum foil gum wrapper.
While that exchange sidetracked everyone’s attention, the goat marched over
and gobbled up the foil wrapper before retreating to the barn. On Spike’s cue,
it wasn’t long before we had a small pile of tin cans tossed over the fence with
expectations of watching the goat make mince meat of them.
The 4-H Market Goat project is one of the most rapidly expanding projects
today. However, I certainly hope that no 4-H member reads this article, other
than from the perspective that goat nutrition and has progressed over the years.
This isn’t to say that with goats around the place you won’t lose an article or
two. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be goats. Til’ next week!
For information about raising goats, contact your county extension agent. The
Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.
March 28, 2008
By: Robert Seay
Benton County Extension Agent
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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