Relaxed Farming - our farm in your classroom

A very kind neighbour gave us masses of willow branches from a tree he had coppiced (cut to encourage new growth). Willow is absolutely the goats' number one favourite all-time treat: it's like ice cream and chocolate brownies or chicken and chips... The photos show Pickle and Garlic really getting 'stuck in' to their treat. They also show why you never allow goats access to trees or bushes that you want to keep... because if you do they will kill them. Goats strip the bark completely and without bark trees and bushes die. Bark protects the tree or bush in the same way that skin protects our bodies. Just underneath the bark is a layer called the cambium, and it is this layer that contains all the living cells that make the tree or bush grow. Bark also helps to keep moisture in and diseases out.
Pickle is showing 'how' they strip the bark by using the tops of their front teeth a bit like a chisel or penknife. She scrapes her teeth along the branch, peels a piece of bark away and then pulls away a lovely long strip. Watch out for the videos coming soon that show this in action!
Bark is good for the goats, it is great roughage and it also contains some minerals from the tree itself. Goats like the taste as well and will even eat cardboard to get the same taste experience.
Providing different food like this is also a great boredom buster for the goats and it encourages their natural behaviour of browsing. We could put bits of bark in their feed buckets but that would be more work for us and NOWHERE near as much fun for them!!!