Herbs to Add to Goat Hay
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Lois of Touchstone Dairy Goats
Posted on: March 27, 2004

We have an 18 acre hayfield that we will be reseeding either this fall or next spring. I would like to plant special goat hay and was wondering if there are herbs or weeds that are perennials that could be mixed with the alfalfa seed to make a special mix. I know my goats love some of the weeds that are in hay and I was just wondering if this could be done.

Here are some suggestions that I think the goats will like: any vegetable seed you have left over, such as cabbage, beans, beets or carrots. Also dandelion, chicory, yarrow, sage, johnny-jump-up (aka Heartsease and Viola tricolor), turtlehead (wet area), any thyme (but upright thymes are easier to harvest: english or french thyme -- Thymus vulgaris), russian tarragon, sheep sorrel, silver sagebrush, roseroot, wild carrot (aka Queen Anne’s Lace or Daucus carota), greater plantain, common marjoram (Origanum vulgare), maralroot (Leuzea carthamoides ‘Lujza’), common mallow, musk mallow, lomatium, wild lettuce, lamb’s quarters (self re-seeding annual), horehound, hyssop, hollyhock, goat’s rue, good king henry, germander, dong quai (Angelica polymorpha sinensis or as Angelica sinensis), ox-eye daisy, watercress (wet places), costmary, russian comfrey ‘Bocking #4’, red clover, clove pink (Dianthus caryophyllus), chickweed, chamomile, catnip, salad burnet, bergamot (aka Monarda -- all species), lemon balm, anise hyssop, angelica and alfalfa.

Comment from: Rebekah Atkins
Posted on: November 16, 2006

I saw on your site the suggested herbs to plant for making hay for goats. If their goats are going to be used for milk production, they should not use any sage or sage brushes because these herbs will dry up lactation.

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