Question
We recently inherited an angora goat from a cousin, as she had to move and we have a largish yard (1 acre).
We've been feeding her kitchen scraps, potato peelings, fruit and vegetable leftovers and even, bread crusts (not meat).
I am wondering if this is healthy for the goat and really what sort of diet should this goat be on?
Answer
My aunt raises goats (specifically, she raises Saanen goats and Toggenburg goats for the most part, but she has had a couple of Angora goats in her time), and she always taught me that we could feed the goats almost any fruit or vegetable table scraps, except melons, because those were apparently prone to giving the animals diarrhea, which is super unpleasant. These things should be treats, though, same as the bread, and should not compose the entirety of the goat's diet. She taught me as a kid that they are like "goat candy" - good sometimes, but not as the only food they get.
Goats are browsers, generally, and your Angora is no exception! They love having grass and such to nibble on, so making sure they can do that is important. If there isn't grass to feed on, giving them hay is a good substitute. Be warned, though - the goat is likely to try eating anything and everything plant like, so make sure that they are fenced off from anything you don't want them to at least try to nibble upon. (This includes small trees and bushes.)
If you are using hay to supplement the goat's diet, they generally won't eat anything that has been walked on or laid on. This shouldn't be too much of a problem since you appear to have only one goat, but it is something to be aware of.
Grain is also good for the goat, and you can get recommendations from a feed store or the like about what would be good for your goat (it can vary depending on age and other factors).
Also making sure they get a lot of water is important, as it is with any animal.
A nice beginning guide to Angora Goat care is this 4-H project guide, it gives further tips on how to feed the goat, and how to care for it. I have summed up a lot of the information here, but it has other care tips beyond feeding, and might be useful.
Answered By - Ash