Wow do these goats at the sanctuary love carrot nibs as a treat! We usually spread them around on the ground so they can forage but sometimes we are surrounded and of course the big blonde “Rufus” horns in to take more than his fair share.
Rufus is a Boer / Nubian mix wether that’s about 12 years old. He’s still going strong considering the life expectancy of goats is between 8 – 14 years. He’s already outlasted some of his buddies, and he continues to crave attention, boss around the other critters and take front and center when it’s feeding time. As most visitors to the sanctuary are aware, you cannot simply walk past Rufus without him blocking your path to demand attention. His nickname therefore is the “Toll Taker.”
Unlike sheep, who are primarily grazers, goats both graze and forage. Goats are opportunistic in their search for vegetable matter including leaves (up in trees), fruits, and even bark. Goats will devastate saplings and smaller trees by stripping their bark and stripping leaves off branches. They are also great at eating pervasive species such as bamboo and poison ivy. A popular yet false belief is that goats will eat anything – even tin cans. That’s not true. They may eat the paper off of a tin can, but they won’t eat the can!
