What does the story about the Three Billy Goats Gruff teach us?
I have always enjoyed reading the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff to my daughters. In every one of the 30 or so versions that I have read the goats are prepared to risk death to EAT FRESH GREEN GRASS. Indeed in almost every scientific study conducted on the grazing preferences of goats, when fresh green grass is available, the goats have eaten more than 50% of their diet as green grass. In Victoria, during spring, my studies showed that Angora and cashmere goats consumed more than 80% of their diet as green grass. The writers of the Billy Goat Gruff story had really observed what goats ate. Is green grass good for goats? Yes, green grass is the generally the most nutritive food available for goats and it is the cheapest food. During spring the green pasture is usually about 80% digestible and has a crude protein content of 20%. Most of the fibrous parts of the pasture are still quite digestible by the goat. As a result goats can eat lots of the spring pasture and because the pastu
