Natural Goat Care: Calming Herbal Treats

Updated May 26, 2022

These calming herbal treats are perfect for toning a goat’s nervous system and will help them better cope with situations that normally cause them stress. I like to feed these to my girls before trimming their hooves, doing any other type of grooming, or while they are in heat. They would also be helpful for goats during transport as this can often make them anxious.

Making treats is simple and my goats absolutely love these. I feed them each two daily when I know I will be trimming their hooves, or when they are going into heat. I’ve also used these treats to help calm them during a tick removal. My goats are very resistant to topical methods of treatment, but they will happily take medicine in a food form. Putting healing plants into food is a great way to treat a stubborn or skittish goat!

These goat snacks were specifically formulated with herbs that soothe the nervous system. Lemon balm is a natural anti-depressant that also helps ease anxiety. Skullcap relaxes nervous tension and calms goats (and people too!). Oats are a good nutritive, tonic herb. Toning the nervous system is important because it helps prevent depression and other nervous disorders. This can be especially important for goats that are prone to being high-strung or anxious.

The herbs in these treats can be substituted out for other herbs to serve different purposes in your goat care. I like to make these treats with a blend of herbs that supports immune function and general vitality to give the girls during cold or damp weather to keep them healthy. You could also substitute herbs that expel internal parasites for a natural de-wormer.

To make these calming, nerve toning treats you will need the following:

• 2 cups dried lemon balm
• 2 cups dried skullcap
• 1 cup dried milky oats
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cayenne powder
• 3 Tbsp slippery elm powder
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 4 cups water

Directions:

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the water and molasses. Stir well. Let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes or until the water has absorbed.

When the water has been absorbed, stir this mixture well. Form into small patties and place on dehydrator racks lined with parchment paper. The mixture will not hold together very well, so you will want to smush it into your desired treat shape on the racks.

Dehydrate at 160°F until patties are dry and firm. The exact time this will take will depend on your dehydrator and the size of your patties, but it will probably be several hours. Finished patties will not be sticky or damp and can be stored in a jar at room temperature. Patties that are still wet will go bad at room temperature after a few days.

When patties are done, feed to your goats and enjoy their head butts of gratitude.