Rental Goats Clear Brush Better, Beat Cosmonauts in Space Race

I didn’t see a shepherd. How do they protect the goats from predators (including the human kind) and how do they keep them from running off?

This is a great, eco-friendly idea. I live 5 minutes from the Oakland Zoo (NorCal) and in the middle of summer, they rent the goats to clean the area. Its truly a sight to behold, hundreds of goats at once eating away at the very dry brush. They can eat a large area in just a few days and often times, they’re left alone. I don’t believe anyone is watching them. Members of my family have thought of stealing one or two, don’t think they will be missed. They should be used more often.

The goats usually have gaurd dogs watching them. Pyrenees or Anatolian (big dogs) are the usual breeds.  The dogs are raised with the goats and consider them their property.  The dogs will keep mountain lions and other predators away. If you want to know a little bit more you can check out http://cmkikogoats.com/Livestock_Guardian_Dogs.html

Did you know that the brush cleared was thorny blackberry vines gone wild?  Goats have no upper teeth, yet eat/relish those thorny bushes!!

for those that wonder how they are kept in;  If you look along the left verticle going up the hill you’ll see an orange line (it’s also along the front edge, but harder to see). That is an  plastic electric fence which goats (who are smart) along with many other animals learn to respect. It’ll keep them in, and if there’s an abundance of food who’d want to leave anyway. 

How does this prevent forest fires like it says in the title?  From the two pictures I see the goats eat the leaves and leave all the branches behind like you see in the second picture.  The plant is now dead, then the branches dry out, leaving the fuel for a forest fire.  Most of the problem with forest fires is the burning of the dead brush.Also with the millions of acres of forest, how many goats is this going to take?  These pictures show many goats eating a small fraction of one acre.As a response to Oom, Didn’t you see the fence surrounding them?

If I were to randomly feed pet goats a multitude of plants with various properties, including poisonous et cetera, I would likely be prosecuted for animal abuse by the local ASPCA. Because most of these ‘goat herds’ are run by Hispanics, animal abuse is not a concern, Additionally, goats as well as sheep, do not leave sufficient roots to prevent erosion–so in the rain after your goat poisoning episodes, you might have mud slides.Also, these goats pictured appeared to be in much less than good health, with poor coat conditions, probably from lack of common care, such as flea, mite, worms–but because these are Hispanics, they are somehow exempt from social concerns?Leave goats where they belong, and out of the forests. 

Natural goat behaviors and eating preferences are managed to safely reduce  fuels and threat of catastrophic fire by breaking continuity of fuel ladders between grasses/brush and tree canopy, in an environmentally sensitive manner

Goats are one of the most sustainable animals on the planet with multiple uses.  With the proper fencing and herder, they are perfect for eating down brush, as well as noxious weeds.  THEY WILL EAT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING, so you need to make sure that there are not certain trees you want to preserve and move them to new areas as they eat down your targeted vegetation.  They require little water and are dear sweet animals, but a bit like herding cats!  I used them in Montana to eat knapweed and they did a great job.  It is not a one time fix deal though.  You must graze them several seasons to break the cycle of noxious weeds.  The good news is that they are an alternative to using poison.  Certain breeds are best for weed eating and other breeds make great milkers.  Their milk and yogurt is wonderful for lactose intolerant people and easier to digest.  It also makes for excellent soaps and lotions.  And if you eat meat, well, nothing like a goat taco. GOATS are the WAVE OF THE FUTURE!

I’ve got a pair of goats and it’s true, they eat absolutely anything…. not tin cans like many people think, but the driest, thorniest bushes and weeds are their favorite.  They’re ruminants, so they’re after the cellulose in those dried things.  They actually prefer dead leaves over juicy green ones.  They don’t pull things out by the roots though (talkin’ to you, LiliQ).  They’re browsers, like deer.  They just nibble off the leaves and tips of branches, so the bushes usually recover in time.  Allyson, you’re so right, they’re VERY sweet, very people oriented (if raised tame like a dog) and incredibly loyal, social, curious animals.  They’re hilarious too… can open any gate, answer back when you call them, will rip the trim off your cars (NOT to eat, just because they can) and play fight with each other for hours on end. 

Our Cow Mountain Kiko Goat ”Brush Busters” mob (a group of goats is a ’mob’) was developed to manage vegetation in northern CA on private, public and tribal lands for habitat enhancement, weed abatement and fuel reduction.  http://cmkikogoats.com/As noted in other comments, goats are wonderful weed workers–but it is really helpful to understand plant life cycles, and goat/herd behavior and eating preferances to achieve best results.  We want to ensure our livestock mangement decisions do not cause environmental damage, like goats eating endangered native plants or causing soil disturbance; with proper management potential negative affects are avoided.Goats are especially effective at reducing biomass and (fire) fuel load in brushy, rocky, hilly areas, where using other methods/tools is difficult.  When socialized goats are very easy to work with.  Livestock guardian dogs keep our goats safe and solar charged electric nets keep all the animals where they need to be . . .and there is nothing cuter than a baby goat.

why the hell would you let goats eat all that beautiful green foilage!?

Jeffreyaa- in California that green turns to brown and has a tendency to burn… burn out of control…. you get loss of life and property. Ideally everyone would live in a city, but people have decided to build houses in areas that nature would burn through regularly (historicaly large fires that burnt through the grasslands and forest of Ca were a regular event but we have not permitted them for so many years we have a dry matchstick waiting to get lit in many areas).   If  people who live in those areas  can help reduce the fuel load that surround their property the firefighters are more likely to try and make a stand and protect their property. Goats can cut down the fuel load and make a property defensible. If you don’t believe me there are  studies done by State and Federal agencies that state goats can help prevent out of control wildfires. Many federal, state and local agencies are starting to use goats in environmentally sensitive areas where they do not want to take a bulldozer(the easiest alternative).

Did you know that the USDA has a program that will want to know where those goats are 24/7?  And under that program any property (called premises uner the program) will have to be registered with the govt and have those goats chipped?
NAIS (The National Animal Identification System), is a so-called disease tracking food safety program the USDA is forcing on those who own even one chicken or any other farm animal. Many are being signed up without their knowledge or permission. Non-food animals such as horses,  llamas, parakeets, etc are included in this program.    Over 90% oppose this program yet the USDA continues to force this unwanted program on those who need it least. 
Under NAIS you register your premises, microchip all critters at your cost, report all their movements, births, deaths to a database, then risk losing them to depopulation if disease is suspected in a 6 mile radius! Currently, only sex offenders/child molesters are tagged tracked and register their premises. Animal owners will be tracked closer than illegals, drug delaers, sex offenders or that  guy that blew away 13 people and wounded others at Ft. Hood.  
Protection from disease is why we are told NAIS is needed, but the real reason is for the benefit of big agriculture/factory farms so they can sell meat globally. But they do not have to tag/ track individual critters. They get ONE lot number for each animal group. And the tracking of any animals stops at slaughter, after which many food safety issues occur.
The listening sessions held during the summer by the USDA about NAIS show the people are overwhelmingly against NAIS. But the USDA said these sessions showed  “substantial  support” for NAIS… Huh?!?!?!?  They apparently were listening with fingers in their ears!)  See nonais dot org for more info on the program that will affect everyone who eats.
 

IF you look carefully you can see temporary netting set up. At the left corner a post is next to the red tub. Electromesh netting is a way to set up temporary fields for goats to work.

Also, goats are fairly social and like their routine. They will go out and expect to retun to home base at the end of the day with the rest of their herd. Give them food, shelter, water, and company (other goats) they will stay as a group.

LiliQ: Goats eat a huge variety of plants without a problem. No garden is safe. They are a lot hardier than you think. Also, no cruelty needed. They are happy to go along (see above). And, are you seeing more pictures than the ones above? The goats I see are too small to make valid comments about their coat and health.

Naah, goats are wonderful. If they eat toxic plants, then health food stores can buy their milk. cheese and butter without concern! Not like cows that when they eat toxic plants transfer the poison to the milk and then kill unsuspecting consumers? Naah thats not cultural is it? And the BLM doesn’t have land grazing restrictions that include goats do they?http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/grazing.html

“Pricing Mechanisms. Fees for grazing private livestock on federal lands are currently set under a formula in the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 (PRIA). Although the PRIA formula expired in 1985, President Reagan extended it indefinitely (Executive Order 12548) and instituted a minimum fee of $1.35 per Animal Unit Month (AUM) — the amount of forage needed to sustain one animal unit (one cow and calf, one horse, or five sheep or goats) for one month.” CRS Report for Congress. Grazing Fees and Rangeland Management II. Retrieved Nov 11 2009 from http://ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/Agriculture/ag-17a.cfm

LilliQ- browsing goats are not milk goats. They  are not used(in general) for anything but their grazing ability. I think you should do a little research before you post. Why do you have such animosity tomards goats??  If you do a litttle reseach yo will find that goats are a good alterative to bulldozers for fuel reduction in areas where a wildfire might be devestatating. BLM and many other govt agencies have done studies and are starting to use them in areas where they need some help..I have never heard of someone getting sick off of goats milk(unlike all the food poisoning scares I have heard about from beef. http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/2009/11/articles/foodborne-illness-outbreaks/ground-beef-e-coli-outbreak-stretches-from-coast-to-coast/

Animosity towards goats! Really!  Let’s just glaze over the offensive comments about Hispanics in LilliQ’s first post, right?  I joined this discussion to have fun not be subjected to other people’s racist generalizations.  How many of yall were gonna let that one slide right by without saying anything?  If the answer is, as many as it seems, then I should unsubscribe from this site.  BTW, if you are so put off by the possible toxicity of goats milk, buy bovine.  It is still devine.   

Carpetmiss- yes that statement about Hispanics was so unworthy of discussion I did gloss it over, Just plain ignorarnt. Why bother. I thought this was a discussion about using goats to help reduce the risk of catostrophic wildfires. In California the fires happen every year. Goats have proven to be helpful in reducing the severity and the loss of property. My sister has about 4-500 goats that she uses for fire fuel reduction, she is not hispanic and she does not milk her goats.  The milk would probably taste bad given what they eat (areas that goats will be in are generally checked for plant material that might be toxic to them, what owner would want to have poisoned animals that would require a vet visit) but goats can eat a lot of plants that other animals might find toxic like poison oak.Goats work great when used properly and responsibly for wildfire fuel reduction. I think that was what the article was about, I was attempting to stay on topic.

I have a small farm that i’m trying to clear the under brush from. Can you tell me if these goats will eat a holly bush (tree). They are thick in some places and every time you cut one you get a bunch more growing out of the stump. Thanks, Swamp Rat 

I have never joined a duscussion board until now, LiliQ is letting her ignorance show on so many levels that I just couldn’t help myself.  First off how in the world could she see the body condition of the goats in the picture, and by the sounds of it I’m not even sure she would know what a good animal looks like.  And the “racial” comments just solidify her ignorance -  I thought (or at least, hoped) we were getting to a point in our society where that was less of an issue.  Coming from a rural, agricultural background and continuing to live in an area that is ag. dependent, her bringing up the issue grazing rights on BLM land, has got me so fired up that if I fully commented and correctly informed her on the everything involved, there would not be enough time or space in this column.  I will just say that, we as a nation, have got so far away from our agricultural roots that your average person does not realize where their food comes from.  There’s a few steps before it hits the grocery store shelves.  Less than 2% of the population, feeds this nation, plus scores of others.  And yes, I will admit that, just as in every group, there are 1 or 2 “bad seeds” that give the rest of the good ones a black eye.  I welcome LiliQ to come to my part of the world and actually see good agriculture in practice and figure out that her groceries, even organic, has to start here in the hands of honest, hard working, smart people that do it because they love the land, the animals and the lifestyle, not because of the money.  Because, believe me, the money just isn’t there for your average family farm/ranch anymore.

esbee: I don’t know much about NAIS, but I did find this info at: http://animalid.aphis.usda.gov/nais/why/top_reasons.shtml“It’s voluntary.

Participation is your choice.USDA has no plans to make participation in any component of NAIS mandatory. Individual States may choose to keep participation voluntary or not, based on local needs.USDA strongly believes that the best approach to NAIS is a voluntary system driven by the States and the private sector.You decide – based on your needs – to participate in one, two, or all three components of NAIS.”I think goats are a great idea! Especially for those liberals who believe that cows, sheep, and horses do too much damage to public lands. What it ALL comes down to is proper management by the BLM (or other public land groups) and the private individuals using the public land.The problem with horses is that they pick the good stuff and leave the bad stuff. Cows aren’t near as picky as horses, but they have to be careful of what they eat too. Sheep I would say are comparable to goats, but still have to be careful of some things they eat. I think goats probably have more for brains than sheep too! haha. Therefore, there is probably not as high of losses with goats as there are with sheep.Goats are great for weed control (so I’ve heard)! My husband and I have actually been considering getting one for our leafy spurge problem and other weeds we can’t seem to get rid of. I think the use of goats for grazing problem areas should be considered more byeveryone as well as the Forest Service for fire prevention.

janitor1: YOU SAID IT!!!!