goats....i want some goats

[lizard_brain]

you mean that 50 word blurb?

 

Y

[lizard_brain]

es.

[archenemy]

Those wordy university presses.

[builder206]

In fact there are quite a few farm operations in western Washington that have goatherds they rent out for land clearing. A couple years ago I took the 9-month Small Farming class at WSU-Puyallup where the method was discussed. Sitting here at work I can't recall any names but I'll guess there are at least 6.

 

If you are clearing land to be used for agriculture, you'll need to get the roots too. The method of using animals for this extends to a finish operation using pigs. The goats take everything down to ground level, then you set up paddocks and let pigs loose. They thoroughly churn up the ground looking for grubs, tearing up the roots as they go. A pretty easy fork pass (tractor pulling a ground fork) finishes it up and your land is ready for whatever soil prep you need. Yes, there are operations that rent pigs for that, too.

 

This goat-pig thing will knock out any blackberries for keeps, safer and cheaper than any herbicide, plus if you want an organic cert for your operation this is the only way to go.

[builder206]

You can also use goats as pack animals. Reportedly they are quite cooperative and humbly follow along with you wherever you go. They are more sure-footed than mules and, being smaller, they can fit through ruggeder country than mules. Unfortunately, in most mountains in the western U.S. once you sack out for the night they become cougar snacks.

[AlpineK]

Keep in mind that you can't just have a goat, you need a goat herder too.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Keep in mind that you can't just have a goat, you need a goat herder too.

 

Archie regularly herds cats, so she should be ok

 

[selkirk]

You can also use goats as pack animals. Reportedly they are quite cooperative and humbly follow along with you wherever you go. They are more sure-footed than mules and, being smaller, they can fit through ruggeder country than mules. Unfortunately, in most mountains in the western U.S. once you sack out for the night they become cougar snacks.

 

Ran into some goats as pack animals in the Idaho high country down by Sun Valley. Fuckers were loose, at night, with 18 inch horns and came with a warning from a disembodied voice in the darkness, and I quote directly in the classic southern Idaho drawl, "them goats is wild, they'll kill your dogs"

Edited October 22, 2007 by selkirk

[builder206]

Ran into some goats as pack animals in the Idaho high country down by Sun Valley. Fuckers were loose, at night, with 18 inch horns and came with the disembodied warning, and I quote directly in the classic southern Idaho drawl, "them goats is wild, they'll your dogs"

 

Was there banjo music wafting through the trees?

[Bug]

You reaaaaallly know your livestock.

Ahem.

[snoboy]

I'm curious how they manage fencing for this land clearing business, my experience suggests they're crafty and hard on fences.

 

I would guess portable electric rigs, easy to move, and supposedly effective...

[builder206]

No, just plain old livestock paddocks.

[dinomyte]

Just go to Stuart, open a can of pringles and run back to your house!

[builder206]

different kind of goat

[ZimZam]

Poison ivy, munch munch munch. Thorny thickets munch munch munch. I used them to clear several acres of overgrown brush. A cloven hoofed garbage disposal. Just keep them away from any "special" plants, cause they'll eat those too. They can be a pain in the ass though in the barn. They'll raid the feed room, chew tack, climb on your car, and when you aren't expecting it, head butt your ass. Keep them tethered. When you're done with 'em, they make delicious curried goat.

[G-spotter]

[dmuja]

[dinomyte]

My dog Rufus is part goat:

 

 

Edited October 23, 2007 by dinomyte

[minx]

Poison ivy, munch munch munch. Thorny thickets munch munch munch. I used them to clear several acres of overgrown brush. A cloven hoofed garbage disposal. Just keep them away from any "special" plants, cause they'll eat those too. They can be a pain in the ass though in the barn. They'll raid the feed room, chew tack, climb on your car, and when you aren't expecting it, head butt your ass. Keep them tethered. When you're done with 'em, they make delicious curried goat.

 

ZZ

 

how many goats? how many acres? how long? i don't really want to own goats but I could be convinced. no tackroom yet to worry about.

[builder206]

We went over that stuff in class but I can’t remember and am not motivated to pull out my notes and find the info. However, the small farmers that do this are True Believers so if you contacted one of them, they would tell you far more than you want to know. I can tell you this, though, it’s partly a function of time. Just as ten bulldozers will do a job faster than one, a small herd will take longer than a larger one. The goat owner has many things to do with the animals so they have to balance their schedule too. If your job is big, they will leave the herd for a while, pick it up, then bring it back later to finish. Same with the pig crew if you need the roots taken out in addition to just clearing the vegetation.

 

If you want to own goats for other reasons (meat, milk) and use them additionally to clear land, start small, just a couple. But you should own them in multiples because they are herd animals like cows and do not do well alone.

 

Check out the WSU Small Farms Program website. You might find some leads. Don’t forget your county agent---great resource. Especially in western Washington the agents are hip to all the small farming operations including the goat and pig land-clearing operators.

[G-spotter]

goatse.. you want some goatse?

[Dechristo]

"Here goatse, goatse, goatse..."

[builder206]

Is that for our goat thread? Doesn't anyone want to talk about goats some more? Or farm animals in general?---chickens maybe? Anyone?