How Goat Dispatch of Minnesota is using goats to clear up Minnesota forest, wetlands, parks, yards, and organic farms. Goats provide a great eco-friendly alternative for clearing noxious weeds, buckthorn, and other undesirable brush.
Yes but you are also on call 24/7/365 and goats are smart and take a lot of mental energy to stay ahead of, and also goats have many health issues. So its not all Gravy! Other than that yes its great!
My dad’s neighborhood association here in SoCal rented goats to clear some of the bramble off hillsides and external areas to reduce risk of wildfire. It was very relaxing hearing the sounds of them being moved around and they did a great job.
I have Spanish goats and am currently using them for clearing forestry, we have a severe honeysuckle problem here in SO IL, and they clear everything 6ft and down, that way we don’t have to struggle to cut it, they keep on top of that amazingly
What I like about this, is that when animals work for humans they have to suffer in some way, but here the goats are super happy as they are doing what they love the most - eat! Also, another advantage that goats have is that, not only do they they fertilise the soil, they also break it up with their hooves which allows it to absorb water. They also break up dry vegetation and twigs by trampling them, which in turn nourishes the soil.
@@jacoblangeslag7887 how about once those goats eat the invasive plants you can replace them with the natives so they can never grow back in for what’s worth it’s restoring the balance of nature
Gina Land read my above comment on health of wether goats and brush eating. Wethers are cheaper and so attractive for buyers but brush eating can promote a deadly health problem.
Every day we experience stimulus overcharge. Watching goats eat leaves and brush seems like a great way to relax and mentally recharge. If I had a choice between meditation, going for a walk, or sitting on my porch watching nature, I would choose the latter.
@@jacoblangeslag7887 no, i meant bringing kids out to watch & learn. Kids these days are not getting enough real life experience, away from their computers. In my town the kids go out in nature and do projects. There's no comparison.
Hi. Great idea. I was curious about using a few goats in a large back yard rather than using a gas mower. Previous I rented a little house with a yard so big i had to pay someone to mow it. Later i thought i should have put an ad in the paper for anyone raising goats to come by and let them have lots of grass. It would have saved me a lot of money, saved gas, and saved the environment. And no noise.😀
They are excellent at managing brush , weeds and grass.. very tender on the grass and dont destroy as much as horses and sheep in my opinion. However push mowers are cheaper than hiring goats for a residential backyard unless you can find someone to take you up on your offer!
This is very informative! I live on an acre but it's all wooded and we can't get it under control and have been considering goats. Plus we've been wanting goats for awhile and have the perfect set up to house them at night.
It’s probably too late since you commented 9 months ago but, 1 acre isn’t much and with a chainsaw and chemical you can clear and treat all of it in a day, a dozen goats can clear that within a month and need more after that
Yes I want to know how its going, because I have about that much that's too overgrown and invasive. Its too wet all the time in Ky to chainsaw everything.
It is very interesting, I thing those who are negative attitude with goats ,this vidieo gives a good remedey for there wrong attitude on goats. Muluken Zerihun. From Ethiopia, Bahirdar.
Low compaction fraction great action, well versed , knocking down productivity of perennials year to year will set them back from lack of photosynthesis, sooner in season will accelerate decline in tree, brush species.
Mark, how long does it take you to move the fence? How often do you move it? Do you have to put a second fence right next to the current fence and lead them in or can you move it longer distances and they will follow you? What do you use for shelter? I found my new fence takes me about 4 hours to clear a path and move it. Hoping it gets easier.
I love goats. Our goats helped prune our property enough to motivate me to work on it. The help from the goats is amazing. Great helpers. Neutered male goats, wethers, will develop bladder stones that they can’t pass because the neutering stops the growth of their penis and therefor their urethra. The stone can’t pas through the urethra. They can’t pee and bladder will leak into the abdomen and cause urine scald. They will die from this. Mineral and protein rich brush increases the incident of bladder stones.best to use Does and Rams as brush grazing will shorten a wethers life and it will end in painful illness.
Hey sorry to hear about this. We have not seen this problem. The oldest members of our herd are wethers. Sorry to hear you had that problem - maybe cut back on grain if you are feeding it.
Bro you are leading the life!!!!!That must be so much fun.I bet a wood chipper would clean up the stuff the goats didn’t get in no time.In S.California we got wild fires big time. This is maybe a kernel of a new business for me.I’m thinking about throwing a wood chipper into the mix. My idea is what the goats can’t chew up and poop out,the chipper will just chop it up.Green fire suppression.!
Great video! I love watching my goats! I have dairy goats so they are a bit more work but still fun. I also use the premier 1 fencing! Do you stay with goats while out in someone else's property? Eden seems really sweet, was she bottle raised? I love that your goats are benefiting the environment!
We do not sleep overnight on the properties with the goats and have had very little issues. Eden was handled a lot by my kids so she is really tame. Yes a win win for the goats and the environment!
Remember that the goats don't kill the plant--they merely prune them and they regrow. We used them here in Maryland in a public park and the wineberry and invasives exploded after the goats left.
Thanks for the comment. Yes you need to keep at it and shift the system - I would be curious what invasive plants you are talking about. Sounds like you did a one and done event which does not work with any method - goats, Mowing, Spraying Etc. I have seen many sites that were mowed and sprayed only to come back 10x thicker and that method didn't create meat, milk or fiber and only increased the resistance of the plants to herbicide.
Glad to see you enjoy your work as do the goats. researching using goats on 5 acres in Ireland to keep Gorse and brambles under control but will need to protect young Hazel trees I think
This something I have wanted to do since I was seven years old. I learned about goats and I vowed that I would someday have a farm and my goats with trim all my neighbors yards!! LOL I still think this will be possible today! But I do not know how to get started. I do not own my own home but I wish I did and I would just like to go out to really get started just in my neighborhood. But like I said I don't have my own space😔
Sassy Sem - I would look for a way to work or volunteer with an existing goat business and that could well develop into ideas & opportunities for you. Take that first step.
You could probably use goats to clear out the sides of roads and highways and ditches, I know that they would be handy along some of the roads in my area up here in Canada…
Most areas are 60-90 percent invasive infected so we let them have free access the first year or two, maybe year three we will fence off areas or wrap individual special trees - however this is often not needed in many areas as natives do a good job of catching up once you take away the competitive advantage of the invasive plants away.
Goats are browsers, sheep (horses, cows) are grazers. Goats will take down small trees and work their way down, sheep graze primarily at ground level. Some use both on the same property to maintain it.
Yes science like to put thing in categories. I like goats because they graze and browse. Yes I do use sheep, horses, geese etc. Depending on the goal. I also have my horses and sheep browse at times too.
We work year round with the goats in Minnesota. Have to check on horseback or snowmobiles at times and of course need to supplement them with different feeds depending on the weather.
This could save lives in places with forest fires. These sweet goats could clean up the brush. California. Spain. Greece. All these fires. Allan Savory mentions grazing improving moisture retention in the soil and brush clean up for fire safety.
That's what I was just thinking too. I think the forestry service should look into it. If it works good enough they could have their own herds. Then other people could come behind them and scatter native seeds. Even the kind that first requires fire could be started before being scattered out. Plus the goats leave nice little pellets of fertilizer to encourage new growth.
Cites in southern California are using goats to remove poison ivy and poison oak from urban hillsides and canyons, and the benefit is that the goats remove all other invasive plant species as well, keeping down the ground-level vegetation that helps to fuel fires. Cheaper than other methods. Those are the same goats that are used elsewhere in the state to keep down invasive species.
Very interesting, Jacob! Wondering - there's a historic cemetery near a rail line that I might be interested in having "goated"... would there be toxic stuff in the plants or anything from years of transportation going by - steam, then diesel? Now it's electrified, but it wasn't for a long time.
Do you ever get over to Chippewa County, WI? The farm had been in the family since 1911. With no more cattle in the pasture, it has mostly grown up into popple trees. They grow up fast, rot, and fall over. But even on our home site, what issn't field is all brush now.
Hi Jacob: Love this video - I have just purchased a small farm in Portugal (tendency for Wild Fires) I will have about 5 hectares. I want goats to manage the land - not necessary for milk - only for clearing. How many goats and type would you recommend - also - do you supplement with hay? or is the brush enough nourishment? (vitamins and mineral aside) Portugal is mild in the winter rarely gets to freezing in my area.
Great video Jacob! I like this idea and have been following this idea being lived out, for some time now! Great idea. Perfect for the land!! How long have you been in business now?
Do the electric fence panels keep predators from harming the goats? I just have 2 pet goats but I am afraid to turn them out in the wooded areas because of coyotes and bobcats. Would appreciate your thoughts on that
Hi Jacob Ive got 60 acres in South Texas and would love to do this especially fencing off my fence line and have the goats eat and clean the fence line up. Do you think that would work? Thanks in advance
Branch out ( no pun intended )! If you want to set up another area. I have 11 acres that need usage. I've lived on a farm nearly my entire life ( college etc.) I love goats. I would care for them as if they were my own kids. Again no pun intended.
The eco-friendly part I can take or leave, but what impresses me about goats is their raw efficiency and effectiveness. You could probably use these in the same fields as cattle, probably at the same time, since the goats want to eat the plants cows pass up.
I'm in Northern MN and have been looking into goats for clearing. We were thinking of getting two to start with. With the electric fencing at 165' how many fences would you suggest for making a paddock for the pair of goats?
David Setness What plant species will they be going after? It really depends on how often you want to move the fence. I would say 3 or 4 fences would be a good size depending on the vegetation load.
Night time is ok, We have yet to have predator problems in MN. Swampy areas ok to eat, just watch for liverflukes and other internal parasites. Cheers.
You are exactly right this works!THANK GOD I do NOT have a problem with it BUT a ton of people do have a big problem with invasive bamboo and that mess is TERRIBLE!Will goats get rid of bamboo!?
