Anyone Else Use Livestock to Mow Yard?

[Ken Scharabok]

I have paddocks on the sides and in back of my residential area. I'm not a fan of mowing the yard so when it gets a bit high I close off the gate at the road and call the cattle in to the yard. I tell people I don't see it as much they are in my yard, as my residence sits in one of their paddocks.

Now, I do wish I could housebreak them when in the yard though.

[KimM]

I did back when I had a couple horses. But I was thinking that I have about 3/4 acre of yard and I could throw some pasture mix seed around and actually let it go to hay. If DH won't go for that, I'll turn the calves out there to eat.We'd just mow a small strip around the house.
I think your making good use of your property.

[GrannyG]

DH stakes Hombre the Longhorn out to eat the high grasses along the bar ditches, and some people ask him to bring him over to "mow" their yard. We have to remind them that at times he will fertilize the lawn for free. LOL

[bigmudder77]

ya i do it we have this huge pile of dirt that when they made the barn they dug out dirt and had alot left over and just have a huge pile and i cant get the mower up it hardly so i fenced around it and the cows eat most of the weeds down but they mostly run up and down it and kill the weeds

[Dirtslinger]

That is my plan. One neighbor fences them into his driveway once a month or so to mow down the tall grass along that strip. Very functional if you have good fencing.

[IMContrary]

When I was a kid, I had an aunt and uncle who lived back in the woods. The only mowing their yard got was from what the cattle, hogs, chickens and geese gave it. They were fenced out of the garden, but had free run of everything else. The boundary fences were nearly non-existent, so you can imagine some of their neighbors were none too pleased.



This is me in that aunt and uncle's front yard with one of their cows. I think her name was Lollipop and I was about 6 years old.

At least nothing was allowed in the house. Their neighbors to the west had chickens and goats going in and out freely. We were there once and a chicken laid an egg on the kitchen table. LOL

[wildhorse]

I do but DH fusses at me due to hoof prints in the yard.

[cjb]

We stake our jersey on the lawn and then mow it. However, the cow pies look pretty bad out there and make a nasty splatter when hit with the mower blades

[matt_man]

We let our jerseys graze in the yard. We have some paddocks set up for them. The only place I mow is by the kid's swingset. I don't want them to have to dodge poo piles while they are playing and I don't want to try to get the clothes clean if they hit one! :baby04:

[cjb]

Originally Posted by IMContrary

When I was a kid, I had an aunt and uncle who lived back in the woods. The only mowing their yard got was from what the cattle, hogs, chickens and geese gave it. They were fenced out of the garden, but had free run of everything else. The boundary fences were nearly non-existent, so you can imagine some of their neighbors were none too pleased.



This is me in that aunt and uncle's front yard with one of their cows. I think her name was Lollipop and I was about 6 years old.

At least nothing was allowed in the house. Their neighbors to the west had chickens and goats going in and out freely. We were there once and a chicken laid an egg on the kitchen table. LOL

I love this picture.

[steff bugielski]

Every morning I let the cow, mini donkey, sheep and llamas out into the yard. The llamas are the best. They will not bother anything just eat grass. The cow however is a pain. She does not care if that is a flower garden, vegetable garden and just crashes through. She does not get to spend a lot of time out.

[bigmudder77]

ya i wouldnt let them have free run of the yard cause of there crap and prints in the yard but for the back part thats a pain to mow any ways i fence them in there and let them eat it down saves gas and no one can see the back yard so who cares

[Mid Tn Mama]

Our cows can run all around the house on their pasture. It's peaceful to look out any window at different times of the day and see them. They get to places it would be hard to bush hog.


I too love that picture. What a darling little boy you were IMcontrary. I'd love to make a chocolate pie for that little sweetie in the picture!

[IMContrary]

Thanks! That is one of my favorite pictures too. When I would visit my aunt's, I would always go milk that cow and drink the fresh warm milk. And I would thank you for the chocolate pie! I love anything chocolate. The aunt who had the cow, used to make us chocolate gravy when we visited.

[bigmudder77]

Originally Posted by IMContrary

Thanks! That is one of my favorite pictures too. When I would visit my aunt's, I would always go milk that cow and drink the fresh warm milk. And I would thank you for the chocolate pie! I love anything chocolate. The aunt who had the cow, used to make us chocolate gravy when we visited.

lol my cousin and i would do that same thing to our nice cows but we put it in cereal at any time of the day nothing better than fresh cow milk

[Mare Owner]

This year we have an old mare in the yard. I strung up some spare wire and turned her loose and she does a good job eating down a lot of the grass. I do collect her manure to compost and mow after she gets each area eaten down pretty good, to take care of the weeds and stuff she won't eat.

[IMContrary]

Here are my grandparent's cows grazing in their yard.



The guernsey in the foreground was "my" cow, her name was Pearly. My grandpa made the bell and strap around her neck, they are now hanging on my living room wall.

[65284]

Does this answer the question? Test

[michiganfarmer]

I have thought about it many times. I will do it eventually.