This might be a crazy question...

seedspreader · #1 05/26/07, 02:38 PM

But does anyone stake their goats out in various spots so they can eat down the grass?

LittleRedHen · #2 05/26/07, 02:43 PM

Yep!

But I will warn you, they prefer weeds

and if you use chain then you should get the one with the swivel in it so that it doesn't knot up.

noname · #3 05/26/07, 02:48 PM

They do prefer weeds . . . or your rose bushes or any other (preferably expensive) landscaping plants you have, but they will eat some grass here and there. However, if you're looking for a 4 legged self propelled lawnmower, you'd be better off with sheep or horses.

lgslgs · #4 05/26/07, 02:53 PM

It's fairly common around here and is also referred to as "coyote bait" as it leaves them vulnerable to predators.

We have never done it, but before we had the perimeter fence we would take the goats out from their small, securely fenced areas and they'd follow us and browse. For the first few days we had them on long leashes, then they learned the routine and would follow us and stay close. We'd sit in lawn chairs and discuss the day while they browsed.

As they became even more familiar with the routine they'd go out with my husband while he worked in the woods and stay near where he was working. When he was done everyone would hike back home together.

If you need goat clean up you might want to take the time to get them used to following you and let them work clean up as you do other farm chores (or enjoy a break) in the area you want cleaned. It's much safer for them than tethering and they train quite quickly. You can also use them to pack your tools to your worksite.

Lynda

P.S. For lawns, our cow does most of the lawn mooooooooing. The goats clear brush and trim trees - enjoying a little grass as part of a complete and balanced diet, but they do prefer the weeds, anything with thorns, and they love multiflora rose.

OldNavyGoat · #5 05/26/07, 03:07 PM

We staked them at first, but you spend more time untangling them than it's worth.

Sarah J · #6 05/26/07, 03:37 PM

I use my sheep instead. Or the alpacas. The goats mostly ignore the grass and get up on their hind legs to reach tree branches! But I also have had great luck mowing the lawn with the sheep inside a portable electric fence from Premier 1. Ive never staked a goat or sheep out, and the donkey gets too indignant to do anything but glare at me when she's tied. I've used four cattle panels clipped together and the electric fence. Very portable so you can move it around without worrying about the animals inside getting tangled (or chewing through the rope?). And sheep mow lawns better than goats.

-Sarah

Freeholder · #7 05/26/07, 08:52 PM

I staked a doe one time inside the pasture because she kept getting out. We were taking care of a young (year-old) Maremma LGD at the time, and she would get playful with the goats -- never tried to hurt one, just wanted to romp. Well, I think she tried to romp with the staked-out doe, because I went out and found her dead at the end of her tie with a broken neck. There were no wounds on her; I don't think the dog touched her, just scared her so that she ran to the end of her tie and hit too hard. I have never tied a goat out since unless I was staying right there with her.

They will follow you and graze/browse, but here I have to keep the 'herd queen' on a leash as she wants to wander a little too far -- we only have an acre and for some reason she usually heads straight for the neighbors yard! Sometimes I take them for a walk but they are usually so scared about leaving home that they won't eat more than a few mouthfuls here and there. If you have enough land so that they aren't tempted to stray to a neighbor's place, then you should be able to turn them loose for a little bit at a time.

Kathleen

ChickenMom · #8 05/26/07, 09:15 PM

We stake ours out, they eat weeds, clean out the fence rows, and if you keep putting them in the same spot they will eventually eat the grass.

celadon · #9 05/26/07, 09:20 PM

My neighbor ties her goat out all of the time. One day something scared it and it ran, rope jerked her and flipped her over in the air. Dont see how it didnt break her neck.
I let my roam when i am out with them. they stay pretty close to me. I believe they know i am there protector.

Jcran · #10 05/26/07, 11:43 PM

Premier1 Fencing has step-in post electric fencing that allows you to move animals in small areas using electric webbed fencing-groovy stuff in my book. If your bank account can handle it, it keeps goaties in and coyotes/dogs/naughty children out.

naturewoman · #11 05/27/07, 12:00 AM

I stake my goats out every day. That's what they are here for. I have a safe area where neighbor dogs and predators are not a problem during the day. I'm here and my dogs are here, or they are not staked out. I never tie them in an area they can be tangled. I have plastic coated dog ties with clips at either end (in different lengths as needed). I hammer 3/4" 4' lengths of rebar in the ground as stakes, and drop a 3' dia welded steel ring over the post, and attach dog lead to ring and goat. It swivels around rebar and does not get tangled, but you must keep them away from any obstacle or loose debris on the ground (like branches) or they will get tangled up.

This system works great...they aren't the best mowers in the world, as they tend to mow grass at the end of their tether and ignore the grass inside the circle. I guess they really don't want to eat anything they've peed or walked on. So, I have to continually move them and still mow down areas they won't touch.

But, they clear deer brush for me...and help me maintain everything else.

You certainly have to keep them away from fruit trees and gardens.

goatkid · #12 05/27/07, 12:28 PM

I won't stake out my goats. I'm afraid they would be bait for dogs or coyotes.

manygoatsnmore · #13 05/27/07, 12:54 PM

My goats must be weird, because they really LIKE grass. The horses do a pretty good job on the lawn as well, but the goats will do fine if staked out on the lawn.

Several precautions: Like other posters have mentioned, my goats only get staked out when we are home, and in daylight hours. We keep an eye on them to make sure they don't get too tangled - we do use them to clear brushy areas, where they will get a bit tangled, even when checked frequently. We have 2 dogs, including a LGD, so coyotes and stray dogs are not a problem. All goats at our farm learn to be staked/tied as well as walking nicely on a lead or with a hand on a collar. It is necessary if they go to a show, as they will spend some time tied on a line waiting for their turn in the ring, and of course in the ring itself they have to be well behaved. It also means that if we need to clip them to a fence here at home, that they won't run to the end ot the rope and knock themselves off their feet. Makes hoof trimming and other chores easier, too.

prairiecomforts · #14 05/27/07, 12:57 PM

The most important things to remember when staking out is that you don''t do it for long periods of the day and definately not when you aren't going to be around so you can still keep on eye on things in case they need help. We stake our goats all the time. In fact when we lived at the old place, if we hadn't done that - they would have never had any access to "pasture." If you do it in a safe manner and make sure that they have fresh water - it is a safe thing to do and a good way to keep the weeds down.

manygoatsnmore · #15 05/27/07, 01:00 PM

Yes, and in addition to fresh water, make sure they have some shade - a goat can die of heat stroke on a fairly mild, sunny day, if they are unable to get to shade. This is especially important if you have a dark colored goat, but even when we had Saanens, they would pant in the sun.

glidergurl03 · #16 05/27/07, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manygoatsnmore

My goats must be weird, because the really LIKE grass. The horses do a pretty good job on the lawn as well, but the goats will do fine if staked out on the lawn.

Oh, but weird is a good thing...because then you don't have to worry about BIG "suprises" in the lawn..........................

I usually stake my two tame shetland ewes in the yard, and then let my Lily (obnoxious Nubian) out to run. She eats grass as long as I'm sitting RIGHT there with her, but as soon as I get up to move ZOOM shes at my feet. lol. Doesn't like to be left alone, even with the sheep as company

manygoatsnmore · #17 05/27/07, 01:24 PM

Hehe, Yeah, the goat berries are a lot easier to deal with than the horse apples, lol! I call the goats my "automatic organic fertilizer spreaders".

glidergurl03 · #18 05/27/07, 02:00 PM

You got that right! Had the cattle get loose one year...walking through the yard was like "WHOA! LANDMINE!" ;-)

DocM · #19 05/27/07, 11:50 PM

I stake a couple of herd queens and the rest stay around them. Never had a problem with them being "bait" because it's always with the obvious agreement that they're close enough to keep an eye on (to untangle if needed). I never leave them unattended this way - not because of predators, but because it would be pretty uncomfortable for them to be all tangled up.

naturewoman · #20 05/28/07, 12:35 PM

I never stake the goats out unless I'm home and the dogs are out with them, but I don't have a problem with stray dogs or coyotes here. I am separated from the road by a creek and a bridge with a gate that keeps out unwanted "visitors". If I had to worry about stray dogs, I probably would not stake them out.

If you do stake them out, you need to be ready to bring them in if it rains (if they hate rain like mine do) or move them so they have shade if it's too hot, and make sure they have access to water several times a day. It's not something that you do and just go off and forget about them...that's for sure.

I've had neighbors who wanted to borrow my goats and stake them out, but it's not safe where they live and they don't know the risks, and I'd worry too much. It's a situation everyone has to evaluate for themselves.

They are great little mowers and brush eaters, but they will not mow a lawn as pretty as a lawn mower. Some areas they'll not touch and others they'll graze too short, so you have to watch for that too, and move them accordingly.