Goats as lawn mowers?

shellrow · #1 03/25/08, 05:57 PM

We just moved onto our new place and we are planning on getting goats and chickens. My SO and I are in a debate over if goats can be staked out to mow the grass? I have seen one household do this and it does not seem to harm the yard. My SO thinks they will harm the yard. Has anyone else ever done this? Does anyone know if it will harm the yard?

Thanks!

Alice In TX/MO · #2 03/25/08, 06:12 PM

Goats are browsers, not grazers. They will eat the shrubs and leave the grass.

Also, grazing goats on ropes is dangerous to the goats.

holleegee · #3 03/25/08, 06:15 PM

they will eat the grass but would rather eat your rose bushes, flowers, the trees you just planted....they are fun but will find a way to get hurt if you tie them out.

shellrow · #4 03/25/08, 06:33 PM

Ahh thank you both very much! I guess the goat grazing is out.

deetu · #5 03/25/08, 07:16 PM

My horse does a pretty good job mowing our backyard.

annabella1 · #6 03/25/08, 08:18 PM

Sheep are better lawn mowers

MisFitFarm · #7 03/25/08, 08:26 PM

Well, I guess my goats are weird. I have put collars and long leads on some of my goats and staked them out in the yard, which has nothing but grass, no bushes, and they loved it. Never had a problem. I think it depends on the goat. I've got a couple that I would never attempt that with.

Last year, the lawn mower "died". Tight wad husband refused to buy another one. So, I fenced in the yard with electric wire and posts, turned the goats and/or horses out on it, and not only mowed the yard, but fertilized it, too! They didn't do any damage to it either. Keep in mind that I live in the country, and don't have many neighbors. What neighbors we do have are now used to the crazy sight in my yard, and know to expect the unexpected.

shellrow · #8 03/25/08, 08:45 PM

Kewl Misfitfarm! I do not have any bushes that they could tear into that I would put them near. I honestly think our yard is toooooo big and it might be put to better use as garden space. If all else fails I will do as you have done and fence in areas at a time to be "mowed"!

Scrounger · #9 03/25/08, 09:14 PM

They also keep the grass down in the fence row, too!

Nellie · #10 03/26/08, 12:32 AM

Have you thought of geese? We have a couple of geese, and they mow the lawn really pretty nicely. They fertilize it, too. And the sidewalk. And the driveway. We keep hoping the driveway will grow and become one of those circular ones, but it hasn't so far.

fishhead · #11 03/26/08, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nellie

Have you thought of geese? We have a couple of geese, and they mow the lawn really pretty nicely. They fertilize it, too. And the sidewalk. And the driveway. We keep hoping the driveway will grow and become one of those circular ones, but it hasn't so far.

That's my suggestion too. You might want to try a more mellow and quieter breed like Buff geese.

MisFitFarm · #12 03/26/08, 12:49 PM

I have five goats tied out in my front yard as I type this. They've been there since about 9:30 this morning and they are SOOO happy.

goatsareus · #13 03/26/08, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MisFitFarm

I have five goats tied out in my front yard as I type this. They've been there since about 9:30 this morning and they are SOOO happy.

i'm thinking, if that is all they have, they will eat it. As someone else stated, goats are browsers, (meaning they would rather reach up for food), rather than grazers, (reaching down for food).

MisFitFarm · #14 03/26/08, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goatsareus

i'm thinking, if that is all they have, they will eat it. As someone else stated, goats are browsers, (meaning they would rather reach up for food), rather than grazers, (reaching down for food).

No, this is not all they have. But they love laying in the front yard in the Sun, and it's a change of scene. They are very curious animals, and I try to move them around as much as possible.

As I stated before, I must have weird goats, they have free choice of the property, which is both pasture and wooded areas with brush(blackberry brambles, honeysuckle and poison ivy-which they DEARLY love). Oddly enough, I can't keep them in the blackberry brambles and brush, they wander all over the pasture, and if they can get to it, the front yard!

Each goat is different, as each person is different. You do what is best for you, and let us know how it goes. It doesn't hurt to try it. Like I said, I do it with my goats and they have no problems, and neither does my yard.

goatsareus · #15 03/26/08, 03:35 PM

Well said Misfitfarm,

I am sorry, I misunderstood what you were saying.

MisFitFarm · #16 03/26/08, 03:47 PM

Oh, that's ok, Goatsareus. You didn't bother me. I know I have weird goats! It kind of goes with the whole MisFitFarm theme!

Shellrow, I've learned the hard way that you can't listen to everything that everyone tells you. Each situation is different, all you can do is try things and see what works best for you. HT is a wonderful place, with lots of knowledgeable people, they can give you great ideas. But you will have to sift through and see what seems feasible for you. Then try it and see if it really does work.

fellini123 · #17 03/26/08, 11:00 PM

My goats have never read all the books and are totally backwards!! We have a whole hillside of brouse, tree limbs, small trees that I got the goats in order to keep that area cleared.
So what do the goats do........they go right down the hill to the 5 acres of cleared pasture and graze. All day...........silly goats!!! I think if I got them the books to read they would probably just eat them....

Alice in Virginia

white eagle · #18 03/27/08, 12:57 AM

We use our goats as lawn mowers. It saves on gas an also from getting ripped off on people that suppose to come an mow your lawn never do. My goats love it but they are not staked out. We have our yard fenced off so they have the run of the whole yard. Then in our back yard it is also fenced off but we change them in an out on our land to give new grass time to grow.

sammyd · #19 03/27/08, 05:41 AM

We tether ours out and have had no problems with it.
The first goat we bought came from a place that pastured them. They grazed quite well.
As a kid we had a pair that excelled in getting loose and eating the brand new apple trees. Dad was not impressed with goats at all.
I'm one for doing what works if it fits well into our situation. If ours didn't tether well we have other options.

CountryHaven · #20 03/27/08, 05:47 AM

Quote:

silly goats!!! I think if I got them the books to read they would probably just eat them....

Now that I can definately identify with!

I'm definately on the 'no tether' side. I know lots of people do it, but for me, it's not that the goats themselves could/would hurt themselves when left alone, it's that it makes them 100x's more vulnerable to outside attack from stray dogs, and other preditors. (Stray dogs almost the highest on the list).

I'd prefer portable or permanent (depending on your situation) fencing. Goats are browsers, but mine love a good pasture as much as they love brush and trees, they absolutely adore variety. If you have some of each in the area they're in, they'll be so happy they'll write to their friends