Anyone graze around powerlines?

[simplyflow]

We just acquired 19 acres and a little house yesterday! Yay!

The northern side of the property has power lines that run along it with a really wide berth from the trees. I had never considered fencing it off and using it for grazing until the other day. It is probably about 3-4 acres worth of beautiful grass and weeds.

Had to sell my goats last summer due to some really bad family stuff. So, won't be getting goats until the fall or next spring.

Anyone with any experience with this?

[KSALguy]

i have often wanted to do this, down here in alabama the powerline strips often get quickly grown up with scrubb trees and such, would make GREAT goat brows, all the low thick growth would fatten a herd up in no time

[RosewoodfarmVA]

We graze under the lines on our farm. Usually they area under power lines is bushhogged every 2 years or so, but it is full of great brush and tree saplings great for goat browse. By all means fence it in, but do be aware that in most states power cos have a right of way, meaning that if there is no reasonably easy way for them to move their mowing and maintenance equipment through your property, they can and will cut your fence if they have to. Placing a well marked 16 foot gate on both ends will allow them to go in and out as they need to maintain their lines. On our place they are releived that we have grazed the lines, as they don't have to mow now and our property is very gullied and hard on their tractors! You can make great use out of that otherwise wasted space, the easement under power lines!

[hoofinitnorth]

Check with the utility. These are often maintenance right-of-ways that cannot be fenced or blocked.

[simplyflow]

Thanks for the input! We were going over the easement with the prior property owner at closing and could not find anything that says we cannot put in a fence. We would definitely put in gates! Also noticed right down the road that some others in the area have a fence blocking entrance to their part of the lines, so we are going to introduce ourselves and pick their brains a little. We will also check with the utility company before going through the expense...

When looking on line I saw that some utility companies have paid locals to use their sheep and goats to keep it clear under the utility lines. At least one I saw paid $35 a head! Now how sweet would that be to have the utility company pay me to keep my own goats on my own property!!!....Just dreaming now...