Goat mowers for lawns. Goat trim lawns that mowers can’t

Goat trim lawns that mowers can’t

For the past two years, in Northwest Philadelphia, goats have been hired to accomplish landscape architecture particularly for homeowners whose property is uneven and full of undesirable plants such as poison ivy, brambles or weeds.

Attention subscribers

We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription. If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you’ve not yet logged in to your account on this new site. If you are a current print subscriber, you can set up a free website account by clicking here. Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.

Goat trim lawns that mowers can’t

For the past two years, in Northwest Philadelphia, goats have been hired to accomplish landscape architecture particularly for homeowners whose property is uneven and full of undesirable plants such as poison ivy, brambles or weeds.

One of the first goat enthusiasts last year was sociologist Anne Esacove, who discovered that there was no way she could hire a teenager to mow her bumpy east Chestnut Hill property.

Her lawn was covered with holes, poison ivy and other deterrents to the usual mowing kids contracted for lawn maintenance with hours of their summer to fill.

So the sociology professor and University of Pennsylvania scholar hired goats from the Philly Goat Project to do the job.

She said that she was very happy with the results. The goats did a good job and she was “delighted” she hired them.

Another northwest Philadelphia resident, Lindsey Hanes, who moved to Philadelphia last year from Manhattan, had no idea how to mow her half acre property on Vaux Street that sloped from west to east. The slope was steep and in the mix was a bunch of holes as well as poison ivy.

Hanes visited Awbury Arboretum in Germantown and saw the goats in their barn and thought the animals could mow the poison ivy and fix other problems on the lawn of her new home located on a very steep site.

There was an extra benefit.

“If you want to meet neighbors, hiring goats is a great way to get to know people.” Lindsey said. “During the process, for about half a day, neighbors were all gathered around watching the goats do their job.”

She added the goat project and the people handling the goats were very nice and she enjoyed the process even though the goats balked at eating some of the ivy.

The goats seem to have enjoyed their meal that was about half the ivy at the Hanes. In the end, Lindsey was assured that the growth won’t come back and she wouldn’t need to hire the goats again for the part of the lawn the goats didn’t find appetizing.

Employing the goats does not seem to be geared towards residential service alone.

Rebecca Aergott, who lives in Logan Square is part of a small neighborhood group that formed a committee to take care of a piece of land leading from I-76.

The group visited Awbury Arboretum in Germantown last year and saw the goats in their barn.

“We got permission to improve this tiny patch of land and noticed there was poison ivy throughout the surface,” Aergott said.

The committee contacted various gardeners and services and the goats were recommended as a way to remove poison ivy and work in an irregular surface.

So in August last year, Aergott said, “We had a goat party and set the nine goats to work with their handlers.”

Aergott said she liked the fact that the goats were, in fact, “organic weed killers.”

She said the project cost the committee 1,000 for five hours of work by the goats and their handlers.

Behind the “The Philly Goat Project, is Karen Krivit the director who started the project two years ago. She is a former social worker who got a grant to start the project in Awbury Arboretum at 6336 Ardleigh Avenue with three goats. She was helped by her daughter, Lily Sage.

Krivit got a grant from the Department of Agriculture and assistance building the barn from the Awbury staff.

With a background in therapy for people with special needs, Krivit utilized her own education to train and recruit people with special needs who work with the project and assist in the handling of the goats who now number 14.

She said, “We train our workers to be careful to avoid plants, such as Azaleas, that could be deadly to the goats and we make sure our staff know all lawns are not safe.”

One of the benefits, she said, “of working with the goats is good therapy for our handlers.”

She said mowing a quarter of an acre varies in cost, but the cost can be 350 to 500 for the project depending upon the area to be mowed and the number of goats needed. She said customers come from the entire Northwest Philadelphia area.

“We would love to go to more localities, but we cannot move our goats and do not have the transportation,” Krivit said.

Keywords

Other items that may interest you

Goats for lawn mowing

You could use goats anywhere as a lawnmower. While comparing other types of mowing like using machinery, sheep, or cows the goats are the best, applicable to all areas as lawnmowers.

How do you keep the goats in a specific area to mow?

You should create electric fences 4 to 5 feet in height to control goats mowing in a specific area. Goats are curious they like to know everything happening around them. If you are not having fences then they will jump or get into your neighbor’s property or farms that have vegetables or fruits for sale.

Another option is you might supervise the goats standing on the border of your property and not let them into unwanted mowing areas. It is enjoyable to work because the goats are great entertainers with their cuteness and sharp mouth. If you are a busy person then it is not suitable for you.

You could grow plants or trees closer and dense of more than 5 feet in height on the borders of your farm or mowing area. It will restrict goats in a specific area. But it could not be done overnight. It will take at least 5 years to have a setup like this. But it is cheap and you will have a lot of advantages of improving the greeneries, you could also plant trees that are suitable for goat’s diet, etc.

After goat mowing will the vegetation grow back?

The main advantage of goat mowing is they don’t destroy the root of vegetation like machinery mowers. Even sheep overgraze grasses not letting them for regrowth.

Goats don’t overgraze normally. They do overgraze if they don’t have any other foods or are restricted in the same area for a long time. Other than else the regrowth of the vegetation is guaranteed.

The goats are browsers, not grazers they always like to eat foods above their chin level. They don’t eat foods like cows and sheep. The goats are picky and they need a variety in their foods. They like to bite an array of foods at a time biting grasses one time, legumes one time, shrubs one time, and tree barks one time in browsing.

The sheep and cows graze down to the ground level but goats don’t eat grasses down to the earth. They are vulnerable to soil particles. Their immunity is low compared to cows and sheep because they are familiar with the soil particles and they are meant to graze like that. On the other hand, goats are not meant to eat foods like that they are meant to eat foods above the chin level so the chances of overgrazing or destroying the grasses are of low chance compared with cows and sheep.

The goats-mowed landscapes will have vegetation regrowth due to the above reasons. I have employed goats for more than 3 years they are excellent mowers and the grasses are regrowing without failure.

Goat or sheep which is the best lawn mower?

Goats are the best lawn mower than sheep. The sheep eat only grasses but goats eat all the grasses, trees, thorns, spikes, and spines which is an added advantage.

The sheep eat foods that are below their chin whereas the goats eat foods above and below chin levels.

The sheep could not climb trees but goats climb trees and eat food by climbing into tall trees and branches.

Goats are less smelly compared to sheep. Using sheep in a residential area is not feasible sometimes.

The goats mow on hardy surfaces and slopes whereas the sheep can’t.

The goats are mild grazers but sheep overgraze most of the time.

In comparing the advantages of goats I’m saying that goats are the best mowers compared to sheep.

How many days it will take a goat to mow?

A goat will mow 1300 Square feet per day. By using 1300 Square feet as a reference you could calculate the number of goats and the number of days required to mow a particular area of land.

The time and number of goats to clear a particular area of land depends on the density of the foods, type of foods, climatic conditions, and using goats to mow for the regrowth of vegetation or not for regrowth.

Let us calculate how many goats are needed to clear land with moderate vegetation with the condition of regrowth.

1 acre = 43560 square feet.

1 goat = 1300 square feet per day.

Several goats require to clear 1 acre = 43560/1300 = 33.5 goats per acre per day.

So you could use 34 goats per acre per day to mow. It is a rough estimate for vegetation regrowth with trimming. If you are a goat owner having 2 goats then you could use those 2 goats to mow your land for 17 days to trim your vegetation.

Is goat mowing cheap?

Goat mowing is cheap compared with manual mowing. If you are going to mow the whole area then you should invest in the equipment and machinery with fuel or electricity supply. It will take days to clear land if it is vast. A lot of human effort and time is wasted in mowing the land.

Employing goats doesn’t need extra care and human presence if you have an electrical fence. If you are having goats then the cost is nill. If you are going to outsource goats then there are a lot of services in the whole country. Approximately the cost is nearly half of what is spent on manual mowing.

Do mowing goats need shelter?

Mowing goats don’t need shelter if the climate is warm without snow and rain. If the goats are controlled using electric fences then the goats will sleep inside the fence under the sky, just place water for them to drink.

If the snow and rain are in your location then the goats must need shelter otherwise they will become sick. The goats need warmth. They are vulnerable to cold climates.

Can goats eat mowed grass?

If the mowed grass is neat and clean without soil particles then the goat eats mowed grass.

If the mowed grass is fresh then the goat will eat. If the grass is cut and fed after a day then the goats don’t like to eat.

If the goats are in the peak of summer without food then the goat will eat mowed grass irrespective of the quality.

If the mowed grass has mixtures of legumes and grass then the goats definitely will eat.

The mowed grass should not have insects otherwise it will enter the goat’s stomach causing disorders. If the goat finds insects then it won’t eat mowed grass.

If the goat feels the smell of pesticides or insecticides on the mowed lawn then the goat won’t eat.

Can goats mow your lawn?

Goats mow your lawn if the grasses in the lawn are not artificial and have enough length.

If the shrubs, tree barks, and legumes are high then the goats avoid eating grasses on the lawn. Even though they eat grasses it will be a very low percentage.

Are goats better than lawnmowers?

The goats are better than lawnmowers if you are in need to clear the grasses between rocks or somewhere the lawnmowers can’t mow.

If the mowing area is huge in acres then lawnmowers are not feasible the goats are better.

If you need a lawn with an even surface then lawnmowers are better than goats. Goats are not suitable for mowing and creating a decorative evenly spread lawn.

Do goats mow the grass?

Goats mow the grass if there are no other foods that are superior in taste and quality to grass.

If the grasses are dried and without water then goats definitely will eat grasses. Goats don’t like to eat grasses with water.

If the grasses are not with mud then the goats will eat the grass. Goats don’t eat grasses with mud.

Are goats good for clearing land?

Goats are good at clearing land by browsing. Goats will do better as a herd. They are competitive the intake of food will be high when they are maintained as a herd. So if you like to clear the land then use a goat herd.

If you are using electric fences and controlling them in a particular area then the goats will clear that area provided you should not feed them any other tasty foods.

Do goats damage grass?

The goat kids are mischievous and they play the whole time. The goat kids will damage grass by jumping with other kids. If the grass is sprayed with water then 100% guarantee the goat kids will damage the grass.

The goats like to rub their body on hard surfaces. If the grasses are grown on hardy surfaces for decorative purposes then the adult goats rub their bodies and even sometimes rub their heads against the surfaces with lawn and damage the grasses.

If the lawn is full of mud the goats walking on the grass will damage the whole grass.

Do goats eat the root of the grass?

Goats don’t eat the root of the grass. If the root enters their mouth they spit the whole food in their mouth.

The roots of the grasses are usually with soil particles that are allergic to goats. So goats always avoid eating the roots of the grasses.

Goats eat foods at their chin level most of the time. If they don’t have food at their chin level then only they eat food below their chin level. So the chance of eating food on the ground level is rare. If the goat eating foods on the ground level is rare how will they eat the roots of the grass?

Goats don’t browse immediately after rain. Because if they are going to browse they need to eat grasses. When they try to eat grasses, the grasses will be picked along with roots due to rain. So goats don’t like to eat grass after rain.

So employing goats as mowers won’t destroy the grasses by eating the roots of grasses.

Will a goat keep the grass down?

If you are continuously allowing goats to mow in a particular area then definitely the goats will keep the grasses down.

Even if you are not allowing them continuous rotational grazing is also suitable to keep the grasses down. Either way, the goats will mow and keep the grasses down.

Are goats good lawnmowers?

Goats are good lawnmowers. If you want them to trim your lawn then they will do it if you reduce the number of goats and time in a particular area of land.

If you like to mow the lawn down to the ground with no regrowth then you should increase the herd size and the time of grazing in that particular area of land. The goat will do whatever you like. They do good as a lawnmower.

Grazing Goats Can Give Wildfires the Brush-Off

When the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library needed to clear weeds and brush from a hillside, passers-by didn’t hear the sound of lawn mowers or weed whackers. And when the Simi Valley wildfires threatened the area with destruction in October 2019, the buildings and grounds went untouched.

A herd of goats helped firefighters save the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library from the dangerous Easy wildfire by quietly chewing away at the vegetation. No kidding.

Every spring, the library works with the Ventura County Fire Department on wildfire prevention. The Fire Department recruits 805 Goats, a company in Thousand Oaks, Calif., that uses goats as a form of natural land management. Three hundred of the company’s goats were enlisted to graze down the flammable brush. They created a fire break around the hilltop complex.

“It’s an effective way to reduce the vegetation in an eco-friendly way,” explains Scott Morris, owner of 805 Goats. “Contrary to common perception, goats are very quiet as opposed to mechanical methods for reducing brush. They are able to scale terrain that manual labor can’t and effectively reduce vegetation in hard to get to areas.”

Goats Can Stomach It

Goats are a cud-chewing animal — a ruminant. They have a flexible upper lip that allows them to strip leaves from woody plants. Their chewing action leaves fibrous stems and sharp thorns behind. Their system of stomach compartments allows them to regurgitate and chew food a second time until it is soft and digestable. Goats, sheep, and cows are all ruminants, but goats tend to browse plants like brambles, forbs, and fibrous plants, while cows and sheep are grazers, preferring soft grasses like clover.

“Boer goats tend to work best for us,” says Morris. “Goats are the preferred ruminant as they are less picky than sheep and more agile than cattle. “In Southern California where we are, goats are used on hillsides and where the vegetation is heavy with mustard plant and invasive weeds.”

Although goats do most of the work for Don Watson of Wooly Weeders in Napa Valley, he often uses a combination of sheep and goats for chewing down problem areas. “Sheep work on the grassland, and goats browse the brush or chaparral. A combination of the two work best in the range near the Napa and Sonoma Valleys north of San Francisco,” he says. “They consume both flash and ladder fuels, and in so doing take the power out of wildfires. Our first paying customer was Robert Mondavi.”

Goats Not the Best at Lawn-Mowing

These California grazing farm animals aren’t hired for everyday lawn care. Watson says most of his work is now in fire protection and mowing large estates, tight vineyard aisles, and cropland in Napa Valley with flocks, or “mobs” of 500 sheep and goats. The mobs can graze up to 10 acres per day, removing weeds like yellow star thistle (Centaurea solstitialis), spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe ssp. micranthos) and squarrose knapweed (Centaurea virgata ssp. squarrosa). Other plants that are yummy to goats or sheep are leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.), poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum), black mustard plant (Brassica nigra), poison ivy, and blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis). “We move the mob every day to fresh grass, and in so doing, mow, weed and fertilize as we go,” says Watson.

Morris’ goats love ivy and mustard plants. Depending on terrain, weather, and the density of the vegetation, Morris says 200 goats can handle about an acre of overgrown hillside per day. He manages the goats’ progress by containing them behind an electric mesh fence set up within the grazing perimeter. They move the fence as the goats graze down an area.

Benefits of Goats, Sheep as Natural Grazers

Light-footed, goats and sheep don’t destroy the soil. Their pronged hooves promote aeration, and their pelleted droppings fertilize the soil as they wander. (SInce goats are herbivores, their dung doesn’t contain the pathogens found in dog and cat droppings.) On flatter grasslands, the mixture of soil, manure, and straw turn into rich topsoil, explains Watson. “This organic topsoil sponge retains the rain moisture for germinating seed, and nurtures the seedling grass and clover until it is well-rooted and thriving.”

For property owners, goat mowing is a sustainable method of brush and weed management. Goats eat the seed heads and leaves of plants, and strip the stalks of fibrous plants, preventing seeds from spreading and growing in other areas. The animals can move into areas that tractors can’t access. They easily browse in thick brush that is difficult for humans to clear. Power tools cut weeds down to the ground, but they do nothing to stop the seed germination.

The Easy wildfire in Simi Valley consumed more than 1,300 acres of land in less than a day, fed by high winds and overgrown brush. Approximately 7,000 homes were evacuated as the fire blazed, But thanks in part to Morris’ goat crew, the fires missed the Reagan library as well as the graves of late former president Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy.

We’ll let you chew on that news for a while.

Rosie Wolf Williams

Rosie Wolf Williams has kept bees, grown vegetables and flowers for farmers markets, and never misses an opportunity to have a conversation with an interesting tree.

Yard work at the click of a button.

As seen in Forbes, CNBC and USA Today, LawnStarter makes it easy to schedule service with a local lawn care professional.

Enjoy your beautiful lawn.

Do you want a BEAUTIFUL LAWN?

Get easy-to-understand, actionable yard tips that will give you the greenest grass on the block.

Lawn Care

Lawn mowing, fertilization, weed control, and lawn restoration. Great Goats Landscaping is one of the few companies offering complete lawn care solutions that FOCUS on quality.

Lawn Mowing

Get a free mow! Let us mow your lawn, one time, for free to help you decide if we deserve your business. You want a beautiful lawn that’s mowed carefully. Great Goats Landscaping offers a “No Skid Marks” guarantee. We don’t use monster riding mowers, which tend to tear up lawns.

Fertilization and Weed Control

We get your lawn thicker and greener, and at the same time kill weeds. We provide free spot treatment of weeds as part of our customized lawn care program. We use only brand name, top quality products, such as Scotts brand.

Lawn Restoration

Great Goats Landscaping is one of the few companies offering complete lawn restoration through compost top dressing. Top dressing involves spreading nutrient rich compost over your lawn. When combined with aeration and application of quality grass seed, you’ll enjoy a thicker, greener lawn that naturally crowds out weeds.

Contact 612-483-GOAT

Copyright © 2023 Great Goats Landscaping. All Rights Reserved.

If you’re looking for a sustainable, eco-friendly way to keep your grass neatly trimmed and free of weeds, then animal mowers could be the answer.

Machine mowers, either the ride-on or the push variety, are noisy, require regular maintenance and emit carbon monoxide and dioxide into the atmosphere. They also cut into your valuable time and energy.

Here are five of the best animals to consider as a natural mowing alternative to maintain your grass.

Goats

Goats have superior weed whacking capabilities and are a classic choice for lawn maintenance. These extreme omnivores will eat brush, twigs and leaves as well as grass. Independent, inquisitive and lovable, goats have personality plus when it comes to being natural lawn mowers.

Downsides of goats are their unpredictable browsing habits which can lead to uneven grass lengths. They can also climb, so you need to provide a secure enclosure.

Sheep

Sheep are a traditional choice for lawn maintenance, and they can also be used for wool and milk. They have good grazing ability and will do a great job with a large area of grass. As sheep are docile creatures, they don’t usually cause trouble, but they’re social animals so you’ll need at least two.

If you like this article, you might also like:

Cows

Cows are voracious munchers of grass so are ideal for large plots of land. They are easy to look after and won’t try to escape. You could also consider using them for milk. An issue with keeping cows is what to do with the manure, and they’re less eco-friendly than other animals as they produce methane emissions.

Chickens

You can kill several birds with one stone so to speak with chickens. These friendly birds not only eat grass, but they can also be kept as egg layers or used for meat. In fact, the more grass there is for them to eat, the better quality of the eggs they produce. To keep chickens concentrated on a patch of grass, you can set up A-frame coops with an open floor for grazing, and move it when they’re finished in one area.

Guinea Pigs

Although they’re little, get a group of guinea pigs together, and they can make a serious dent in your grass. A single guinea pig can eat five times its bodyweight of grass a day. Not only are they small and portable, guinea pigs have sharp little teeth ideal for neat grass trimming. Perfect for keeping the lawn in your house yard under control! However, as they don’t just eat grass, they will need other food to supplement their diet.