Landscape Architect Articles

Mowing Goat Crew in CA12-17-08 | News

Mowing Goat Crew in CA

Goats are quiet, and they can make quick work of the dry vegetation and four acres can be cleared in less than a week. Goats were also used to clear brush on Catalina Island. They eat the flashy fuels and there isn?EUR??,,????'?????<

A homeowners organization located near the La Ca????????(R)????????ada Flintridge Country Club, has just completed an abatement technique that is environmentally friendly, efficient and fun to watch. For the past few days, goats covered the hillside just above the eighth fairway at the country club, devouring leaves and trees while contained within their snug temporary gated arena. The idea for using goats instead of an army of weed whackers came from an association member who had seen goats clearing the Bunker Hill and freeway areas. The owner of Ranchito Tivo Boer Goats was contacted and soon about 100 goats arrived and got started working on the four-acre area that needed to be cleared.

?EUR??,,????'?????<

An electric fence was placed around the area the goats would be eating to protect them from coyotes. They were then released and began clearing the hillside. Apparently, two hundred goats can clear about an acre a day.

They did not go unnoticed by other wildlife, however. About 30 coyotes came down from the mountain one night, but the goat herder just blew a horn and the coyotes went back up the mountain. Goats can also obey signals. At a whistle, they all immediately look up as if waiting for their next instructions. The goat method has become a popular and cheaper way of clearing brush and Caltrans has calculated that goats could be used at a third of the cost of employees clearing the same area.

After a little less than a week of clearing it was clear the experiment was a success and the organization plans on using goats in the future.