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How It Works:

Whether part of vineyard management, developing a fire break, eradicating invasive species, or conducting general land management, our targeted grazing process is the same:

  • We install temporary electric fencing to ensure proper grazing.
  • We let the animals eat within the fencing for a day.
  • Moving the fencing once a day, we repeat until we’re finished with a site!

The electric fence is a good deterrent for predators, but sometimes we use our trusty guard dogs as well. We check on every site daily to assess water, fence and herd health, but are also available for any emergencies. A range of animals might work on a site, but at least 60 head are used on any given site. The herd might include goats and/or sheep depending upon the type of vegetation and the specific site goals.


Here’s the good news: We take care of everything!  Just show us where to go and we’ll take care of the rest.

So What’s Targeted Grazing?

Targeted grazing is the application of specific livestock to a location at a particular season, duration, and intensity to accomplish defined vegetation or landscape goals. It goes by other names too, but the idea is to graze in a very specific way so as to achieve vegetation goals. Again, it’s not simply grazing so as to feed animals.

We have target grazed with a variety of animals including cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs and combinations of all.  However, goats and sheep are much easier to move around and herd and they also complement each others grazing by selecting different types of plant species. Targeted grazing can be done using any of these animals depending upon the type of vegetation that is to be targeted.

What Will The Goats Eat?

You’ll be surprised, but it’s great because this is likely what’s growing outside your doors. In addition to both annual and perennial grasses:

Brush

  • Coyote Brush
  • California Sage
  • Chamise
  • Manzanita

Invasives

  • Veldt Grass
  • Star Thistle
  • Bull Thistle
  • False Bamboo
  • Mustard
  • Poison Hemlock
  • Castor Bean

Vines

  • Poison Oak
  • Roses
  • Cape Ivy
  • Himalayan Blackberry

Other species growing on your property? Not to worry, contact us and we’ll see if our herds will still mow for you!

How Do Goats Eat All That?

Mother nature has equipped goats to selectively eat very particular parts of a plant. They also have an ability to process toxins found in plants that could kill other livestock, due to a larger liver size and salivary enzymes that bind toxins. They also learn what to eat: from birth they start learning from mom and their peers which plants to eat and which to avoid. Most importantly, goats have a unique eating behavior: they’re considered browsers and not grazers; with similar interests as deer in consuming grasses, weeds, brush, and trees (unlike sheep and cattle which are grazers and thus eat more grass and forbs).

What Does It Cost?

Every site is different. Our pricing is based on multiple factors including size, location, water availability, access, terrain and hazards. As we have quite a few animals, we have a minimum $1,500 charge. If you’re interested in a quote, please reach out! If we are not able to help you, we may know someone in your area who has a smaller herd and can provide a similar service. Drop us a line and we’ll see what we can do!

Do The Goats Stay Overnight?

Yes the goats will stay on site until the project is completed. We check on them daily to ensure their health and safety while also monitoring the grazing progress. Some job sites pose higher levels of risk due to the proximity to dangerous roads or sensitive crops; these might require us to stay on site in a small travel trailer to be available for fast response.

Can I Rent A Goat To Mow My Lawn?

Unfortunately, our business is focused on larger landscapes of a few acres to hundreds of acres. The smallest number of goats we bring to any job site is 60 so unless your lawn is a golf course – we’re probably not the right fit!