This is a bit niche, so not sure anyone else here will have done this, but you never know
We've recently taken on a 17acre smallholding on the Pennines. The fields have not been properly looked after for years so i'm working to improve the drainage and convert the land from the invasion of the Moorland Reed back to grass for sheep (as it was).
This invasion is 'a thing' and a big problem in many areas of The North:
So I hit on the idea of getting a couple of goats in to clear it, what do I know about goats? Only what i've read so far.
Apparently normal goats need tall fences and they often want to get out and wander around. My questions are:
Do Pygmy goats eat the same things that larger goats do?
If they stray do they go far and will they come back? We're pretty remote, so if they do get out they'll end up on the moors or in someone else's moorland field so no real harm would be done.
Much of the affected land is not bog so they'll be ok there.
I need to know how to keep them, so will do some Googling and get my books out after typing this out.
I'll post up about ancient field drains later when I have more time and more for interest rather than anything else.
We've recently taken on a 17acre smallholding on the Pennines. The fields have not been properly looked after for years so i'm working to improve the drainage and convert the land from the invasion of the Moorland Reed back to grass for sheep (as it was).
This invasion is 'a thing' and a big problem in many areas of The North:
Specieswatch: native rushes taking UK uplands by storm
Study of land in West Pennine moors shows rushes have proliferated by up to 174% in 12 years
www.theguardian.com
So I hit on the idea of getting a couple of goats in to clear it, what do I know about goats? Only what i've read so far.
Apparently normal goats need tall fences and they often want to get out and wander around. My questions are:
Do Pygmy goats eat the same things that larger goats do?
If they stray do they go far and will they come back? We're pretty remote, so if they do get out they'll end up on the moors or in someone else's moorland field so no real harm would be done.
Much of the affected land is not bog so they'll be ok there.
I need to know how to keep them, so will do some Googling and get my books out after typing this out.
I'll post up about ancient field drains later when I have more time and more for interest rather than anything else.