Contracting Goats....!

[Duckwobble]

Hello fellows..!

I've been musing on a quite crazy idea and I think I'm ready to put it to you all - might give a chuckle or two.

I'd watched a few videos of goat herders in the US, who rent out their goats to manage weeds and shrubs from urban patches to huge ranches. I thought it was an amazing idea - still do, but I have a feeling the service might not be so sought after here in the UK. Over there, they charge on average $1000/acre..! Quite extortionate, but I think I'd be lucky to even get £10/acre here.

I think the best bet to make any kind of living is to approach councils etc. As goats arent fond of grass, they would be marketed as weed and shrub management - which may be of some use to farmers? I had the lovely vision of them sweeping pasture or cleaning up crop fields, margins, hedges etc. - even tending to patches of woodland.

In a well managed system they can be moved on once the desired forage has been eaten, preventing unwanted damage.. ideally.

I know in terms of conservation work its usually financed with funding rather than a payment for services. Curious whether it really could be viable - perhaps only if goats are sold for meat.

Any thoughts/questions welcome!

 

[CopperBeech]

A lot of folk will use sheep / sprays

 

[Duckwobble]

A lot of folk will use sheep / sprays

I was quite attracted to the idea that goats favour the weeds sheep wouldnt eat, but after researching conservatiom grazing it turns out sheep do enjoy the odd weed - and with enough sheep, they would most likely take care of them along with grazing the grass goats dont like..?

 

[Lili]

[QUOTE="Duckwobble, post: 7405616, member: 155818"
I had the lovely vision of them sweeping pasture or cleaning up crop fields, margins, hedges etc. - even tending to patches of woodland.
[/QUOTE]

Goats wont graze weeds like a topper. They are browsers by nature and will pick about at anything they fancy. That will include weeds but not all the weeds in a plot so that its tidily cleared. Once they've trodden or mucked over something they wont touch it. They will also eat any sort of hedge, low hanging tree branches, fruit trees, flowers, garden/poisonous shrubs. (They do eat grass too).

 

[Cowmansam]

What you want is a llama bloody things will go round a field eat the hedge then the thistles docks nettles and when there really hungry may think about eating grass and there a damn sight easier to keep in than a goat

 

[Dry Rot]

Councils won't be interested unless it's a rare breed that can only to be sourced in some exotic part of the world that requires a personal visit and their personal selection of breeding stock.

Native ponies have been grazed on our uplands for centuries and you'd think they would be perfect for conservation grzing, so a native breed of goats ought to suit the OP? Not a bit of it, the ponies chosen for conservation grazing are the Polish Konik Ponies from the Central-Asian steppes probably because that's a more attractive place for the boffins to go on holiday than the good ole UK.

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

What you want is a llama bloody things will go round a field eat the hedge then the thistles docks nettles and when there really hungry may think about eating grass and there a damn sight easier to keep in than a goat

And they don't smell as much

 

[Cowmansam]

No they do spit a green slop with impressive distance and accuracy mind

 

[Fake it ‘til you make it]

Your proposed business model sounds like it could create a lot of animal movements record keeping. Bio security could also be an issue. I would understand why a farmer would top a field rather than risk bringing in someone else’s stock. Custom grazing/ agistment seems to work better in US/ AUS/ NZ, where they appear to have fewer bio security considerations.

 

[Gulli]

there was some people doing this on facebook but they ended up having to sell the goats for other reasons that i cant remember.

so it is doable, they were mostly grazing scrub, not topping weeds out of pasture though

 

[delilah]

One of our lot wants us to copy this one, rent a goat for a day ffs. Have told her to crack on so long as I have nothing to do with it lol.

https://www.facebook.com/rentagoatt/posts/184690226775086

 

[mwj]

The ones in the US doing this are reducing fire hazard on very steep terrain. The mkt. for goat meat is eye watering. There is a huge demand and a very small supply.

 

[JHT]

‘Bio Goats 2 Rent’ on Facebook are doing it.

 

[JHT]

How would you keep them in? Electric? We have 300 meat goats here- it’s a challenge!

 

[onesiedale]

Covid: 'Insane' success of goat Zooms nets Rossendale farm £50k

Dot McCarthy says making £50,000 from goats butting in on calls gave her the "shock of my life".

www.bbc.co.uk

Just rent them out on Zoom.
£50k so far!
Better just make sure they're pretty

 

[ShooTa]

theres a company down towards bristol already doing it... cant remember their name but its something like street goats.

 

[LuckyEleven]

Pretty common here in France, especially in new 'modern' towns, verges, parks, etc often turned over for grazing. They mainly use goats, and primitive sheep (ouessants and solognotes here)
Info boards and contact with the public essential.
Not much market in rural areas i imagine, more of a curiosity for town folk.

 

[Duckwobble]

Councils won't be interested unless it's a rare breed that can only to be sourced in some exotic part of the world that requires a personal visit and their personal selection of breeding stock.

Native ponies have been grazed on our uplands for centuries and you'd think they would be perfect for conservation grzing, so a native breed of goats ought to suit the OP?

Oh yes, the Old English Goat! Now classified as a rare breed. The first breed to be domesticated in the UK according to legend, which I thought was pretty cool. One of the hardier breeds and genetically accustomed to nibbling wild things.

And they don't smell as much

Hehe, yeah. One of the advantages of taking on the wethers from the breeders! Much more submissive too so probably easier to work with.

How would you keep them in? Electric? We have 300 meat goats here- it’s a challenge!

Yes.... the american herders use an electric sheep net, which I think would be easier to take for the sake of portability. I was concerned about horns, but I think training would help negate any issues. After reading a post here I'm more worried about thieves!

The ones in the US doing this are reducing fire hazard on very steep terrain. The mkt. for goat meat is eye watering. There is a huge demand and a very small supply.

The steep terrain is their key advantage I guess. I even saw an article about fire risk in the UK?! Is the demand for goat meat also in the UK?

Very encouraging to know others are finding success with it though! Will check them out

Your proposed business model sounds like it could create a lot of animal movements record keeping. Bio security could also be an issue. I would understand why a farmer would top a field rather than risk bringing in someone else’s stock. Custom grazing/ agistment seems to work better in US/ AUS/ NZ, where they appear to have fewer bio security considerations.

Noted. Had some idea of movement records, not sure about bio security.. or agistment?

Thanks for the comments

 

[Duckwobble]

Your proposed business model sounds like it could create a lot of animal movements record keeping. Bio security could also be an issue. I would understand why a farmer would top a field rather than risk bringing in someone else’s stock. Custom grazing/ agistment seems to work better in US/ AUS/ NZ, where they appear to have fewer bio security considerations.

Is this in the context of spreading disease etc?

 

[Fake it ‘til you make it]

Is this in the context of spreading disease etc?

Yes