Goats to clear gorse?

[JohnGalway]

I have a lot of gorse. The spreads low like a carpet type I understand as "western gorse". So grass doesn't grow underneath nor does it provide shelter.

Land isn't suitable for machinery really. I hope to join our lucrative Organic scheme so spraying won't happen.

I got to wondering about goats?

Has anyone got experience of clearing gorse with goats or is it a non runner and for what reason/s?

 

[topground]

One like this one might do the job.

 

[JohnGalway]

As much as I liked, and I really did like, burning the things, it only encourages them. Plus the official climate here would treat you better for shooting a person then burning some gorse.

One like this one might do the job.

 

[ringi]

Goats will eat the fresh growth and slowly reduce the size of brushes, if I had to solve this, I would be thinking about slowly cutting the gorse and confining the goats to the areas of new grouth while keeping sheep of these areas until grass gets nice deep roots.

Can you get a quad bike on the land with a Shedding Flail Mower? If not maybe something like https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/186475861225 or a Flail Mower on a digger.

 

[Global ovine]

Gorse is a "forever cost" as the seed can be viable for decades. Tight mob stocking to reduce regrowth and seedling establishment is probably necessary, but is a lot of work and limiting to stock performance unless very well planned and carried out.
In NZ we would plant it in fast growing conifers for either rotational timber production or selling carbon credits. Economics do not favour ruminants. But we don't have organic subs and the organic premium has evaporated.

 

[Davy_g]

I see your going organic.
Could you have an autumn with the knapsack before hand

Garlon® Ultra | Corteva Agriscience

Garlon® Ultra is a herbicide for the control of a wide range of deep-rooted perennial, herbaceous weeds and woody weeds on amenity grassland

www.corteva.co.uk

I dont know (or care) for the organic rules. So sorry of this is a daft reply. Ive managed to check and control goarse and win bushes with a dose of this now and again.

 

[David.]

It is just as likely they will eat everything except what you want them to.

 

[le bon paysan]

I'm thinking mechanical means, small 360 with a root fork or similar. Keep at it and graze the f**k out of the area.

 

[Cowpoke82]

Depending on the area size affected you would need a lot of goats to see much effect , I’d top with a robotic mulched then mob graze small areas with the goats on the regrowth

 

[ringi]

I'm thinking mechanical means, small 360 with a root fork or similar. Keep at it and graze the f**k out of the area.

"graze the f**k out of the area" need long recovery times or the lifestock will always eat the fresh grass grouth and the grass will never get stronger.

 

[ringi]

I see your going organic.
Could you have an autumn with the knapsack before hand

Garlon® Ultra | Corteva Agriscience

Garlon® Ultra is a herbicide for the control of a wide range of deep-rooted perennial, herbaceous weeds and woody weeds on amenity grassland

www.corteva.co.uk

I dont know (or care) for the organic rules. So sorry of this is a daft reply. Ive managed to check and control goarse and win bushes with a dose of this now and again.

As a one off before going organic, why not use glyphosate? Then once given a few weeks to get into roots use a robotic mulcher and then use goats for areas of regrowth as there will never be a true 100% kill.

The robotic mulcher will give grass seeds a much better chance of getting established, bale grazing over winter after mulcher maybe a good way to speed up the composting of the chips.

 

[ringi]

I have a lot of gorse. The spreads low like a carpet type I understand as "western gorse". So grass doesn't grow underneath nor does it provide shelter.

What ia the ph, P and K like and are you allowed to do anything about it?

 

[David.]

Nettles grow on good soil, furze bushes usually on sour rabbit ground.

 

[Wisconsonian]

I've read that if goats have unlimited browsing, they'll eat half grass, a quarter broad leaf and a quarter brush, so if you can supply the goats with a pasture that can supply all they need of good quality grass and clover, they will attempt to eat a quarter of their diet from the leaves of brush, or the bark in some species but I don't think you're that lucky. The biggest problem is keeping them in, but if you have young herding dogs, that helps convince them. They don't like to get wet either, and more vulnerable to worms than sheep are.