An area that I am considering turning two goats in on is also my best morel patch. Does anyone know if introducing the goats to this area will destroy the morel habitat. Around picking time I plan on keeping them out of this area, but I'm curious about the rest of the year. Any ideas? Thanks.

-- Tom Ireland (cpprhdhillfarm@webtv.net), September 24, 2000

Answers

Tom im not sure about goats but the deer are so thick around here ive not had a mess of morels for years. Bob in s.e.ks.

-- Bob Condry (bobco@hit.net), September 24, 2000.

Goats are like deer. They would rather Browes tham graze (reach up to eat than reach down) If I had to guess I would say it would be OK Grant

-- Grant Eversoll (thegrange@earthlink.net), September 24, 2000.

It's true that deer, like goats, prefer to browse, but I know they do eat wild mushrooms. So it's possible that goats would, too.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), September 24, 2000.

Couldn't you put them there now and remove them near the fruiting cycle of the morels?

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), September 24, 2000.

Thanks for the input folks, much appreciated. I guess my main concern is how te goats will impact the land itself. I'm new to goats, new enough to not know how they will tear up the ground or not. I know how chickens do their scratching, and making dust baths, free range hogs will virtually destroy land, and cattle mainly leave fertilizer everywhere. I guess what I'm asking is, will two dwarfs tread lightly on a patch of land two acres, with an acre and a half being wooded. I'm wanting to run them in there most of the year, if, they wont "tear up" the morel habitat.Thanks again.

-- Tom (cpprhdhillfarm@webtv.net), September 24, 2000.

That much area for a couple of goats should not matter much. My only advice would be to take them out of the shroom patch during fruiting. Yes, they will eat them.

-- Terri Perry (stuperry@stargate.net), September 25, 2000.

You also need to remember that goats will eat all the bark off certain trees up to as high as they can reach. This will of course kill the tree. We learned this the hard way.

-- Les (lvaughn@suntransformer.com), September 25, 2000.

I would think your best bet would be to offer the goats some and see if they like them, my goats do not eat bark on trees with moss or mushrooms, and have never seen them eating mushrooms before. Now if I was to tend to something out in the woods, and want them to stay out of it, that is when they would come noseing around to see what Mom was doing, and bet you anything it would get wiped out in no time! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), September 25, 2000.