I hope you resourceful people will put me right on a 1/2 baked idea which some friends and I are working on. You know how we often joke about getting a sheep to mow the lawn? Well we decided that a goat might do the trick. Goats seem to have a bit more "character" than sheep (we all have children) and also maybe they are hardier. The general idea is that we'd get a goat and move it round our lawns in the Summer, tethering it on the chosen areas - I understand this is important as I'm told they eat everything within munching distance. In the winter I propose to keep it in my open air chicken coup. What would I feed it? I'd have to build it some sort of kennel to keep it warm and dry. Has anyone out there experience in using goats as "lawnmowers". Would it work? Also, should we go for a male or a female. If male should we castrate it? Would one of the miniature breeds be ok (seems more manageable for shifting around in a car)?

Thanks in advance,

Damian

-- Damian Martin (damianmartin@post.com), February 12, 2001

Answers

Goats as a rule do not make good lawn mowers. They would rather eat shrubs, branches, tree bark, etc. Sheep graze and goats browse. I also would not tether out a goat either, as they are by nature curious and "houidini" like and are prone to choking, etc. And don't expect this goat to not need any type of grain or minerals while doing your mowing job. They will need a bit of minerals to maintain health and grain to supplement their diets. A mineral salt block would work well. And a bit of grain, about 1/2 cup or so daily. I know some folks don't grain at all but it does help. I'd suggest fencing in the area to be trimmed with electric fence, etc, it would be safer. Goats hate rain or getting wet so you will want to consider that too when thinking about shelters. Also getting wet and chilled can result in pnemonia.

And no matter what you do that goat will still need maintance like hoof trimming and worming, etc. I don't mean to discourage you but just feel you might want to have a beter idea as to what you are in for.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), February 12, 2001.

Goats don't eat the grass like sheep do. They like the weeds and trees and rose bushes allot better. Plus, staking out, what about the hot sun? I don't think a goat would last very long without some shade in the summer. My goats lay up under the trees in the heat of the day. And it dosen't seem very healthy for a goat to live with the chickens. Sorry to be so negitive, but my goats would scream all day if I ever tried to stake them out. Mine like to run and play, even the older ones get frisky.

-- Cindy in Ky (solidrockranch@hotmail.com), February 12, 2001.

Ditto the above opinions. I would hate to see you tether a goat. It really goes against their very nature. Get some geese for lawnmowers, or sheep. Our five geese keep the grass down in a very large area and I just mow what weeds that they don't like every couple of weeks.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 12, 2001.

Goats are wonderful creatures, but alll the above posts are true. My main concerns would be the shelter issue. As was pointed out above, they need shade and shelter from rain as well. My goats literally run for the barn at the first drop of rain or clap of thunder. The chicken pen, I'm afraid, is a big no-no. First of all, chicken feed is very bad for them, also they can get worms and disease from the chickens. They are not compatible. (Mind you I have a couple of rogue chickens that roost in my barn, but don't deliberately put the two together.) You definitely do not want to choose a buck as a pet. They get big and smelly and are sometimes hard to manage. A tame wether will make a nice pet, but is not useful like a doe. Goats really do need a fenced area, without fruit trees or any young tree or plant they could do damage to, and appropriate care and facilities. Good luck. mary

-- mary, texas (marylgarcia@aol.com), February 12, 2001.

There's obviously a high level of agreement here. Its clear that (a) the project is flawed and (b) I've come to the right place for advice. Thanks a lot for your time and patient explanations. I'll go and break the bad news to my friends!

Damian

-- Damian Martin (damianmartin@post.com), February 12, 2001.

I got goats for lawnmowers...was told it was a good idea (not from this list)anyway...I got pygmy goats. They do a wonderful job of clearing brush for us (we have alot of woods), but don't do diddly for our grass. My Rouen ducks were wonderful lawnmowers...until they got stolen...anyway, I agree with the others, having given it a try, it didn't work. The ducks did such a great job and were so healthy!!!

-- Cindy in Ok (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), February 12, 2001.

If ya'll have little kids and you need a lawn mower, then you need a pony. They really are not that expensive to maintain, and have a more loving disposition than goats. Get a portable electric fence so you can move it around.

For any livestock, a chicken coop is not suitable shelter.

-- Laura (gsend@hotmail.com), February 12, 2001.

Damian, If I read all the replies correctly, you have already decided the "half-bakes" idea is a very bad idea. #1 goats are herd animals and are not very happy alone. #2 goats will only eat grass if starved into eating it. #3 tethering a goat is cruel and unusual punishment #4 living in a chicken coop is okay for a chicken but not for a goat #5 goats are livestock and need their own pasture/pen, fresh water daily, hay, and feed, immunizations, worming and their own shelter. I would suggest buying a real lawnmower, everyone including the goats would be a lot happier. Oh in case you have not figured it out I am a goat fanatic. And, they are hardy, can live in primitive conditions and survive a lot of hardships, and a neat smart intelligent creatures who can make your life a living hell if you try to keep them as a yard pet.

-- karen (kansasgoats@iwon.com), February 12, 2001.

How about resucing a donkey, either at the local auction or perhaps at a BLM or rescue site like we did. Their isn't a lick of grass wherever they have been pastured. Though ours started out very shy of us, we now have in less than 3 months no problem at all handling them. They live very nicely off good grass hay, minerals and pasture. Our "pasture" for them is the grass our goats won't touch and the yard. They will need periodic hoof trimming, and you will have to keep an eye on worms. A gelding could be had for very little money, a standard size could be used for child riding and pulling a cart. I am really pleased with our two! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), February 12, 2001.

I won't mention anything about do's & don'ts on goats, as I think the other replys have covered that. However, if you can get a pony or donkey then a mini cattle would also fit the bill. The only problem with these animals is that you have to worry about picking up the yard after them or watch where you step. (Larger piles of manure.) Goat & sheep manure is pellet size, & disappears into the ground quicker. If you go the route of sheep, you have a large variety of choices on breeds. Some are very small in size (ie. mini babydoll southdown, shetland (this one isn't a mini but is naturally very small)), & there are some hair breeds in case shearing is an issue (while you don't need to shear them, hair sheep breeds are hardier & less prone to disease & parasites, plus if you breed for young or just decide to butcher the one you get, hair breeds tend to taste better then some (not all) wool breeds).

I also agree with avoiding the teather. You may want to try some portable pen with a shelter or shade attached to one side. You can make it similar to some of the chicken tractors that are out (wheels on one side for easy moving, maybe have some wheels to put under the other side when you want to move the pen). If you would make a small but permanent shelter attached to the side (on wheels for easy moving), then you could also use this pen/shelter year round as a permenent home for the critter.

These are only my 2 cents

animalfarms

-- animalfarms (jwlewis@indy.net), February 13, 2001.

Just for the record, I didn't tether mine, not after the first day. They were not happy goats. I let mine wonder around on their own since I didn't have any garden or anything set up. They still didn't eat the grass. Cute as can be, I love my goats, wouldn't trade them for anything! But, not lawnmowers.

-- Cindy in Ok (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), February 16, 2001.

My goats love to run and play...if I were to tie them up, they would holler all day, not to mention the neighbors dogs coming around.....I think a sheep is great for keeping down the lawn since they graze all day!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is a great sight!!!!!

-- ttudor (tinatudor@aol.com), February 18, 2001.

To strengthen the above opinions: Goats are not grazers, they are browsers. They like to reach up to eat, not down. Our goats have to get pretty hungry and the grass pretty tall before they will graze on it. I know that many people tether goats, but I personally think its akin to abuse to do so. They need a secure fence to be in and at least one other goat for company. They are highly intelligent and need companionship. That said, they are good at clearing unwanted underbrush from the woods (again, must be fenced) and teamed with a steer, can clear out a small jungle in one season. The steer will push down the small saplings and the goat will strip the leaves and bark off.

If you do get goats for this purpose, get a pair of wethers. Intact bucks will give you nothing but trouble and are very disgusting as pets. It's not that I don't like them, we have four of our own for breeding, but if you are not breeding then you definitely do not want a buck. Does are okay too, but more expensive because of their production capabilities.

They do need good shelter and good hay and grain to supplement their forage diet. You can get a lot of help on line as to the specifics if you actually get some goats at www.cybergoat.com

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), February 18, 2001.

This isn't an answer, but a further question; what about "primitive" sheep like Jacob, Icelandic, and Soay? These seem more like goats than modern sheep. How are they at mowing lawns?

-- Lisa Almarode (lisa@q7.com), February 16, 2002.