RoundUp the Goats and Enjoy a Weed-Free Yard!

Have you ever "herd" of using goats to kill weeds?

In Central Oregon where I live – and I’m certain, many other places around the world – noxious weeds are a big problem.  They spread like wildfire and are very difficult to eradicate.  Non-native, invasive and potentially toxic, the weeds can seed and quickly destroy a natural ecosystem.

Consider this startling fact: the University of Idaho estimates that invasive weeds are taking over 4,600 acres of land each day, or about 1.5 million acres annually!

Most people these days are looking for chemical free lawn care.

Enter goats.  Using prescribed grazing practices, you can clear out the weeds without chemical herbicides.  It will also save you some back-breaking work!

Your new lawn care guy!

Let’s face it …. goats love to eat.  And fortunately they really enjoy noxious weeds including Russian thistle, hemlock and medusahead.  When you place a certain number of goats in a fenced area, they will clear the area of weeds in short time.  The natural ecosystem may soon be restored after the goats have done their work.

Some have described goats as “weed-eating machines.”  What better to help you clear your land of invasive weeds?

When goats get to work on a field, they will first eat the seed head of the weeds, which tricks the plants into thinking they have reproduced.  The animals will then mow through leaves and stems.  What is particularly beneficial is the fact that the root system of the weed remains to help stabilize the soil, but the plant is now dormant.

Even more encouraging is that goats often prefer eating noxious weeds to native species.  They will literally target your problem!

Let goats clear your property of noxious weeds

Here in the High Desert, you can call on Lariat Ranch to provide goats to help you with green, chemical free lawn care.  They estimate that it takes 100 goats a single day to eradicate seeds from a 1-acre parcel.  To get rid of the weeds entirely, plan on one week.  The price isn’t exactly cheap.  Plan on $3 per head for a 24-hour period.  You’ll be spending from $300-2100 for a 1-acre parcel.

Even so, the overall cost is both lower and more eco-friendly than using chemical herbicides.  This is so, despite the fact that it can take 3-5 years of goat “treatments” to fully get rid of invasive weeds on a property.

Early spring to late fall is the time to schedule your goat weed-killing.

Roundup the goats and enjoy a weed-free yard!