Goats are an eco-friendly solution for several reasons
1. Goats’ Eating Habits
Goats are different than sheep, cattle, and horses, which are “grazers”. Grazers eat grass and forbes, typically eating with their heads down. Goats on the other hand are “browsers”. Browsers prefer to eat brambles, shrubs, and vines. They typically eat things at their head height and above. They love to browse on understory shrubs such as poison ivy, multiflora roses, and Mile-a-minute vines.
When plenty of fodder (understory brambles, vines, shrubs, and things that goats like to eat) is available goats are an economical type of livestock. They eat only a small amount of grain per day and a mineral supplement. We have found that raising goats is more economical than chickens or rabbits (though we still keep chickens and rabbits around on the farm :)
2. Goats Are Gentle on the Environment
Goats are nature’s brush clearers and they generally can be relied on to do so gently. Unlike brush hogs and other machinery, they enjoy the challenge of getting tight spaces cleared out. They will nimbly eat their way around historic landmarks and tombstones. Goats mineral requirements need to be properly supplemented, otherwise they may remove the bark from young trees to obtain needed nutrients.
Rotational grazing is an essential part of using goats for regenerative agriculture. We use solar powered ElectroNet fencing (from Premier1) to move the goats paddock on a weekly basis. They work their way through the various sections of forest around our property. Ideally, they will not return to the same grazing area for 60 days. That allows parasite larva (the biggest threat to goat and sheep health) to die off before the goats feed there again. Rotational grazing mimics the natural nomadic grazing/browsing habits of herd animals to prevent putting excess strain on the plant life in any one area.
3. Goats Give Back to the Ecosystem
Goats fertilize the soil as they clear the brambles and vines, returning nutrients to the forest floor. Their manure is rich in essential plant nutrients, including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), along with calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and organic matter. It typically contains a balanced NPK mix beneficial for plant growth and soil improvement.
Source: Law-Ogbomo, Kolawole & Osaigbovo, Agbonsalo. (2016). Growth and yield of Corchorus olitorius as influenced by plant population and fertilizer type in the humid ultisols of Southwestern Nigeria.
We are raising Nigerian Dwarf Goats, more about our experience with the breed can be found in this post (link). In addition to all of their forest ecosystem management genius and general goat goodness, we have found them to be friendly, docile, and not the “escape artists” that we once feared when researching the addition of goats to our farm. They are a lot like dogs and get a little too excited about their “treat” (handful of grain) every day. Sometimes they jump up and head butt each other (never us). But generally they are sweet and gentle, easy to handle and lure to their next feeding area. We are so happy to have finally added them to our farm family.
