“Rent a goat”, there is more to the term than the literal meaning. Most novices think it’s just goats for hire without knowing the actual purpose as to why it’s done so. A team of goats can do a lot more than you expect.
Most people get surprised hearing about renting goats, what possible reason could be for this unusual rental.
Why would anyone need goats on rent? Have you heard of goat scaping? Mostly, a team of hundreds of goats is hired to provide eco-friendly landscaping services.
People are always looking for eco-friendly alternatives to resolve different problems. Most of them do not want to use machinery to lessen the impact of climate change by doing their part.
So, there is a team of professionals goats that provide landscaping services without using any other resources.
It is amusing to think, is there such a thing as professional and amateur goats? Apparently so.
Goats or Goats teams are part of a larger phenomenon called conservation grazing or targeted grazing whereby hundreds of goats are used instead of traditional machinery or pesticides to prevent the growth of the unwanted plant. This is an efficient and eco-friendly way to get rid of invasive plant growth.
This phenomenon is relatively new, not many people know about it, however, it is beginning to make inroads in different countries of the world.
This eco-sustainable and cost-effective solution is used to revive marginal and abandoned farmland.
Goats are invited to the property for the removal of brush and weed. Goats eat many invasive species like kudzu, poison ivy, English ivy, wild berries, thistle, blackberries, poison oak, vines (trumpet vine), sage brush, sapling trees (pine, cedar, oak), and broom sage.
Goats, like other ruminants, have a four-chambered stomach which allows them to digest different types of vegetation.
Therefore, they have been used in a wide variety of settings over the decade; including homeowners, large and small properties, companies and commercial entities, universities, municipalities, such as roads and parks, government agencies, including military facilities.
Goat’s preference for weeds, brush, undergrowth, and brambles makes them the perfect choice for environmentally friendly landscaping services.
These unwanted plants invade good pasturelands not making them safer to graze for animals.
These “professional goat teams” are known as weed whackers without spare parts and they do not need any fuel to operate.
The Goats rental services bring a herd of trained goats to the farmland, erect a portable electric fence around the perimeter, and let them do what they know best.
They browse first the tender leaves, followed by the green bark, and finally the branches themselves, eliminating the most tenacious plants.
It also destroys the re-growth, leaving fields, terraces, and woods cleared and re-usable for a prolonged period.
An average goat consumes about 8 pounds of vegetation, so, a group of 8-10 goats can clean a big swath of land in a short time.
This super cute weed removal method is not only eco-friendly but cost-effective as well.
This method is not only green, unique but also has a lot of benefits than using machinery.
Goats are considered hard-working, low-maintenance, plant-eating, fertilizing machines. It utilizes the herd’s most natural talents; eating nearly anything and everything in its path.
- One perceived and better-known benefit of goatscaping is clearing invasive weed and other unwanted plants without the risk of toxins seeping into the ground from chemical weed killers.
- Sometimes modern or heavy machines can not access steep, narrow, or rough terrain, that’s when agile and hardy goats come to the rescue.
- One other beneficial by-product you get from this method is fertilizer. As they clear the terrain, goats fertilize the land by dropping biologically altered feces and working it into the ground with their hooves.
- Goats have a certain enzyme in their saliva which neutralizes seed making them no longer viable.
- A North Carolina study comparing the effectiveness of goats versus chemicals in clearing kudzu from an infested area brought shocking results. Goats were way more effective than chemicals.
- Without using any chemicals or gas-powered machinery, goats reduce the risk of wildfire. It reduces the threat by cleaning up combustible materials.
Many big names like Google, The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bureau of Land Management, the Forest Service, and the city of Seattle have used this method and employed goats to clear overgrown lawns and manage the property.
If you could not find such services locally, there are plenty of organizations renting goats for targeted grazing.
This concept is gaining popularity and becoming better known with each passing day.
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It’s getting its due media attention by featuring on The Today Show, Regis, and Kelly, The Colbert Report, in AOL News, TreeHugger, The Wall Street Journal, and The Associated Press.
More and more people are starting and investing in this business, here are some goat rental services
Rent A Goat – Rent a Goat is a company founded by 22-year old entrepreneur Matthew Richmond who rented herds of goats for clearing lands. This business also appeared on Shark Tank where it failed to get any investment. However, it has grown tremendously with now 3500 goats and about $2 million revenue annually.
Call them at 1-858-751-GOAT or get a free estimate through their official website. Answer some relevant questions and you will be sent an estimate shortly.
Goats On The Go – This is another goat grazing business that believes in “No Goat, No Glory”. Besides goats, a person can hire a flock of sheep for solar grazing or other purposes. Their affiliate program also assists you to launch your own goat grazing business right where you live.
Get in touch via email or call at the helpline, whatever you choose. Write them at info at goatsonthego.com and call them at 515-257-6846.
Billy’s Rent a Goat – This farm also rents out goat herds to clean and maintain overgrown pastures. It is mainly a goat grazing service that cherishes human and goats interaction.
It offers many services like Become a Shepherd for the day, Educational Programs-wellbeing, Control of invasive plants, Managing Woodlands, and Fire Prevention in Upland areas.
Contact this grazing business at hello at billysrentagoat.ie to get a quote.
Hire Goats – If you want to hire nearby goat rental services, Hire Goats would be of great help as it is a directory of all goat rental companies in the world.
Use the map or see the list by state page to know about all the goat grazing businesses near you. Utilize the Contact Us page to send a message.
Goat rentals can depend on multiple factors, acreage, how much foliage needs attention, terrain, what time of year it is, and weather conditions.
The rate also varies from service to service. The exact cost can be determined after contacting the goat grazing business.
To give you an estimate, the services are priced by the job, so, it could start from $400 an acre to $1,000 an acre.
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Sometimes the rate is charged on an hourly or daily basis, therefore, larger lots require larger herds and five or six days to clear land.
Hiring a Healing Hooves’ herd of 250 goats and sheep may start at more or less $700. Some other services charge $250 to $725 a day for 15-60 or 120 goats. The larger the number of goats the more the price.
Putting it all together, as most farmers are worried about the impact of heavy machinery and chemicals on the environment, thereby, they tend to adopt eco-friendly ways of removing the weed. It is generally less expensive and more effective as compared to modern machines. Rented Goats clear acres of land in a short time and this concept is becoming a more publicly acceptable form of weed abatement.
