Anyone use goats for brush clearing?

[skatcatla]

I'm seriously considering buying a small business that uses goats for brush clearing projects in So. Cal. This is a small operation and just does residential areas. One of the concerns I have though is about getting insurance; the current owner doesn't have any and I won't buy the business unless I know I can get some. Does anyone know where I might start? Who offers insurance for this?

Thanks in advance for any other tips you may want to give me too!

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

I'd say insurance is a must. Goats are very unpredictable. A goat farmer told me that they spend their whole life trying to commit suicide. The goats I mean.

 

[OHChick]

i don't use goats for that, but the company i used to work for had pumping stations way out in the boonies throughout WV, KY, TN and they would put goats at those spots to keep the areas from being overgrown. don't know anything about the insurance though. you might check with Wilkins Livestock insurers, that's who we use for other stuff, maybe they'd do it.

 

[tvtaber]

The only input I can give is that Pebble Beach uses goats and goat herder for brush control in their common areas. A recent article lists the company they use. http://www.cr-pb.org/GoatsInPebbleBeach.htm

Perhaps they would be interested in helping another company start up, if your areas would not overlap too much.
Vicki

 

[MissPrissy]

Goats will certainly eat down brush but I have no idea about insuring them or a business.

 

[Smoky73]

Frankly, I dont see goats as a brush cleaner. I had goats for years to eat the weeds and stuff out here at my place and they were way to picky and didnt do a good job. I then got geese and that worked 10x faster than the goats did. one year and I had not a weed on the place. Sheep are also really good for weed and brush cleanup.

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

Very interesting Smoky

 

[skatcatla]

Well, the woman I'd be buying the business from has been doing this for about 4 years now and for the most part, the goats do a great job of eating about everything you'd find here in So. Cal. There are a few things she has to finish hand-clearing (certain short-needled pines for instance), but most of what you find in the canyons here are tumbleweed, sumac, live oak etc. and they eat it right up. Actually, if anything the challenge is to keep them from wandering into the home owner's gardens and eating all the plants they DO want to keep.

Thanks for the other references! I've written a couple of other goat brush clearing businesses but so far nobody's written back today.

 

[MissPrissy]

Quote:
Goats don't eat weeds. They like bushes and trees and leaves when foraging.

 

[LoneCowboy]

You have to remember that goats are foragers. They like the leafy stuff, they will only eat the grass as a last resort since they aren't grazers. If the weeds are leafy, then they will eat them.