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Brush Grazing Goat Rental Service
The sustainable and eco-friendly way to thin brush

 

At Wandering Goat Ranch, we offer a unique and powerful brush grazing service that utilizes our herd of goats to thin and maintain areas of overgrown land.

Goats are a natural and efficient solution for controlling brush growth in hard-to-reach areas, such as hillsides, riverbanks, wetlands and areas with limited machine access due to downed trees, dense forest, or other obstructions. Goats have been used in many forest fire prevention efforts across the country and are also great for managing certain invasive and problematic plant species like blackberry and poison oak, and helping restore an area's natural eco system. 

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Take control of your property's overgrown areas in a sustainable, natural and eco-friendly way, with our Goat Brush Grazing Service. Contact us today to learn how our goats can be an effective and eco friendly part of your land management plan. 

More Info About our Brush Grazing Service

How Much Does it Cost to Rent Goats? 

We charge based on a per acre rate, plus a per mile transportation fee from our ranch in Harrisburg Oregon to your project. Depending on the intensity of the project and the location, our prices generally range between $1,500-3,200 per acre, and around $4-5 per mile from our ranch. (Keep in mind that every project is different and will require a custom estimate depending on the distance from our Ranch, the type of terrain needing grazed, and the thickness of the brush on the property.)

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A 1 acre project will most likely require 2-4 days of grazing.

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To ensure the safety and well-being of our goats, we move the goats in groups of at least 50 goats per day so we are unable to service projects with areas smaller than 1 acre. 

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50% of job fee is required upfront. 

What Can Goats do?

Goats are highly effective natural browsers and are able to consume a wide variety of grasses and plants such as ivy, poison oak, hemlock and invasive species like blackberries. They aerate the soil through trampling and their manure is a natural fertilizer. If concentrated in the proper amounts, they can quickly strip an area's underbrush for forest fire prevention and thin seemingly untamable mounds of brush and blackberries as part of a landscaping plan.

They are a sustainable and eco-friendly solution that promotes biodiversity, reduces the use of pesticides, herbicides, fossil fuels, and helps to restore natural habitats.

Goats can also greatly reduce the amount of â€‹material needing to be hauled away from an area by eating and trampling the vegetation and canes. 

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Plants goats eat include - 

Poison Oak

Blackberry

English Ivy

Scotch Broom

Hemlock (Non toxic to goats in Oregon Soil) 

Morning Glory

Thistle

Dandelion

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How Many Acres Can Goats Clear?

Goats do not clear land in the same way that powered equipment or a landscaping crew might. Goats are natural browsers and eat the plants which seem most desirable first, then move on to the other brush in the area. 

The amount of brush, plants and grass cleared is directly related to the brush density, how heavily the goats are concentrated in that area, and for how long. 

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It is important to be aware that once the goat herd is removed, additional work may be necessary. 

Are Goats Better Than Machinery?

Goats can reach areas that machinery cannot, such as steep hillsides, areas with fallen logs, and densely wooded terrain. They are useful for areas where there may be hidden obstructions such as fencing, downed trees, or lost equipment. Goats are also much gentler on the environment than heavy machinery, which can tear into the land causing soil erosion and damage to ecosystems. 

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Goat Limitations

Our goats leave manure on the ground. Their manure is an excellent natural fertilizer which is beneficial to natural ecosystems, but may not be desirable for certain highly traveled or populated areas such as city parks or yards. 

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Goats do not manicure the area. They begin with the most tender and delicious parts of each plant and will often leave many of the larger stalks and branches. Depending on your goals, a professional landscaping crew may be needed for areas that require high levels of precise clearing and manicuring such as city parks and yards. 

It is important to be aware that once the goat herd is removed, additional work may be necessary. 

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Goats often eat tree bark and while this is usually not a problem for large trees, the goats may completely strip small trees and bushes of all bark. This may be desriable for creating fire prevention strips, and killing poison oak and blackberries vines but for any situtations where smaller trees, bushes and plants must be protected, client is responsible for protecting said trees, bushes and plants. 

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Clients are responsible for obtaining any permits necessary for grazing goats on their project. 

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Our services do not include the removal of any brush, garbage, vegetation or manure. 

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Plants goats cannot eat - 

Rhododendron

Crested Wheat

Poison Nightshade

Azeleas

Tansy

Laurel

Evergreen Clematis

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