A caprine dream team

It's been nearly two weeks since the neighbors brought the goats over for me to take a turn with them.

We had something between .25 to .5 acre in brambles: blackberries and salmon berries to a height of about 7'. They were growing over several downed trees and a seasonal stream, none of which you could see any more. It was pretty overwhelming.

I figured the goats would do the bulk of the work, and I'd be relatively free -- move them once or twice a day, and go in later to clip the big stuff out.

The goats do the bulk of the work. I do NOT get off so easy. But I love working out there with the goats.

Since the property is not fenced, the goats need to be tethered. This means moving them often. It also means freeing them when they've wound the tether around branches or brambles. The most experienced goat, the handsome buck Chop, almost never gets his tether tangled, but Daisy is new to the tether and has managed to truss her hind leg up in a complex knot, tight against a branch. All three does get their tethers snagged on things fairly often.

Chop posing for the camera; Chop working the brush

Clipping the big stuff doesn't wait either -- I need to clear more space to take them into, I need to clip away the canes they've wrapped the tether around, and sometimes I need to clip the brambles down so they can reach them.

All four goats are a pleasure to work with. They are gentle, easy-going, and friendly. Whenever possible, they are within touching distance of me, or leaning up against my leg. As we have gotten to know each other and they have gotten to know the yard, we've formed a brush-clearing team. I know the goats' preferences: Daisy prefers not to have to climb for forage, Princess is happy to do so.

Princess nibbles salmonberry leaves.


Chop will break down a wall of brambles with his body as a matter of routine, to get to the tender leaves at the top. Babycakes loves ferns. Princess loves Chop and wants to be with him whenever possible. And they know my preferences: when I pull up the tether stake, wait for me before heading out. Move slowly. Ignore the Rhody (it could poison them). Ignore the Camillia. I can point to an area and ask, "Could you get that out for me?" and Chop or Princess will give it a go.

And they do a GREAT job clearing the brush. This area was solid brambles just a day or two earlier:



More on the goats later, meanwhile here are some more pics.

Daisy checks out the living room; Scarlett checks out the goat.


Goats on the lawn

Daisy climbs a tree at dusk, to eat the ferns growing on the trunk.