From the Not-so WTF Department: Waste Disposal Goats

[Rubicon]

ok so we know goats love to eat stuff, common fact.

i just didnt know they would do it to such a quantity..

Boeing's Renton, WA, plant had acres of undeveloped land, overgrown with blackberry briars, weeds and saplings.
Clearing that mess would be an expensive, labor intensive job... or take a lot of really nasty chemicals.
The solution was to hire a herd of 120 goats.

Goats also thoroughly remove all debris -- seeds, seed pods, grasses, branches, bark, stems --
effectively controlling brush, tree suckers, and weedy trees such as alder and poplar.

http://cellar.org/iotd.php

that first pic is

second pic

 

[Steve]

Growing up in the country I've seen several homeowners use goats in this manner. Living in the city I wouldn't mind having a goat for the back yard to get me out of mowing.

 

[Iaculus]

I assume that the first picture was taken shortly before the cameraman was devoured...

 

[strawman]

Goats follow a strict scorched earth policy.

-Adam

 

[bhamv3]

Goats? You pansies! Real men use locusts!

Bah! Bah I say!

 

[klew]

Locusts don't make milk and aren't as tasty!

 

[strawman]

Locusts aren't as tasty!

You've tried locusts then? I hear they're yummy fried...

-Adam

 

[Bubble181]

Having tried both, I prefer the taste of goat over that of locust.
Also, yeah, goats rule, unless they're semi-wild and destroy your crop :-P

 

[Philosopher B.]

Goats smell. And they look at you. :bush:

 

[Dusty668]

But they eat Kudzu too, love the stuff.

 

They did this at the school where I used to work, which is in a very fire-prone area and covers a lot of grassy hilly territory. Apparently it was both less expensive and more efficient than their previous brush-clearing efforts and it was a big success. Got on the news and all. They did it when classes weren't in session, unfortunately.

Personally I love goats. When my dad had a farm he had some goats, e-i-e-i-o. They were sweet little things and would play King of the Hill with you. And when you walked around they would walk with you, and if someone, goat or human, lagged behind they would get "herded" back to the group.

I actually have one of those pie-in-the-sky ambitions of owning a small goat farm somewhere and selling goat milk and cheese.

 

[Steve]

Personally I love goats. When my dad had a farm he had some goats, e-i-e-i-o. They were sweet little things and would play King of the Hill with you. And when you walked around they would walk with you, and if someone, goat or human, lagged behind they would get "herded" back to the group.

I like how they put their head against you and push. Like reverse tug of war. You'd be amazed how much power a small goat has. When you grow up in the country you find simple ways of entertaining yourself. And they do have a thousand yard stare.