GOAT HERDING (Advice & Tips)
Like 3 Dislike 0 Published on 21 Apr 2020
Today I take you along with me goat herding on our farm in Thailand.
Unlike many other goat herders, we don't rely on fencing to keep the herd on our land.
We have some basic advice & a few tips to pass on to you that may help you if you are new to goat farming & are looking to let the herd out foraging.
Instead, we simply use a bamboo stick with a plastic bag attached at the end & call each & every goat by their name (all 20 of them.)
Here on Porpeang farm Thailand, we integrate weed management with goats.
Farmlands overrun with invasive or otherwise problematic species like kudzu, multiflora rose & poison ivy don’t have to resort to herbicides, machine rental or exhausting manual removal. Goats will eat & thrive on many of these weeds. This can be a win/win situation.
Brush-clearing goats can convert your unwanted plants into valuable milk, meat & manure. The goat owner keeps the meat & milk, but the manure stays on your land, enriching it for whatever you want to plant next.
Goats are a beneficial land clearing tool. They are an eco-friendly option to herbicides. And, they cost about 50% less than hiring labour & renting machinery.
USING GOATS FOR WEED CONTROL
Goats are nimble natural climbers who can clear steep, uneven ground that might defeat a mower or tractor. But, they’re also natural explorers & escape artists.
Goats will eat tough & thorny weeds that you wouldn’t want to pull by hand. But they’re not trained to eat certain plants & leave others alone. If you want an area completely cleared, bring them in. If you want some plants saved and others cleared away, be sure to surround the plants you want with goat-proof protection.
Goats are naturally inclined to be browsers, not grazers. They’ll eat your brush and grapevines, and some of your grasses and clovers as well.
They won’t mow your lawn evenly. (Sheep are more mower-like, & sometimes they can be rented, as well.)
Goats will eat many undesirable plants, but they shouldn’t eat anything. If your land is overgrown with goat-toxic plants including mountain laurel, horsenettle, Jimson weed, poison hemlock, water hemlock and many others, goats can’t clear it.
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POPULAR VIDEO PLAYLISTS:
BUILDING A GOAT HOUSE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgV7FcQ6y5M&list=PLDkSgWZnokfxmN5OpZt7H7XS-vlvD3Eyg
OUR FARMSTEAD LIFE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-aOXm18HCw&list=PLDkSgWZnokfwPYRe_ZcHouEwRYMS9jY9C
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OUR WEBSITE:
https://www.porpeangfarmthailand.com/
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OUR LIVING IN THAILAND BLOG:
https://www.porpeangfarmthailand.com/blog-thailand
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LINKED PLAYLIST: GOAT FARMING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZzw40IUzZ0&list=PLDkSgWZnokfz97h5SSFdkTBJ_X9J-PctT
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JOIN OUR OFFICIAL TEAM
PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/kartoongallagher
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MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON OUR FARM
PAYPAL: kartoonthai@hotmail.com
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EMAIL:
leighgal71@gmail.com
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