[APWG] goat grazing

[Scott Ruhren]

True, grazers of all shapes and sizes (from snails to grasshoppers to deer)
if given a variety of foods can/will be more choosy. One solution to limit
goat access to sensitive areas or plants is to utilize movable corrals
employed by some land mangers and farmers. The enclosure can be moved to
areas of concern for weed management. As Margaret suggests I would caution
against free-ranging goats. In a section of pasture in a larger preserve
that we manage, there are no new autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) a
species that we have managed in ungrazed fields. The small herd of 9 cattle
eat all new recruits but also eat nearly anything green and soft! This is an
issue we are dealing with and warns us against moving the cows to other
fields.

By the way, I would love to hear about knapweed control agents other than
insects released by USDA et al.

Scott

---
Scott Ruhren, Ph.D.
Director of Properties and Acquisitions
Audubon Society of Rhode Island
12 Sanderson Road
Smithfield, RI 02917-2600

401-949-5454 (Ext. 3004)

-----Original Message-----
From: APWG-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org
[mailto:APWG-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org]On Behalf Of Margaret
McCasland
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 12:10 PM
To: APWG at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: [APWG] goat grazing


Hi folks,

I am neither a botanist nor an ecologist, but I grew up with goats
and felt it worth sharing a caution re: their eating habits. (I do
have a general background in environmental education and my daughter
has done work on invasive species, so I appreciate the dangers of
introducing plants or animals into any ecosystem.) We acquired goats
partially as a food source, but mostly to clear brush and poison ivy.
What we found, and what I have heard from others, is that, in spite
of their reputation to the contrary, goats are very selective in what
they eat. They will under some circumstances eat all kinds of things,
but given choices, they are choosey.

So I think introducing them--especially on a large scale--will be
risky unless you know exactly what plants are in the area and which
ones they will and will not eat. If there are any native plants still
in the area, they might prefer those to the species you are trying to
eradicate. You probably can't count on them eating the plant(s) you
want to be rid of unless you plan to have so many goats that they end
up with nothing else to eat and, as Craig indicated, overgraze.

A question I have is whether the variety of goat affects which plants
they are likely to eat (I have no idea what the answer is, but goats
bred for arid areas seem like they may have different food
preferences than those raised in more temperate areas such as
Europe).  But maybe all goats are adaptable enough that variety isn't
relevant.

Margaret McCasland

Ithaca, NY

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