In Portland, you can rent a goat to mow your lawn, which is just another point in that city's favor. The idea of hiring a goat to keep the grass trim might sound a little out-there, but they might be nature's perfect lawnmowers—they even provide their own fertilizer. Would you retire your lawnmower for a goat?
Goats have some advantages over normal lawn mowers: They can get to places where normal mowers can't, and animal mowing actually retards regrowth because the animals' digestive systems sterilize the seeds. And goats let you avoid the fumes from gas-powered lawn mowers (no word on the fumes from the goats themselves). Most of all, they're hilarious. It would be like living in a petting zoo!
Of course, there are drawbacks. Anything plantlike that you don't want eaten would have to be protected. Also, they're animals and need care like any other living creature, so you can't just buy one, drop it in the yard, and leave.
But you know what they say, why buy the goat when you can rent it? Goatfinder.com, a goat classifieds site, has a whole state-by-state section dedicated to temporarily renting goats. According to Eco-Goats, a renter of mowing goats, their critters have handled areas from 12-foot-by-60-foot backyards to 20,000 acres. On the smaller scale, Eddie Miller of Heritage Lawn Mowing, in Ohio, was profiled in The New York Times for his sheep-powered mowing business. For $1 per sheep per day, he rents out his sheep for lawn-cutting services.
Goats can even do large-scale clearing work. Tammy Dunakin, the owner of Rent-a-Ruminant, says it takes 60 goats about three to five days to clear out a quarter of an acre of dense vegetation. They can eat brambles, stickers, weeds, and even poison oak, and they have a special love of invasive species like kudzu.
Google even used goats to mow its Mountain View campus.
Would you use a goat or sheep to cut your grass? Have you used one? Let us know in the comments.
(Image: Shutterstock)
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I would be all about this! One of my uncles breeds goats, and they're just wonderful animals/pets - if I could borrow one or two from him, I'd be set!
Goats are great for clearing brush, but they'll eat your lawn down to the roots. For a neatly trimmed lawn, sheep are they way to go.
My father had goats, who maintained his property for him after he had a stroke and couldn't ride his lawnmower, they did a brilliant job - they never ate it "down to the roots" and he regularly loaned them out to neighbors for their yards. They became the darlings of the neighborhood - an area which had very large lots. What I loved about them especially was that they'd go walking with him in the yard, walking just on either side of him, and if he lost his balance they'd move in closer to prop him up securely until he had time to regain his balance - they were so protective and affectionate toward him that it was very inspiring - they helped my father maintain some of his independence and I'll always be grateful for that. I look forward to the day when I can obtain and maintain my own little herd (and I wouldn't mind a bit of goat cheese either).
Most definitely, if I had a lawn and could be sure that it is pesticide-free (our city bans cosmetic pesticides finally, but I know of folks who do use them anyway). What a great idea, I'd love to see this in practice!
A timely post, as yesterday EIGHT DIFFERENT neighbors, one after another, from early morning till dusk non-stop, were out on their disgusting, LOUD riding mowers. I was about to start throwing things. And I have the biggest yard around here - none of these people needs that much gas power, and ALL of them need exercise. Pfft.
Yes.
I admire goats and sheep but I think I'll stick with my human-powered reel mower.
Ducks are better. We have muscovy ducks and they do a great job of keeping the lawn cut. They don't make a mess and they aren't trouble makers like goats are.
I worked on a very small goat dairy farm when I was younger and needless to say goats are an awesome idea for clearing weeds and brush in back lots and pastures.but I am not so sure about someone's neatly cared for lawn with borders of time honored azaleas or something. I love goats and plan to keep some when I finally stop moving around and have the space...HOWEVER..that being said a grouchy Nanny goats will give you a swift head butt to the butt if she feels like it, goats can be very loud,and their droppings tend to a bit more of a heavy shower at times vs. something that the homeowner would not notice. Plus even farm dairy goats are good at jumping onto and eating almost anything.
It's all cute and cool until they eat your flowers and all of your precious antique cans you had laying around!!!!!
Great, great, great idea on all fronts. Hope the group that leases out the goats keeps a close eye on them. Not everyone is capable of tending to goats that have been rented out to them. They are ornery little guys, full of personality and curiosity. LOVE them but they like and need your attention somewhat more than sheep. Movable electric fences are meant to keep goats corralled so they DON'T get into your 'whatever' flowers, but still they tend to break down their boundaries. Makes me smile. Keeps you busy. They are very amusing.
that's a wonderful idea and if I lived there I would definitely rent a goat or another critter.
I guess I would have to babysit to make sure they don't get into plants I don't want eaten (although my garden consists mostly of foliage plants such as hostas etc).
Would the goats eat Japanese maples, too? LOL
@Rucy, thanks for sharing the story about your dad. My eyes got misty when I read it.
I am SO excited!!! I've been thinking for YEARS that goat or sheep lawn mowing would be the way to go! There is even a breed of goats which look just like a bizarre Hungarian sheepdog, in case your lawn-mowing goats have to work in disguise or undercover, due to local municipal anti-livestock bylaw issues.
Thank you, Apartment Therapy, you just made my day!
I would love to do this. Seriously. I live in the country and have 2 acres, they could do the backyard. My old high school actually installed a couple on the campus along with some llamas to keep the grass short and for the school's AG program. Two birds...
Many years ago, in very PC Berkeley, CA, goats were being used to control brush around the fringes of a fancy neighborhood full of heritage homes, Said goats ate a rose bush, at one of those homes, that was 100-plus years old. You have to keep on eye on those guys.
@Lemonchidori, thank you for pointing out the other side of goat ownership. They are remarkable animals, as Rucy relates, but they are also quirky, willful, and can be pretty smelly as well. They are much more than brush control and lawn mowing machines.
It doesn't have to mow my lawn...I just wanna rent a goat to hang out with it!
I love all animals.
Goats look sweet, I would not have them in the blistering heat here.
I'd never own one, but I'd be happy to have someone bring in a sheep or goat to snack away! Doesn't seem to be any local service offering it, though.
Our neighbors (in Portland) did this & it was great neighborhood entertainment...until the goats escaped & had to be wrangled--repeatedly. The moveable electric fence was semi-effective but not foolproof. I think the whole operation ended up being more of a headache than a help, even though the goats did a great job on ivy, blackberry vines, weeds, etc. and we loved watching them.
We have goats sheep and ducks. For lawn mowing I would choose ducks over anything else - my Indian Runners don't even fly and they respect short fences. Sheep staked out trim the grass and don't eat the bushes or trees. Goats? I'd use them to clear scrub and do weed control on a neglected property (the onlt thing that'll strip and thrive on brambles!) but in a yard? no way - they are browsers, they eat leaves off trees, choose the tastiest plants to behead (oh how they love peonies and roses!)and will strip bark off young trees. Of all our farm animals they are my favorite but they make lousy lawnmowers. Sheep yes as long as they are kept from garden beds, tiny wicket fencing will hold back my ducks.
Thanks CANADIANMANGO, I'm misty too, my dad's been gone over 20 years now but it never gets easier... though it does make me smile when I remember him with his goats.
I'm with those who say sheep are better mowers than goats...however if you need Poison Ivy cleared...
I like the idea in theory, but maybe not in practice. This weekend I wandered through a plant nursery. They have goats in a pen off to the side, and I only noticed because of the barnyard aroma drifting from there. The goats are cute, they might make amusing pets, but in suburbia, maybe they would not make friends!
I've been trying to get my mother to get some pygmy goats for this very reason. Not just for her yard, but as something to keep her busy in "retirement." Otherwise my love life may become her pet project. Joking! Love you Mom!
@Rucy That is the sweetest story. Thank you for sharing.
Don't forget, they poop a lot.
So they can mow your lawn and fertilize it at the same time!
I had a few goats growing up in TX. Loved their personality. Did great at eating the brush around the yard and trimming the roses! Wish someone would rent them in MN, we have a steep slope in our yard that's weedy and annoying to mow.
I had some neighbors rent goats to help clear out their jungle back yard. That's the only thing I'd recommend using the goats for, clearing out bramble, especially if it's difficult stuff to remove like removing all types of ivy (including the poisonous kind!), pricker bushes, kudzu, etc.
Goats are fantastic! Quirky, mischievous & stubborn. l always wanted to get one for my aging horse as a companion, but they literally eat EVERYTHING (rugs, horse tails...basically, anything within reach). I agree with the above post (@iheartmytho) that they would be great for the tough stuff, but regular lawn care, may be risky. Just as a side note...I have an especially fun (no sarcasm here) memory of having my car tire repeatedly rammed by an ornery goat, before I was able to drag it away by its horns. Although my horse has since passed on, I still hope to have a large enough property to have goats, as well as many other wonderful kinds of livestock.