3 ms·
When my coworkers see news like this they start telling me that I ought to bring my fleet of Nubian goats out on jobs like this. They do great work, easily dige
by ndespres 12y ago
When my coworkers see news like this they start telling me that I ought to bring my fleet of Nubian goats out on jobs like this. They do great work, easily digesting poison ivy (and destroying its seeds so it can't regrow from their droppings).
Goats are a big component of a project I'm working on now, where they will graze on fallow land, eating weeds and grasses, depositing fertilizer and tilling the land with their hooves in the process.
In a small farming operation where the negatives to using many chemicals (to fertilize crops, and to kill weeds) isn't even always safety or environmental, but simply cost-related: the work that grazing animals like goats can provide is a game-changer. Plus, they are super fun animals to be around. I used to think that having a few backyard chickens for eggs would always be a no-brainer decision, but now I am sure that I'll always keep a couple goats around too.
- stinos 12y agothey will graze on fallow land, eating weeds and grasses, depositing fertilizer and tilling the land with their hooves in the process Almost literally as it's described by John Seymour! Ok he talks about pigs, but there's not that much difference - quote: To say nothing of the fact that pigs are the finest free cultivators that were ever invented! They will clear your land, and plough it, and dung it, and harrow it, and leave it nearly ready for you to put your seed in, with no more labour to you than the occasional shifting of an electric fence
- ndespres 12y agoI've got my hands full with my current flock, but I would love to have pigs for this reason (among others). Would be great to have them root around in some scrub land as Seymour describes, then use its new fertility to grow grains to feed myself and the goats, continuing the cycle! Just not enough time in the day :)
- stinos 12y agoYeah I know the feeling, never enough time. Maintaining land+flock really seems to be a full time job. But pigs are awesome, very intelligent as well. We have some kunekune pigs and while they don't prepare the land as described above, they do happily eat grass and various kinds of plants the entire day and usually drop their dung in a couple of confined places so it's relatively easy to collect and use elsewhere. But I admit the main reason we have them is they are super adorable, cute, friendly, funny, play well together with goats, loved by children, don't require much looking after, you name it. Highly recommened :P
- ayuvar 12y agoWhat do you do for a living that involves strategizing around a 'fleet' of goats? Do you lease them out to a client or are you some kind of environmental planner? I've made jokes about getting a goat so I don't have to mow the lawn anymore, but you've clearly taken it to the next level.
- ndespres 12y agoMy partner and I run a small diversified farm. The goats are part of a small dairy for our personal consumption (dang restrictive raw dairy laws) as well as contributing to our production of goats' milk soap. Plus they make great fertilizer, which is really important for our field didn't have great nutrient content when we started.
- stinos 12y agoI usually don't look at profiles on HN, but seems when I do it's worth it. Visited your website and I'm impressed and really love what you are doing there. I truly believe if more people would go back (or in my view, forward) to such lifestyle or similar the world would be a better place in general. Me and my wife have been tinkering with ideas like this for a couple of years now but really didn't have the time to start (still rebuilding the house which came with the land). Seeing things like this definitely works as extra motivation.