Is it true that in some municipalities sheep/goats are used for clipping grass?

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Is it true that in some municipalities sheep/goats are used for clipping grass? I'd like to know, especially if you live in one of these areas and what the pros and cons have been?

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), October 15, 2001

Answers

I know that they are used to keep the grass along side the runways and taxiways at a reserve Marine Corps Air Station in PA. They are also used aboard Camp Pendleton to keep the growth in the hills from going crazy, since our fire season is long. It makes good logistical sense to use them, too - and I've never heard one complain about the pay.

-- Wendy Antes (phillips-anteswe@pendleton.usmc.mil), October 15, 2001.

there was an article published nationwide on sunday about goats being used around the san francisco area. they cheaply eat the underbrush and greatly lower the fire risk. in addition to costing less than sending people in to do the job, the goats work very well on extremely steep slopes, etc. goat herd owners were charging around $700 per acre for their services.

gene

-- gene ward (gward34847@aol.com), October 15, 2001.


So how does this work--a goat herder has herding dogs that keep the goats where they want them? I just can't picture this--but I haven't seen goats herded either.

how would you tell the dogs what quadrant was being "clipped". Use flourescent cones? I know, I saw the movie BABE but still don't know how this is done.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), October 15, 2001.


On "Animal Planet" a few months back there was a program about this. A portable fence is installed and moved as soon as the critters do their trimming, they are trailored in in the morning and picked up at night.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), October 15, 2001.

Don't they use sheep in Williamsburg, VA to keep the grass trimmed to keep things "authentic"?

-- Walt S. Krater (kraterkrew@lcsys.net), October 15, 2001.


Yep. It's being done. Below is a link to the pilot project started a few years ago in NH.

http://www.psnh.com/nhmatters/protect/rowsheep.shtml

-- pc (pcha@ludl.tds.net), October 15, 2001.


I saw an article this summer about Tallahasse Florida using sheep for keeping the grass trimmed in a park up there. Apperently the sheep were rented from a sheep farmer in Vermont. The sheep were penned up every night and left in protection of a guardian dog. Well I guess someone was stealing the sheep at night.

-- Mark in N.C. Fla. (deadgoatman@webtv.net), October 15, 2001.

They did this here!!! Twice now I have seen the same big creekbed cleared with goats. They use the portable fence..trailering them in and out method...and there must be 150 goats out there all at once. Within just a few days they had cleared a whole area that gets very overgrown, next to farm feils...sort of a big ditch thing that would be very hard to get heavy equipment in. Some of the people who live near there complained..but I don't understand why...it was quick, clean and they did a great job. Looked like alot of mixed breed regular size goats....every color and description. Great idea!!!!!!!!!

-- Jenny (auntjenny6@aol.com), October 16, 2001.

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