Herds of goats to graze on invasive plants

**SarasotaRepub** · 07-07-2011, 11:29 AM

Attention Rock!!!! :eek:

By John Wist

| Wednesday, Jul 6, 2011 | Updated 6:36 PM EDT

If you hear some “baa’s” instead of the rumble of a lawnmower in Gaithersburg, you're hearing the city's new grounds crew.

Two herds of goats, supplied by Eco-Goats (yes, it’s a real business), will be grazing on the property of the Izaak Walton League headquarters on Muddy Branch Road. It will take 16 days for the herds to cover the property in an effort to remove invasive species of plants like Japanese Stiltgrass, Mile-A-Minute Vine, Autumn Olive and Oriental Bittersweet.

After the goats use their talents to trim back the plants, an herbicide will be sprayed and then a new planting plan will be put in place by the Izaak Walton League to keep the invasive plants from coming back.

According to Gaithersburg officials, goats are an effective way to eradicate invasive species and have been used in Anne Arundel County, St. Mary’s County and Maryland State Highway Administration. Eco-Goats will provide all the shelter, food and water for the goats during their lawn mowing duties.

:D

**Rockntractor** · 07-07-2011, 11:36 AM

You can eat them when they finish mowing too!:D

**SaintLouieWoman** · 07-07-2011, 05:20 PM

They did this at the ST Louis Zoo right before I left. They asked for volunteers to take the goats from the Children's Zoo outside the boundaries of the zoo to the grounds of Forest Park (where zoo is located). There were a lot of invasive plants getting into the Kennedy Forest. The goats did a super job. I'm sure they thought it was better than having all those kids petting them during the summer tourist season. :D

**lacarnut** · 07-07-2011, 05:25 PM

If we could only get goats to eat liberals.:eek:

:)

**SaintLouieWoman** · 07-07-2011, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by lacarnut

If we could only get goats to eat liberals.:eek:

Nah, goats have a strong digestive system, will eat about anything, but don't think they'd be too keen on libs. :D

The goats at the Children's Zoo in STL truly ate about anything and everything. I always had to caution parents to NOT bring in strollers, but to leave them by the gate. The goats thought they were tasty, ditto any food that they could nose out of the strollers. One kid wouldn't let her mom carry a fancy straw hat she was wearing with long, tempting streamers. I warned them, but the kid wouldn't listen. She was really crying when she left. The hat had big holes and part of the ribbon streamers were gone. :eek: