Why Goats?
Conservation grazing with goats mimics the ecological role that would have been naturally held by wild herbivores historically found in the landscape. The unique grazing and browsing behaviour of our native breed Royal Golden Guernsey goats leaves a healthy natural mosaic with varied sward length whilst controlling dominant species such as brambles, bracken and gorse, and invasive species such as Himalayan balsam, which are not often tackled by other species of livestock. This allows more delicate species to thrive and areas restored to create habitats that are more able to support biodiverse and bioabundant ecosystems. Goats are light on the ground and very agile, helping to minimise poaching and compaction, and make them perfectly suited to steep and rough terrain.
Fencing
We train all of our goats to respect three string electric fencing from a young age. Understanding the motivations of our herd and a sound knowledge of animal behaviour has been key in ensuring our goats are safely and happily contained and we always keep this in mind when setting up fencing compartments for them. We have successfully trained a group of our goats to NoFence collars and have extensive experience in setting up and using this software for a conservation grazing system. Did you know that NoFence collars were initially designed for conservation grazing goats in Norway? Our herd are both recall and bucket trained to ensure easy and stress free movements and handling.
Habitat Goals
Our goats are great for:
- Grassland, Woodland and Heathland maintenance
- Scrub control and clearance (including blackthorn and gorse!)
- Bramble clearance
- Clearance of dominant species such as nettles, thistles and dock
- Invasive species control such as Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed
How we work
When we receive an enquiry we will firstly conduct a site visit, discussing habitat goals, style of fencing, grazing timings and stocking densities. We will then draw up a personalised quote and grazing contract. Whilst our goats are on site we make sure their welfare is checked daily and will always respond to emergency calls if they arise, whilst also monitoring their impact on the land in relation to the habitat goals of the site.
Enquire About Conservation Grazing
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