Now this is how you do it!

We were blessed with an abundance of rain for a good 2-3 weeks. We are still in a deficit for the year, but the green stuff around here is growing by leaps and bounds.  We have a small lot surrounded with fence that is used to contain the goats on the day we do FAMACHA scoring.  Since this area is vacant for the rest of time, with no animal to nibble the weeds/grass, it has become a jungle.  It was decided that the goats should be turned into this area to "mow it down".

    

Happy munching!

There was plenty to eat on that's for sure.  As soon as they entered the lot, the whole herd went to eating.  All you could hear was a lot of chowing down. 

There are some weeds here that are usually a pain for most farmers, but our goats love to eat it.  We call this particular one below an iron weed, but I don't think that is what it really is.  It is super tough, and no animals really prefer to eat it.  It will take over a small area in a few years before you know it, unless you have goats.  Yet another reason goats are a great asset to forage management.  Here is a closer picture of the weed mentioned above.  If you happen to know what it is called, let me know.  I've been trying to figure it out....

The goats were put into this lot for about three days.  This is a picture of what it looked like before they entered....

And after....

A picture of a different section of the lot before.......

And after....

It's amazing how well the goats can clean up an area.  We've put our cows in similar situations, but they usually eat the grass and leave all of the weeds.  Then someone has to go in and clip all of the weeds down.  The only work that had to be done to this area after moving the goats out, was to close the gate behind them :)