Targeted grazing is the application of a specific kind of livestock at a determined season, duration, and intensity to accomplish defined vegetation or landscape goals. It is also known as “conservation grazing,” or “prescribed grazing” or “RX grazing.”

The controlled and monitored nature of targeted grazing separates it from the over-grazing that has, ironically, acquired a reputation for environmental damage.

Customers for targeted grazing include home owners, housing estates, public parks and trail systems, landfills, power transmission companies, golf courses, corporate campuses, business parks, colleges and universities, and more.

As developments are increasingly required to use green infrastructure to manage stormwater and deliver other benefits, goats are proving to be ideal for the maintenance of these amenities.

Our goats are not specifically trained to eat certain plants and avoid others, but it’s fortunate that many goat favorites are common nuisance or invasive species. These include: poison ivy, honeysuckle, multiflora rose, buckthorn, autumn olive, garlic mustard, oriental bittersweet, thistle, ragweed, sericea, leafy spurge, wild parsnip, raspberry, blackberry, mulberry, vetch.

Goats also eat grass, but if the above plants and other brush and weeds are available grass will make up a relatively small portion of their diets.

Because each site differs in vegetation density and complexity, it’s difficult to provide a hard and fast dollar figure. Rates also vary from one place to another based on local market conditions.

Contact us with a description of your property and you’ll be provided with some ballpark dollar figures. We’ll usually want to conduct a free, no-obligation visit to your property before we put together a formal “goat quote” for you.

That depends on the density of vegetation and the size of the property. Once we know more about your site and your goals we’ll be able to give you an estimate. Projects taking more than 10 days per acre are rare, and 4-7 days per acre is more typical. Generally, you can expect a short-duration service designed to get the job done quickly and efficiently while still giving you plenty of time to enjoy the process.

Our targeted grazing service is usually most cost-effective close to where we have a goats based. The larger the project the farther we can travel and still keep costs in line. Our geographic reach is constantly growing, so contact us even if you think you might be too far away.

The short answer is “yes.” The vegetation will eventually grow back, just as it will with mechanical cutting and herbicide treatments. How quickly it returns and the amount of post-goat maintenance needed depend on how the goats are applied, the season in which they are applied, and the condition of the preferred vegetation in the area. We can help you formulate a long term strategy that matches your goals for your property.

Yes, our goats need to eat, but if we were only interested in putting weight on goats we would choose a much more efficient way to do it. We deliver a valuable, professional service that has real and significant costs if done the right way.

When you hire Horn 2 Hoof Goatscaping you get an insured, experienced, conservation-minded service provider that delivers a thoughtful strategy, not just a bunch of goats. If you find someone willing to charge a lot less you can be sure you’re dealing with a livestock feeder, not a targeted grazing service.

We typically don’t “rent out” small numbers of goats to customers for long stretches. Instead, we graze quickly and intensely with anywhere from 20 to upwards of 200 goats in a rotational, “mob grazing” style. This approach also comes with a high level of service. We do all the work so you can relax and enjoy the show.

Think of goats as brush busters rather than lawn mowers. They will eat grass, but they really shine on dense weeds and brush. If your lawn is hopelessly overgrown and you’d like to get a fresh start, then goats would certainly help return it to a manageable state. Most customers, though, would not be satisfied with goats as an ongoing replacement for a lawn mower on turf grass.

Local rules vary, so you’ll need to check with your local jurisdiction. Not every local government is familiar with targeted grazing, so let them know that you’ll be hiring a short-duration, professional service rather than keeping livestock continuously on your property.

Your nose is unlikely to tell you there are goats nearby. Breeding males are odoriferous, but these will not typically be on your property. Goats make a little noise, but most people find their bleats to be pleasant and certainly not a nuisance.

We use portable electric fencing and a solar-charged power source to contain the goats. This allows us to be flexible. We can concentrate goats on small problem areas, move them from spot to spot, or let them roam whole properties.

We’ll check on the goats regularly and carefully monitor the progress of the grazing project, but we don’t typically stay on-site constantly. Our goats often sleep under the stars on customers’ properties, but depending on location and the anticipated length of stay we may take the goats home overnight or load them into our nearby trailer.