Illinois Landscaping Goats:

[mucifer]

To reduce the use of herbicides and to clear out shrubs, trim back overgrowth, remove invasive plants and maintain landscaping in hard to reach stretches of Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) property, the MWRD temporarily hired 50 goats and sheep at its Lemont Water Reclamation Plant. Over a four week period, these hard workers trimmed the grounds covering several acres. They moved quickly across inaccessible areas, while also eliminating the MWRD’s need for herbicides or fuel to power lawn mowers.

The goats and sheep represent a new landscaping tool, said owner Ben Robel of Vegetation Solutions. “Grazing is one more tool to control landscaping,” Robel said. Based in Richland Center, Wisconsin, Vegetation Solutions has about 300 goats and sheep in its stable, grazing through cemeteries and parks, clearing out overgrowth at O’Hare International Airport, Downers Grove Park District, and even an island on Fox Lake in Lake County, among other places.

Between the 50 animals, they could plow through nearly four acres of thick native prairie landscaping that is 10 feet high over two weeks. Vegetation Solutions worked with MWRD to provide the animals with water and a fencing system that kept them from roaming away, while also preventing other wildlife like coyote and foxes from entering their work area.

[Bayard]

1. We're trying to get fencing finishing going up through some of our woods

So our Nigerian goats can clear the underbrush. They will take it out quickly, and they will eat stuff like poison ivy and thorny wild blackberries with no ill effects.

We just had another couple born in the past few weeks. We're up to 16.

[mucifer]

3. That's amazing!!

[SheltieLover]

2. I once knew a family who rented goats by the week for "mowing"

Great idea, imo!

[kimbutgar]

4. We have these goats that come to a reservoir every year in June or July to eat the weeds

It’s right in my neighborhood in San Francisco. The goats are very friendly. I thought about hiring them to clean up my yard and it wasn’t so expensive but I don’t know if my neighbors would be ok with it!

[Bayard]

5. Problem is they also love to eat your landscaping and flowers!