Noxious weeds vs. the Bearded Bio Avengers

You know they are out there, growing, getting stronger. You are concerned about too much chemical use. Last year weeds literally drove you to your knees. You need help. Then you remember hearing about them.

They can be used in areas where other management methods may not be efficient, effective or allowed. They can also be quite effective when used in combination with other weed control measures.

Bearded Bio Avengers to the rescue!

Goats (yes, goats) can be used as an effective tool for noxious weed management because of their preference for particular weeds. Compared to other domestic herbivores, goats have unique dietary preferences. Cattle prefer grasses and sheep prefer forbs (non-grass like plants), but goats prefer twigs and tender plant shoots.

Grazing can be part of an integrated control plan with chemical or other biological controls. Grazing can be used to remove old growth on noxious weeds, with the herbicide applied to the re-growth. This increases the effectiveness of the herbicide.

Some weeds are managed more successfully with grazing than others. Grazing needs to take place at a specific time for the plants to be palatable to the goats. Goats prefer most plants early in the spring when they are tender, but this may not be the optimum time to use grazing as a weed management tool.

Determining what the goats will eat can be controlled by the choice of management method:

Herding: Allowing goats to roam within a specific area while controlling their movements by herding lets them be more selective.

Penning: In confinement situations, goats will graze their preferred weeds first, then eventually consume the less preferred plants.

Tethering: Goats can also be staked or tethered to graze in weed-infested areas. A collar is placed on the goat, with an attached rope or chain secured to a stationary object such as a stake driven in the ground or a fencepost.

Pasturing: Goats can be used for weed control in pastures. As browsers, they have a natural preference for plants other than grass. They will search out these plants for grazing first.

Using goats to control noxious weeds requires a long-term commitment. Due to extensive root systems and long-lived seeds in the soil, many noxious weeds can recover quickly after the grazing pressure is removed. An effective noxious weed control program requires proper management of goats and goals consistent with this type of program. As with other control measures, goat grazing must be applied properly to be efficient and effective.