Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7827964
03/23/23 11:53 PM
03/23/23 11:53 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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If goats work I may get 1 or 2.
I had the Forester at my property this week & he said buckthorn can be treated in the winter. Maybe he was talking about using Tordon because I didn't think the Garlon I use via cut stump treatment would be effective in winter. Intriguing though.
Last edited by AJE; 03/23/23 11:55 PM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7854219
04/27/23 08:51 AM
04/27/23 08:51 AM
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Joined: Dec 2013
Greene County,Virginia
run
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2013
Greene County,Virginia
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There's a business called brush busters that rents goats out to people with overgrown land in the Charlottesville ,VA area. I have seen the goats @ work. I don't know exactly how it compares to using herbicide. But roundup is slowly being phased out by local laws. I do have a landscaper that uses Roundup on the sly. Whenever a car drives by they stop spraying. They have a lookout dude who yells "car". At least one other state has phased out roundup for non row crop usage.
wanna be goat farmer.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Dirty D]
#7854327
04/27/23 11:31 AM
04/27/23 11:31 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
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personally I would never use goats on any property that wasn't in really sad shape to begin with. Even then what the goats do will not guarantee elimination, just knocks them back for a year.
I killed most of my Buckthorn using the basal bark method using Garlon 4 for the herbicide mixed with diesel. Gotta be careful with it tho and avoid over application. My place (approx 20 acre of woods) that had Buckthorn did not have it very bad. Scattered in 3-4 areas and none of the areas it was dominate. I have 20 acres of woods too. I thought about the goat idea. After a little research, it is as you say. It knocks the buckthorn back for a year, but comes back the next year. I cut the larger plants down and paint the stumps with undiluted Crossbow. That kills the tree. New emergent plants can be killed with a diluted Crossbow spray. I also have an abundance of prickly ash that I treat the same way as the buckthorn. The prickly ash is much easier to kill than buckthorn.
My new car has a button for pretty much everything. Even has one that says rear wiper. Still too afraid to try that one.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: BTLowry]
#7854338
04/27/23 11:42 AM
04/27/23 11:42 AM
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Joined: Feb 2020
Indiana
Providence Farm
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2020
Indiana
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As a goat owner I will tell you that you are wasting your time.
We had 40 something at one time. They eat what you most want them too last 99% of the time. The cost to fence 100ac to reliably keep a goat in will be significant
On top of that if you do not have rocky soil you will be trimming hooves regularly AND they are the most parasite prone critter I have ever owned.
If I had 100 ac of "brush" I would hire someone with equipment to get it cleaned up. Think heavy equipment, push up and burn. Then get a sprayer, educate yourself on the best herbicide for basal spraying the targeted species and get to spraying any new growth.
100 ac is nothing to attack on foot unless the undesired stuff makes up a small percentage of what is there
He does not need to fence the entire property. He only needs a 3 to 5 sections of premier 1 electro net fence a battery, solar panel and energizer. Then just move the fence when they have eaten it down.. hoof trimming I'd once every 3 months and simple. Parasites are much lead of an issue tlwhen you are moving the goats around vs leaving them in the same area. Mowing my path, Moving my fence pulling and driving the ground rod only takes an hour and half maybe 2.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#7855606
04/29/23 03:18 AM
04/29/23 03:18 AM
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Joined: Feb 2020
Indiana
Providence Farm
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2020
Indiana
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Instead of fencing, could a person put the goat on some sort of leash/anchor with swivels? Yes, but I did have one get into yellow jackets and couldn't get away from them like that . I won't do it again and do not recommend.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#7855652
04/29/23 07:32 AM
04/29/23 07:32 AM
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
Donnersurvivor
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Jan 2018
MN
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Instead of fencing, could a person put the goat on some sort of leash/anchor with swivels? I wanted to use electronic dog collars. I've heard goats can be trained to it and they're cheap compared to goat fence
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Northernbeaver]
#7856192
04/29/23 11:20 PM
04/29/23 11:20 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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Use chemicals and mechanical means of pulling. I've waged war on buck thorn. It is the Devil of the Woods. This sums up exactly what I do and have experienced. I'm not sure how forests in Wisconsin are going to have a future because most people are doing nothing about buckthorn. I would imagine there's a risk coyotes and bobcat could harass a goat On an infested property it'd be easy to keep a goat busy all summer probably, but during the off season I'm not sure what the best thing to do with the goat would be-- perhaps find a farmer willing to hold it
Last edited by AJE; 04/29/23 11:48 PM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Providence Farm]
#7856302
04/30/23 08:01 AM
04/30/23 08:01 AM
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Joined: Feb 2014
East Texas
BTLowry
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trapper
Joined: Feb 2014
East Texas
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As a goat owner I will tell you that you are wasting your time.
We had 40 something at one time. They eat what you most want them too last 99% of the time. The cost to fence 100ac to reliably keep a goat in will be significant
On top of that if you do not have rocky soil you will be trimming hooves regularly AND they are the most parasite prone critter I have ever owned.
If I had 100 ac of "brush" I would hire someone with equipment to get it cleaned up. Think heavy equipment, push up and burn. Then get a sprayer, educate yourself on the best herbicide for basal spraying the targeted species and get to spraying any new growth.
100 ac is nothing to attack on foot unless the undesired stuff makes up a small percentage of what is there
He does not need to fence the entire property. He only needs a 3 to 5 sections of premier 1 electro net fence a battery, solar panel and energizer. Then just move the fence when they have eaten it down.. hoof trimming I'd once every 3 months and simple. Parasites are much lead of an issue tlwhen you are moving the goats around vs leaving them in the same area. Mowing my path, Moving my fence pulling and driving the ground rod only takes an hour and half maybe 2. Well if he can mow paths through it, I would mow what I could and basal spray the buckthorn. Goats are not going to kill brush too big to mow anyway, they will only clear the vegetation they can eat. Ground to 4' or so. Bottom line is you have your opinion of goats and as a FORMER owner of goats I have mine. OP needs pros and cons to make a decision and I am just providing some cons 
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7856416
04/30/23 10:24 AM
04/30/23 10:24 AM
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Joined: Dec 2007
Kanabec Cty, MN
Drakej
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2007
Kanabec Cty, MN
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When Buchthorn showed up on our 120 A about 15 yrs ago most of it it was still saplings(5-10') and not too difficult to pull or grub out with a mattock. We divided the property into sections and my deer hunting gang chipped in a day of service work each fall as we we checked stands and trimmed/cleared trails when buckthorn is easy to stop(one of the last to loose its leaves so it stands out) and cleared a section in a four year rotation(actually took a couple days first year each section. Lucky few of the buckthorn were larger than 1" dia. yet. Those mother seed trees that larger we sawed off and the stump covered with 8mil BLACK plastic and zip tied in place(has killed 99%) that I read about some specialist recommending. Now each year it takes about 1/2 day to pull knee to head size saplings to keep up for each section. Buckthorn is usually shallow rooted and is easy to just pull out at that size and find. Just be sure to not just drop pulled sapling roots down back on the ground as they are tough and often will reroot to ground. We shake as much soil off the roots as possible. We are 95% buckthorn free now, with only 4yr and younger seedlings but it will another yearly CHORE! No doubt each piece off property will be need different control efforts. We are fortunate to have most heavy mature woods with less ground light that helps buckthorn take control. But the Black plastic method has been far more effective that herbicides we tried(even hi-con Glyps).
A local got goats for his 5 A, he now has half the trees he once had(many debarked by them) and zero understory of any kind - BUT no buckthorn, lol.
I've learned enough thru the years to now know that I don't know enough. KNOWLEDGE IS FREEDOM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#7856589
04/30/23 02:38 PM
04/30/23 02:38 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Duluth, MN
Clark
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Duluth, MN
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Maybe he was talking about using Tordon because I didn't think the Garlon I use via cut stump treatment would be effective in winter. Intriguing though. Garlon 4(?), which ever one is mixed with oil, will kill stump-cut treated hardwoods in the winter. The water-based version needs a fresh cut and it should be during the growing season…I think. We use the oil-mixed version and treat ash stumps throughout the winter. Drakej - Good on you for managing your property well! It’s a lot of work but considering how unusable the land becomes once buckthorn takes over it is well worth doing. Donnie - What forest type are you working with? If you have oak and other fire tolerant species in the over story then a combination of mechanical treatment, stump spraying and burning should put momentum on your side. If you have aspen, maple or other fire intolerant species you can do the same but not burn. I can give you more details if you’re interested.
Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen. -Albert Einstein
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7856668
04/30/23 04:22 PM
04/30/23 04:22 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Duluth, MN
Clark
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Duluth, MN
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Fire is only a nightmare if it gets out of control.  A growing season burn is the one that will set buckthorn back and hopefully kill it, root and all. Fires that time of the year are slow and easy to control. You do have options and while the neighbors aren’t currently helping the matter, good management on your side can be the ticket to getting them on board and doing something.
Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen. -Albert Einstein
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7859014
05/04/23 12:08 AM
05/04/23 12:08 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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I have primarily a oak forest but burning here would be a nightmare. Huge swamps full of dead cattails and fields full of corn. At this point I don't see a solution. Even if I cleared it it would just keep coming in from the neighbors. Best I can do is cut and treat the large females and try and allow some trees to grow past it. My neighbors won't do anything about theirs either. It probably causes me twice the work. Maybe if I get a goat I'll let them borrow it.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7882135
06/11/23 12:13 AM
06/11/23 12:13 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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I went to a conservation event today & there was a guy there that has witnessed several goat vs buckthorn operations. He made it sound like they're popular around the Twin Cities. He said it's interesting to watch, as often times 1 goat will knock over a buckthorn plant and the others will go in a sort of 'attack' mode on that buckthorn as the other 1 pushes it down.
If I get a goat I suppose I should get 2 or 3. 1 person told me they make decent pets. I'm not sure how they would be in the winter though or how costly they are to procure or maintain.
Last edited by AJE; 06/11/23 12:15 AM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7885518
06/15/23 09:43 PM
06/15/23 09:43 PM
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
Donnersurvivor
OP
trapper
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OP
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
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Did it seem like they were eating the buckthorn or do they just eat everything leafy they can reach?
Last edited by Donnersurvivor; 06/15/23 09:43 PM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7885539
06/15/23 10:34 PM
06/15/23 10:34 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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Everything leafy, it seemed. I've been pondering getting a couple, but I feel like more research needs to be done
Last edited by AJE; 06/15/23 10:35 PM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#7885544
06/15/23 10:49 PM
06/15/23 10:49 PM
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
Donnersurvivor
OP
trapper
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OP
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
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Everything leafy, it seemed. I've been pondering getting a couple, but I feel like more research needs to be done It kind of defeats the point of getting rid of buckthorn if everything else is eaten as well. At that point you're just losing cover
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7885550
06/15/23 11:01 PM
06/15/23 11:01 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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I'll be attending another goat demo on August 24th but that one will be with a different company's goats in attendance. It'd be nice if a person could talk to a private landowner that has just a few goats and quite a bit of experience with this. With those that haul around a massive amount of goats for a business, it seems like they are big on a marketing pitch and don't want to give out too much individual advice b/c they'd rather you hire them than get your own goats
Last edited by AJE; 06/15/23 11:02 PM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7886070
06/16/23 10:24 PM
06/16/23 10:24 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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Everything leafy, it seemed. I've been pondering getting a couple, but I feel like more research needs to be done It kind of defeats the point of getting rid of buckthorn if everything else is eaten as well. At that point you're just losing cover There's only certain situations when a person would want to use a goats.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7886095
06/16/23 10:39 PM
06/16/23 10:39 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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They didn't seem to be bothering the bark of larger desirable trees
Maybe a couple goats would make decent pets
Maintaining the goats in the winter could be a challenge
I'm not sure how costly it would be to procure & maintain a couple goats
I have plenty they could eat on my 8 acre homestead
An electric fenced pen is what they used yesterday & what I would probably want. For a couple goats on my homestead, a small pen would probably do
They don't have problems w/ predators, but maybe that is b/c the pros have such a large herd
They didn't say anything about a need for trips to the dr (vet)
Maybe a couple calf hutches in the pen could provide them cover. Winter could be a different story
Last edited by AJE; 06/16/23 10:49 PM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7903276
07/10/23 11:54 PM
07/10/23 11:54 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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I'm wondering if I can let a few goats out into the adjoining woods without fencing, hoping they'll eat buckthorn but stay near the herd.
'Might work fine but I wonder if yotes & bobcats would leave them be
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#7903353
07/11/23 07:30 AM
07/11/23 07:30 AM
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
Donnersurvivor
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Jan 2018
MN
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I'm wondering if I can let a few goats out into the adjoining woods without fencing, hoping they'll eat buckthorn but stay near the herd.
'Might work fine but I wonder if yotes & bobcats would leave them be Not much for cats here, yotes can be taken care of year round and it's near the house.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7906342
07/15/23 12:48 AM
07/15/23 12:48 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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I have 10 acres of my pasture fenced in woven wire now. Planning on adding some goats to it and seeing how they perform on weed control.
Let us know how it goes.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#7907001
07/15/23 11:53 PM
07/15/23 11:53 PM
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
Donnersurvivor
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Jan 2018
MN
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I have 10 acres of my pasture fenced in woven wire now. Planning on adding some goats to it and seeing how they perform on weed control.
Let us know how it goes. I have my first 4 goats. I have two locked in a small pen with no feed near the house, I'm cutting thistle and Buckthorn and feeding it to them, trying to teach them to target my main issues, not sure if what I'm doing will help once they are out on pasture or not. The two goats in a larger pen are eating some Thistle but mainly eating grass, not impressed with the amount of grass they're eating VS weeds so far.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: gcs]
#7923697
08/08/23 06:12 PM
08/08/23 06:12 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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I think the problem your going to find is unless you fence them in tight you won't get the weed control you want, they'll eat what they like and leave the rest if giving them too much room. The flip side is if containing them in a small "paddock" they'll end up eating everything and leaving a wasteland. You need to rotate through the area to avoid that, so you may get some control over the invasives but probably never eliminate them unless you go the wasteland route. It will be a balancing act. I agree there is no perfect solution.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: run]
#7926283
08/12/23 12:30 AM
08/12/23 12:30 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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AJE, in the off season - butcher and eat the goat. Problem solved! I'll probably get pygmy goats instead of the boer meat goats. For my 5 acre homestead.
Last edited by AJE; 08/12/23 12:45 AM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7926292
08/12/23 12:44 AM
08/12/23 12:44 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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Instead of fencing, could a person put the goat on some sort of leash/anchor with swivels? I wanted to use electronic dog collars. I've heard goats can be trained to it and they're cheap compared to goat fence They make shoulder harnesses to mitigate the risk of a choking/entanglement hazard from a neck leash. I would hate to have 1 get into bees though. I haven't heard of a goat w/ an electronic collar.
Last edited by AJE; 08/12/23 12:47 AM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7930586
08/18/23 12:56 AM
08/18/23 12:56 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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I'm glad yours are working out.
That's interesting b/c I talked to several goat people & they said boers are more aggressive than pygmy goats. But maybe pygmy are more known to jump & eat bark.
I plan on ordering a couple soon for my 5 acre homestead. 'Not sure what type yet. Some use Kiko's.
I toured a farm with some pygmies the other night. My dad held some green foliage in front of 'em & they didn't seem interested. I held a couple buckthorn branches into the pen & they went wild over it.
I heard boers are louder, which wouldn't be good if their bellering wakes a person up in the morning
I haven't ruled out boers, but 1 downfall is I think they would require more supplemental food in the winter
If I need to transport a pygmy I could maybe put it in my large Bobcat cage
Last edited by AJE; 08/18/23 01:48 PM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#7931301
08/19/23 02:45 AM
08/19/23 02:45 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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I signed up to attend this goat demo: TTT. It's not too late to sign up for this event.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#7941506
08/31/23 10:01 PM
08/31/23 10:01 PM
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
Donnersurvivor
OP
trapper
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OP
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
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Good info so far, thanks. I'm getting a couple of female pygmys next year. Hopefully I can keep them from geting parasites I feel like if you keep them on browse you can keep the parasites down. The problem is with feeding hay and dry lots.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7958456
09/25/23 11:09 PM
09/25/23 11:09 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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I don't know if I will feed 'em hay. In the winter I'll give them 'All Stock' pellets & maybe some sort of mineral block. I bet they would enjoy table scraps too
Last edited by AJE; 09/25/23 11:09 PM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#7968184
10/10/23 12:49 AM
10/10/23 12:49 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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Pretty soon the native plants will have lost their leaves for the season, leaving goats to focus on buckthorn probably more than ever
Last edited by AJE; 10/10/23 12:50 AM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#7968268
10/10/23 07:28 AM
10/10/23 07:28 AM
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
Donnersurvivor
OP
trapper
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OP
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
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Pretty soon the native plants will have lost their leaves for the season, leaving goats to focus on buckthorn probably more than ever The goats not only eat the buck thorn leaves, they eat the berries rendering most of them no longer viable. I've done acres with the goats so far, after they eat the low stuff I go cut any additional tall buckthorn down and they eat the leaves and berries from that. They also eat the small red cedars. The natives that take the biggest hit are boxelders and cherry, they love cherry bark from young trees.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#7968875
10/10/23 11:11 PM
10/10/23 11:11 PM
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
Donnersurvivor
OP
trapper
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OP
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
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If they eat my black cherry, that's fine with me. Same here, I cut cherries for them to eat, they hammer them
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#8006570
11/29/23 12:40 AM
11/29/23 12:40 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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If they eat my black cherry, that's fine with me. Same here, I cut cherries for them to eat, they hammer them It's probably nutritious for them.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Dirty D]
#8033090
12/28/23 11:09 AM
12/28/23 11:09 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
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personally I would never use goats on any property that wasn't in really sad shape to begin with. Even then what the goats do will not guarantee elimination, just knocks them back for a year.
I killed most of my Buckthorn using the basal bark method using Garlon 4 for the herbicide mixed with diesel. Gotta be careful with it tho and avoid over application. My place (approx 20 acre of woods) that had Buckthorn did not have it very bad. Scattered in 3-4 areas and none of the areas it was dominate. Goats will eat the new emerging plants. But, they will come back the next year. I cut the larger seed -bearing plants off and paint them with Crossbow undiluted. The new emerging plants I sprayed with diluted Crossbow or Crossroads. They don't come back.
My new car has a button for pretty much everything. Even has one that says rear wiper. Still too afraid to try that one.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#8035841
12/31/23 02:32 AM
12/31/23 02:32 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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I will say, if you don't like the goats you won't like managing the buckthorn this way.
After the goats go through its very easy to go in and cut the big stuff down, next time the goats go in they will now be able to eat everything. Seeds are viable for 2 years, getting rid of buckthorn is at minimum a 3 year process no matter what.
Our woods had a area of huge elms, when they all died it became a huge mess of buckthorn, I feel the goats are the best way to catch up with it and I enjoy raising livestock, win, win. X2
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#8039104
01/03/24 02:35 PM
01/03/24 02:35 PM
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Joined: Dec 2013
Greene County,Virginia
run
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2013
Greene County,Virginia
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I had an interesting scenario unfold this month. An acquaintance of my family is offering me to borrow some of his boer goats in exchange for doing some nuisance trapping at his farm. That's always an interesting experience.
wanna be goat farmer.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#8039142
01/03/24 03:31 PM
01/03/24 03:31 PM
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BeLiSlE330
Unregistered
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BeLiSlE330
Unregistered
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#8039175
01/03/24 04:53 PM
01/03/24 04:53 PM
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
Donnersurvivor
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Jan 2018
MN
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Do you have trouble with mice chewing the extension chord on your heated water dish? I have not had trouble with that.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#8039200
01/03/24 05:40 PM
01/03/24 05:40 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
east central WI
Dirty D
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2014
east central WI
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trouble with goats used in any natural area is they are going to eat pretty much everything including buckthorn and honeysuckle. The collateral damage would be horrific. . Most perennials will come back. So if you want get rid of buckthorn its going to take several years of goats. And even then you'll have to treat the larger ones that the goats don't kill.
Then if your lucky after several years of goats tearing up your land and denuding it its wide open for all manner of invasive plants. Burdock, thistles and so forth.
No way I would ever put goats in a natural area. The only way was if I knew their food preference matched what I wanted to get rid of and then it would be only for short enough period of time so once they got rid of the targeted stuff they'd be pulled before they started on the rest of the stuff.
I'll stick to cutting a treating the stumps with herbicide. While it maybe more time consuming and more than likely more expensive it is the best way with no collateral damage.
Last edited by Dirty D; 01/03/24 05:40 PM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Dirty D]
#8039251
01/03/24 07:13 PM
01/03/24 07:13 PM
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
Donnersurvivor
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Jan 2018
MN
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trouble with goats used in any natural area is they are going to eat pretty much everything including buckthorn and honeysuckle. The collateral damage would be horrific. . Most perennials will come back. So if you want get rid of buckthorn its going to take several years of goats. And even then you'll have to treat the larger ones that the goats don't kill.
Then if your lucky after several years of goats tearing up your land and denuding it its wide open for all manner of invasive plants. Burdock, thistles and so forth.
No way I would ever put goats in a natural area. The only way was if I knew their food preference matched what I wanted to get rid of and then it would be only for short enough period of time so once they got rid of the targeted stuff they'd be pulled before they started on the rest of the stuff.
I'll stick to cutting a treating the stumps with herbicide. While it maybe more time consuming and more than likely more expensive it is the best way with no collateral damage.
The areas I'm working in are solid buckthorn to the point it's hard to walk through, after the goats go through its way easier to work in the area. I've cut and poisoned these areas since I was a little kid 25 years ago with little progress, the goats are making short work of my worst areas and I can always put them back in for a tune up anytime.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#8040468
01/05/24 12:01 AM
01/05/24 12:01 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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You both make some valid points. It depends on the property & how you manage the goats. For the property I hunt on, the situation is like Dirty D where I don't want goats out there, for reasons like what he eludes to. On the other hand, my 5 acre homestead in a different township is perfect for goats, thus why I have some goats on order. Goats absolutely are not for everyone, in fact I'd say they are only good for a small % of certain situations & for people that have done their homework.
AJE Invasive Species Coordinator Robinson Creek Preservation Association
Last edited by AJE; 01/05/24 12:05 AM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Dirty D]
#8103601
03/19/24 05:47 PM
03/19/24 05:47 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
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trouble with goats used in any natural area is they are going to eat pretty much everything including buckthorn and honeysuckle. The collateral damage would be horrific. . Most perennials will come back. So if you want get rid of buckthorn its going to take several years of goats. And even then you'll have to treat the larger ones that the goats don't kill.
Then if your lucky after several years of goats tearing up your land and denuding it its wide open for all manner of invasive plants. Burdock, thistles and so forth.
No way I would ever put goats in a natural area. The only way was if I knew their food preference matched what I wanted to get rid of and then it would be only for short enough period of time so once they got rid of the targeted stuff they'd be pulled before they started on the rest of the stuff.
I'll stick to cutting a treating the stumps with herbicide. While it maybe more time consuming and more than likely more expensive it is the best way with no collateral damage.
I agree. I also have ginseng in my woods. I wouldn't want goats to eat that. It would take several years of goats eating the small plants before they would be eliminated because they will come back even after they've been eaten. I prefer to spray the new emerging plants and cutting the larger ones and painting the stumps with undiluted Crossbow.
My new car has a button for pretty much everything. Even has one that says rear wiper. Still too afraid to try that one.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#8103776
03/19/24 09:08 PM
03/19/24 09:08 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
east central WI
Dirty D
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2014
east central WI
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1 of the people at Saturday's River Country RC & D grazing conference said he gets a couple dozen baby goats each spring, lets 'em eat brush all summer & then makes a profit selling "em before winter for meat. and I'll bet his place is full of coarse invasive stuff, nothing of value, not a native plant other than what grows out of the reach of goats. No thanks, goats are bigger problem than they are a solution. If he just concerned about money and screw the place thats OK I guess as he owns it. Overgrazing causes real damage. Had a neighbor that grazed 4 horses in about 1 1/2 acre pasture. It looked horrible every year he had them on it. The grass was as short as any putting green except for the invasive weeds (Musk Thistle, burdock and few other lovelies that the horses wouldn't touch). When he moved out the pasture was a disaster area choked full of thistles, burdock, curly dock and on and on for at least 3 years. we moved after that point so I can't say how long it was destroyed. Look into some of the arid areas of the world that used to have lush growth till sheep and goats got cut loose and grazed full time. No thanks.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#8104252
03/20/24 11:58 AM
03/20/24 11:58 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
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Everybody is entitled to their own opinion and experience on what works for them. If goats are working for you, wonderful. Your before and after photos look good, but unless you have been using the goats for several years, your before photo will be a replay come spring. The plants in your photos are small plants. I have some plants that are 2-3 inches in diameter. One person I know who has used goats to control his buckthorn says goats don't get the larger plants. You have to take care of them yourself.
My new car has a button for pretty much everything. Even has one that says rear wiper. Still too afraid to try that one.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#8104255
03/20/24 12:02 PM
03/20/24 12:02 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
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One other thing about buckthorn is that it's too bad there isn't a market for the wood. It really is a beautiful wood. One guy I knew made some really nice ornamentals out of it using a lathe.
My new car has a button for pretty much everything. Even has one that says rear wiper. Still too afraid to try that one.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Trapper7]
#8111597
03/30/24 10:22 PM
03/30/24 10:22 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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One other thing about buckthorn is that it's too bad there isn't a market for the wood. It really is a beautiful wood. One guy I knew made some really nice ornamentals out of it using a lathe. It makes nice walking sticks. How much $ are goats selling for right now? I need to get some by June. My 5 acres is so overgrown that I would never be able to fix it myself even if I was retired. For the big stuff I have great success w/ cut stump treatment using Pathfinder II. For the little stuff, it's so thick I'd have to carpet bomb it w/ Roundup, which I won't do. Luckily the price of cattle panels has dropped from last year..$30 now for 16 footers. The experts have offered to do a formal grazing plan for me but I might (at least starting out) just try some test areas using their advice. Proper grazing is so important that WDNR has actually hired a full time statewide grazing expert.
Last edited by AJE; 03/30/24 11:02 PM.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#8111609
03/30/24 10:48 PM
03/30/24 10:48 PM
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
Donnersurvivor
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Jan 2018
MN
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One other thing about buckthorn is that it's too bad there isn't a market for the wood. It really is a beautiful wood. One guy I knew made some really nice ornamentals out of it using a lathe. It makes nice walking sticks. How much $ are goats selling for right now? I need to get some by June. My 5 acres is so overgrown that I would never be able to fix it even if I was retired. For the big stuff I have great success w/ cut stump treatment using Pathfinder II. For the little stuff, it's so thick I'd have to carpet bomb it w/ Roundup. Good boer goats are $3 lb. You can find pet quality goats pretty cheap, under $100 a head for someone's pet they got sick of and don't want to see butchered. They'll clear 5 acres faster than you think.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#8112348
04/01/24 09:14 AM
04/01/24 09:14 AM
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Joined: Dec 2013
Greene County,Virginia
run
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2013
Greene County,Virginia
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One other thing about buckthorn is that it's too bad there isn't a market for the wood. It really is a beautiful wood. One guy I knew made some really nice ornamentals out of it using a lathe. It makes nice walking sticks. How much $ are goats selling for right now? I need to get some by June. My 5 acres is so overgrown that I would never be able to fix it myself even if I was retired. For the big stuff I have great success w/ cut stump treatment using Pathfinder II. For the little stuff, it's so thick I'd have to carpet bomb it w/ Roundup, which I won't do. Luckily the price of cattle panels has dropped from last year..$30 now for 16 footers. The experts have offered to do a formal grazing plan for me but I might (at least starting out) just try some test areas using their advice. Proper grazing is so important that WDNR has actually hired a full time statewide grazing expert. The price varies throughout the year here. During Ramadan the price tends to spike. You could sell to Jews if you don't like Muslims.
wanna be goat farmer.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#8112351
04/01/24 09:19 AM
04/01/24 09:19 AM
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Joined: Dec 2013
Greene County,Virginia
run
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2013
Greene County,Virginia
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I don't know if I will feed 'em hay. In the winter I'll give them 'All Stock' pellets & maybe some sort of mineral block. I bet they would enjoy table scraps too Give them Redmond's salt or some brand of loose mineral. Salt blocks don't deliver the minerals fast enough.
wanna be goat farmer.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#8112380
04/01/24 10:02 AM
04/01/24 10:02 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
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One other thing about buckthorn is that it's too bad there isn't a market for the wood. It really is a beautiful wood. One guy I knew made some really nice ornamentals out of it using a lathe. It makes nice walking sticks. How much $ are goats selling for right now? I need to get some by June. My 5 acres is so overgrown that I would never be able to fix it myself even if I was retired. For the big stuff I have great success w/ cut stump treatment using Pathfinder II. For the little stuff, it's so thick I'd have to carpet bomb it w/ Roundup, which I won't do. Luckily the price of cattle panels has dropped from last year..$30 now for 16 footers. The experts have offered to do a formal grazing plan for me but I might (at least starting out) just try some test areas using their advice. Proper grazing is so important that WDNR has actually hired a full time statewide grazing expert. Try using diluted Crossbow for the little stuff. It says on the insert it will only kill leafy plants, not grass. I've had good luck on the little, new growth. Round Up kills everything.
My new car has a button for pretty much everything. Even has one that says rear wiper. Still too afraid to try that one.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#8141010
05/18/24 05:05 PM
05/18/24 05:05 PM
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Joined: Mar 2018
Pa.
Bigbrownie
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Mar 2018
Pa.
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Instead of fencing, could a person put the goat on some sort of leash/anchor with swivels? Your response reminded me of a joke.... Two friends were hiking and came upon a big hole in the ground. One guy picks up a rock and tosses it into the hole and stands listening for the rock to hit bottom. Slam! He turns to the other guy and says "That must be a deep hole... let's throw a bigger rock in there and listen for it to hit bottom." The men find a bigger rock and both pick it up and drags it to the hole and drop it in. They listened for some time and.... Slam! Again, they agree that this must be one deep hole and maybe they should throw something even bigger into it. One man spots a big log nearby. They pick it up, grunting and groaning, and throw it to the hole, listening intently...... Slam! All of a sudden, a goat comes out of the woods, running like the wind, and flies past the men and jumps straight into the hole. The friends are astounded. Tired of their hike, they walk back through the woods, and a little later meet an old farmer who asks the men if they had seen a goat. One man tells the farmer of the incredible incident they had just witnessed of the goat running out of the woods, and run and leap into the big hole. He asks the farmer if this could've been his goat. The old farmer says "Naw, that can't be my goat, it was tied to a big log."
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Trapper7]
#8170157
07/11/24 01:02 AM
07/11/24 01:02 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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I've been making walking sticks out of some of the straighter plants. That's all it is good for.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Reaperman]
#8200304
08/21/24 11:01 AM
08/21/24 11:01 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
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I see your from Minn. The dnr has programs that pay landowners to remove buckthorn and they even provide the chemicals. Myself, I bought a brush cutter for my bobcat and it’s the best thing ever. Regardless of what anyone says. When I cut a patch of buckthorn it doesn’t come back, no treatment necessary. I cut it tight to the ground and it’s bye-bye. I do get seedlings from area trees but I can deal with that easily. I have 45 wooded arches that I could initially brush out in a day or two. If I had a hundred acres, I’d call the dnr and ask if they would help pay someone else for removal if your not able. Who do you contact at the DNR? I don't care about getting paid, but free chemicals would be nice. I've been spending a lot on Crossbow which does kill the plants.
My new car has a button for pretty much everything. Even has one that says rear wiper. Still too afraid to try that one.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#8294645
12/27/24 03:00 PM
12/27/24 03:00 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
St. Louis Co, Mo
BigBob
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
St. Louis Co, Mo
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The Meskins across the road let their Goats free range a bit, and they are making great inroads on all the Winter Creeper on the fences around here.
Every kid needs a Dog and a Curmudgeon.
Remember Bowe Bergdahl, the traitor.
Beware! Jill Pudlewski, Ron Oates and Keven Begesse are liars and thiefs!
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Reaperman]
#8294798
12/27/24 05:53 PM
12/27/24 05:53 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
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I see your from Minn. The dnr has programs that pay landowners to remove buckthorn and they even provide the chemicals. Myself, I bought a brush cutter for my bobcat and it’s the best thing ever. Regardless of what anyone says. When I cut a patch of buckthorn it doesn’t come back, no treatment necessary. I cut it tight to the ground and it’s bye-bye. I do get seedlings from area trees but I can deal with that easily. I have 45 wooded arches that I could initially brush out in a day or two. If I had a hundred acres, I’d call the dnr and ask if they would help pay someone else for removal if your not able. I contacted our local extension office regarding the programs available. They don't provide chemicals, but give you advice on various ways to deal with buckthorn. I already know what works for me using chemicals. They will send you info on other options to rid the buckthorn such as tools that will pull the smaller plants, goats, etc. Not really much help.
My new car has a button for pretty much everything. Even has one that says rear wiper. Still too afraid to try that one.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#8298735
12/31/24 08:00 PM
12/31/24 08:00 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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I'll have to look into this. My personal observation is that ironwood can replace buckthorn in the understory. A oak woods full of a understory of ironwood is beautiful Interesting. I've never seen ironwood in my county
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#8298760
12/31/24 08:28 PM
12/31/24 08:28 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
east central WI
Dirty D
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2014
east central WI
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I'll have to look into this. My personal observation is that ironwood can replace buckthorn in the understory. A oak woods full of a understory of ironwood is beautiful
don't know about Ironwood replacing buckthorn but I do know that Ironwood in a Oak woods is bad news. Ironwood is a understory tree that will shade out the ground cover. Its very shade tolerant so it'll grow where most others won't. When you have lots of Ironwood its a sign of too much shade. Too much shade =Kiss your Oaks Goodbye. No Oak regeneration in a understory of Ironwood If you want a woodland thats attractive to wildlife Oaks are on the top of the list of trees, Sugar Maple and Ironwood at the bottom.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#8391465
04/23/25 12:15 AM
04/23/25 12:15 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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My 13 1/2 month old pygmy is pregnant. I thought the due date is mid May but it might be soon now that I noticed the udder & big teats tonight. This is my 1st time at this. The seller was supposed to fix the male but that didn't happen. Hopefully all goes well. ![[Linked Image]](https://trapperman.com/forum/attachments/usergals/2025/04/full-47451-255736-20250422_222756.jpg) If all goes as planned it'll be eating buckthorn by mid summer. I'm hoping it's only 1 kid. I'm surprised how quick the udder appeared. I didn't notice it yesterday.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: AJE]
#8414545
06/05/25 07:27 AM
06/05/25 07:27 AM
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Joined: Jan 2018
MN
Donnersurvivor
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Jan 2018
MN
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When I throw buckthorn in the pen, it's amazing how much they like it. I think it's their favorite food. Toss in some Boxelder and do a comparison. Goats love Boxelder, its made me reconsider its value to deer as browse.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Donnersurvivor]
#8414735
06/05/25 12:04 PM
06/05/25 12:04 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
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Aren't deer in the same family as goats? If so, why don't they eat the buckthorn? I have had as many as 12 deer in my yard at once. Yet, they don't seem interested in the buckthorn. They sure like my wife's flowers, though.
My new car has a button for pretty much everything. Even has one that says rear wiper. Still too afraid to try that one.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Trapper7]
#8415277
06/06/25 12:28 AM
06/06/25 12:28 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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Aren't deer in the same family as goats? If so, why don't they eat the buckthorn? I have had as many as 12 deer in my yard at once. Yet, they don't seem interested in the buckthorn. They sure like my wife's flowers, though. I don't know, but deer hate eating buckthorn.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Dirty D]
#8416828
06/09/25 12:10 PM
06/09/25 12:10 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
Trapper7
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
MN, Land of 10,000 Lakes
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I've seen deer on my place nibble on the buckthorn. Not to great detriment.
Stupid deer if they ate the buckthorn, garlic mustard, honeysuckle and Dame's rocket I'd be happy to have them around, but as it is they are a pain in the arse. I feel the same way, but they sure like everything in my garden.
My new car has a button for pretty much everything. Even has one that says rear wiper. Still too afraid to try that one.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: bblwi]
#8418729
06/12/25 08:53 PM
06/12/25 08:53 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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Yes deer and goats are both ruminents, but that does not mean they eat or like similar feed items. Some ruminents are grazers and some are browsers. Buckthorn is an invasive and animals here did not evolve with buckthorn, where goats may have been raised in habitat where buckthorn was present.
Bryce This seems like a very good post.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Trapper7]
#8430549
07/04/25 01:20 AM
07/04/25 01:20 AM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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I've got some honeysuckle in my woods, but it isn't nearly the problem the buckthorn is. X2
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: sweetwilliam]
#8430776
07/04/25 02:17 PM
07/04/25 02:17 PM
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Joined: Nov 2014
east central WI
Dirty D
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2014
east central WI
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Dirty D ironwood is a mast tree just like an oak it is shad tolerant and is also a companion tree for oak stands. You need to get some education in forestry before you make bad choices in forest management. I'm talking about White Oak, not Red Oak stands. Ironwood is not a companion tree in any significance in a White Oak Woodland. Just to educate you a little. I am pushing my woods from a Maple Dominated heavily shaded forest to a White Oak/Hickory open woodland that it was originally before settlement. This was determined by the original notes from the first surveyors and by remaining grasses/sedges/forbs discovered in a site survey. I have areas that were so heavily shaded that NOTHING grew on the forest floor. In the middle of summer the ground was nothing but leaf mold. There were other areas that the forest floor was covered with nothing but Sugar Maple seedlings. Of course there was some variety of large trees here. This is a very poor condition for any forest. So I am thinning all small Sugar Maples, Ironwoods, Red Maple out of it. I am seeding these thinned areas with native grasses and forbs and for management I am burning frequently (less than 3 yr intervals). After this some of the original native plants are coming back. Broad-leaved Panic Grass, False Melic Grass, Carolina Vetch, Pale Vetchling, and Wild Strawberry are just some examples of the stuff returning that originally grew here. I am not doing this in all of my woods. In the end I expect about 80%. The remaining 20% will be close to as it is now, dominated by large Sugar Maples with lots of Ironwood in the understory. The only management I do here is some light thinning of smaller trees to support shade tolerant grasses/sedges and forbs. Occasional (5-10 yr intervals) burns will keep understory from becoming dominated by Sugar Maple seedlings and other fire sensitive trees and brush. I am not doing any of this with any care for timber production. I am doing this to improve the diversity of plants and thus improve the place for wildlife. I have already seen species of Birds return that were absent such as Red headed Woodpeckers. I can also tell you that even tho I am not doing anything with deer in mind they are taking great advantage of all the growth of grasses and forbs that now cover what was once either nothing but Sugar Maple seedlings or nothing at all. I am doing this with the advise of a PhD holder who is very knowledgeable in this. Just felt I should put this out there as I know you have zero knowledge about what I have and what I'm doing. Respectfully even if your the worlds foremost expert in forest management you maybe could learn something about more than the boards and cords of forestry.
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Re: Goats and Buckthorn
[Re: Leroy Bob]
#8431460
07/05/25 11:46 PM
07/05/25 11:46 PM
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Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
AJE
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2016
WI - Wisconsin
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Where you guys have buckthorn and are using goats, are you seeing the goats also browse/eat/kill autumn olive? I have 240 acres with a couple acre pockets that are being overtaken by AO, and I’ve been wondering if goats would be effective. I've never seen autumn olive, so I don't know..but I bet they'd eat it.
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