Brush management can be a difficult and somewhat dangerous job for landowners, especially if that land is uneven. It also requires a lot of inputs like herbicides, which can also cause weeds to become resistant and make the problem even worse. You?d think that grazing cattle would be able to help, but they?re fairly picky about what they?ll eat- they prefer grass. Goats, on the other hand, will eat just about anything. Adam Ledvina, owner of Iowa Kiko Goats, said he realized how goats could be used for ?goatscaping? and decided to try and develop them as an extra tool that farmers and landowners can use for brush management.
Ledvina said he went through several goat breeds before discovering Kiko goats, which had all of the right traits to excel in brush management in Iowa.
The entire goatscaping process takes a lot of time and planning in order to work correctly, so Ledvina said it?s usually best for customers to reach out over the winter if they?re interested.
The goats are especially efficient at removing weeds and other invasive plants like thistles and wild parsnip. Ledvina said those are basically delicacies to his goats.
Whether you?re interested in hiring the goats or want to buy your own, Ledvina said you can reach out to their Iowa Kiko Goats Facebook page.
Again, search ?Iowa Kiko Goats? on Facebook for more information.
