Goat tractor

A freind built a pig tractor using 4 metal fence panels , placed a piece of sheet metal over half of the top and a section of field fence around bottom half.He put two pigs in and moved it across an acre he wanted tilled for garden.Light enough for one person to pull. Worked like a charm . Anyone out there that has experience think that this idea might work with goats?.

Hey Wayne
I have used goats for weed clearing, particularly stuff like lantana. Goats forage more than graze, I understand. A friend of mine throws an electric fence around the area she wants cleared and pops in a few goats, and they work the space over. I used to tether my girls around the edges of the garden, out of reach of the beds, and they kept those margins nice and neat. I do not recommend tethering goats if you have any dog issues, and tethered goats need to be checked a couple of times a day to ensure they have water and to address the goaty tendency to wrap any tether around anything handy.
Good to hear a first hand observation of pig tractor in use...I plan to use pigs in a couple of years when I have root crops in. Great clean up I have heard.

pigs are good for tilling, goats are good for clearing. If you have a lot of brush/briars, use goats, but I wouldn't mess with the tractor, just string some electric fence around the area. Electric fence is the only fence that has kept my goats in.

This works, and we use it in some areas on our farm. This works really well around the outer edge where they do not go often to clear back the elephant grass, or in between the trees in the orchard where we do not have electric wire the moment.

I recommend this if you do not have away of using electric fence, and if you take them into areas you do not often take them to.

The one issue is having to move it often as our 11 goats (large tractor) can clear certain areas without a lot of vegetation in no time.

I also do not enjoy leaving animals in a certain area for too long as they start eating foods they may not want or may not be good for them. Pigs on the other hand, will dig looking for goodies especially if you through some "treats" around.

Thanks you all - I am not so concerned with clearing - that would be a good thing too - but containment is more of an issue .2 Milk goats would be enough for us , Jersey cow may be too much - and there is alot the goats could eat. I was concerned that in this fence panel system that the little critters might get hurt trying to get out. Escape from dogs is an issue too , I guess that would be any way you kept goats -GLD.

(Quote) I also do not enjoy leaving animals in a certain area for too long as they start eating foods they may not want or may not be good for them.


oh yeah...I should have mentioned...tethered goats need to be moved around every day or so, depending on the feed they can get to. And they need to be loose for a wander regularly.
Mine especially enjoyed her visits with the neighbouring donkey, who she had a deeply loving relationship with.
You can read about them here: http://pool.abc.net.au/media/goat-ballet-and-donkey-appreciation

What is a world without animals?!

For weeds, you can't beat sheep. They'll eat ANYTHING on the ground. Goats are browsers and are smart enough to eat what's best for them, but will clear weeds if confined over them long enough to get hungry. Goats are picky, except when they're hungry. The main reasons goats won't eat off the ground is parasites. Don't let them eat off the ground if the grass is wet or they can get impacted rumins and heavy parasite loads. Also, if goats are clearing lots of weeds to the ground, make sure to put some DE in their water to combat worms.

Today we picked up a 10x20 dog kennel to use as a sheep and goat tractor. We'll eventually put some wheels on it so we can more easily move it around. This size works well with 2-3 goats for about half a day over smallish 6-12" weeds. Right now we have a dozen sheep in it so we're moving it every couple hours. Weeds to dirt in no time. We're also trying to figure a way to get the water to hang on the side so we don't have to open the pen and move the buckets every time we move it around.

If you put wheels on it the sheep will probably move it themselves, unless you have some kind of sturdy breaking system. At least my sheep would!