Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
special mosaic of vegetation. The spacial distance of
canopy cover between trees and shrubs is managed to keep
a potential fi re low and noncrowning. The reduction (and/
or removal) of the lower growing species can also be
minimized. The vegetation is managed to maintain a low-
profi le, controlled vegetation so that backfi ring is easier,
or kept in a growth phase, enhancing a higher water-hold-
ing capacity within the plant. Once goats have brushed an
area, it can be maintained to be a “living” green belt.
stream begins to fl ow as a perennial stream. The process
is “in and out” throughout the seasons and over the years.
Factors taken into consideration are angle of the stream
bank, soil type and structure, physical size and weight of
the goats, time of the year for erosion avoidance, the plants
that need to be minimized and when the goats prefer to
consume them, species of vegetation returning to stabilize
the stream banks, rate of water fl ow, temperature of the
water, and turbidity.
Once the stream bank has become stabilized, it can be
maintained by the management of vegetation with goats to
keep the water fl owing, minimize insect populations, and
improve the quality of the water. It is advisable to prevent
goats from consuming water from streams or ponds, and
to provide goats access to fresh water daily.
Fire Breaking
Management of vegetation in an area to establish a fi re-
break is intensive for both the vegetation and livestock
phases. In a fi rebreak regime, the goal is to prevent a fi re
from going any farther and from crossing or jumping the
break line resulting in a controllable situation. This tech-
nique requires an understanding of fi re behavior to deter-
mine where the breaks need to be established. An
assessment takes into consideration an evaluation of fuel
fl ammability, heat intensity and duration, ignition tempera-
tures (airfl ow and rate of heating), heat of ignition (fuel
size distribution, live : dead material ratios and moisture
content of the fuel), and heat transfer (interaction with
topography). For example, tunnels and chimneys in canyon
or saddle areas need completely different types of fi re-
breaks than grass or rangelands.
When using goats, the goal is elimination of vegetation
to slow down the oncoming fi re, decrease the intensity, and
allow a fi re crew access to an area so they can successfully
contain a fi re. Surveillance of goats to maintain a positive
BCS is critical. Animals' BCS cannot fall below 2.0 (3 out
of possible BCS 9) when using experienced wethers. A
good fi rebreak will help the “mop up crew” coming in after
a fi re. After the mop up crew, a fi re site analysis must be
conducted to plan erosion containment, reseed and replant
vegetation, reestablish wildlife habitat, and test the water
for quality and stream health.
Utilization of goats as a tool to assist in fi re prevention,
mitigation, and/or control is not an overnight remedy.
Proper planning, site evaluation, and working goats takes
time. The number one concern is maintaining the health,
welfare, and body condition score of the goats.
ERADICATION OF NOXIOUS VEGETATION
Before starting an eradication process, it is important to
understand the physiology of the plant selected, the reason
for its presence within the area, and the probable vegeta-
tive specie(s) that will take its place in the landscape
mosaic. It is at this point that the class of goat becomes
relevant (Peischel and Ingram, 2004).
Yellow star thistle (YST;
Centaurea solstitialis
) spreads
over hundreds of thousands of hectares (acres) in California
and other western states. It is an invasive plant that invites
itself into overgrazed and underrested pastures. Goats and
sheep can be used to readily minimize the plant, but cattle
have no preference for this plant. YST cannot handle
browsing pressure and does not like shading. Therefore, as
the small ruminants graze it down and other vegetation
species begin to return, the YST minimizes. However, it
is a high quality plant, and under proper management can
be used for weight gain of weaned kids and fl ushing does
before breeding.
Dog fennel (DF;
Anthemis cotula
) grows quite aggres-
sively in shaded areas, has a rank odor, and is preferred by
young bucklings. During a growing season, it can be elimi-
nated from along old hedgerows and within Christmas tree
plantings.
Poison oak (PO;
Toxicodendron pubescens
) is very
toxic to humans with an allergic reaction to the oils of the
plant, whether touched or from fumes being burned.
Mature goats will eat the dead leaves and growing tips of
the plant whereas the young kids will eat young buds and
fresh young leaves. Therefore, it is advantageous to run
does with kids through an area where poison oak eradica-
tion is needed.
Goats do not select Vinca (
Vinca minor
) readily. They
prefer to pass it by when cruising an area for browsing.
STREAM BANK RESTORATION
In the process of restoring a dry stream to a perennial
stream, ecological phases are changed slowly over time
(Peischel and Ingram, 2004). The process can take from 1
to 3 years to approach the ephemeral stream phase depend-
ing on steepness of banks and density and type of vegeta-
tive species. It may take another 4 years until the ephemeral
