Grazing goats in the woods to restore an old oak savanna

Learn more about how we’re grazing our goats and sheep in our woods as a feed source and as a means to manage the vegetation in the woods - specifically buckthorn, honeysuckle and other invasive species.
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Get my free Electric Fence Training Guide for Goats: grazingwithles...
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Follow us on Instagram for more day-to-day content on how we’re raising meat goats using adaptive grazing and regenerative farming practices: / cylonrollingacres

[@markpiersall9815]

In Wisconsin, consider installing a Northern Saw-Whet Owl nest box. Owls will eat rodents which host ticks and attract pit vipers. Further south, consider a Screech Owl nest box. Some owls are cavity nesters and have trouble finding good housing given timber management practices.

[@JumpingSpider37]

Very cool! I am similarly starting to clear paths to setup mobile electric fence so the goats can help clear brush. Thanks for the informative content!

[@cylonrollingacres]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kurtlanford1448]

Great job,thanks for sharing your story !

[@RandyZimmerman-pp5wj]

Could you show some time lapse photo of the progress

[@cylonrollingacres]

@@RandyZimmerman-pp5wj yep- I've been thinking about it. I need to see what I can do with our trail cams!!

[@morganjeanne9262]

How are you powering your electric fence way out there? In the shade of the woods does Solar still work?

[@cylonrollingacres]

I make sure to put it in an area where we get more sun coverage- our woods has spots where there's less of a tree canopy. But when I don't have that situation, I just switch out the deep cycle batteries - I have 2 - and I keep one on a charger in my shop. Depending on the battery and how old it is, it may last a few days.

[@deniseignatowski5302]

I’m so happy to have found you. I’m just in the beginning planning stages wanting to raise goats and sheep and have zero experience. We have 55 acres of pasture and 20 acres of woods that I hope can be used for this purpose. Our farmland was previously used for cattle and horses and is mainly grass. Will it be difficult to convert for goats by just broadcast seeding? With limited $ resources I want to do this as sustainably as possible.

[@cylonrollingacres]

So glad you're here! If you haven't found my blog you'll have to check that out too grazingwithleslie.com - you can broadcast seeds - depending on your location frost seeding might be an even better option when broadcasting. AND just by grazing the areas you're converting it will continue to improve over time. Most of our pastures we started that way, we saw a lot of improvement over our first 3 years of grazing.

[@618bolson]

Southeast Minnesota here. Your story is so inspiring. My girlfriend and I hope to share a similar journey, either our own future farm, or her family farm. Respecting the land by rotational grazing as well as ecological restoration. Currently, most of their acreage is forested. We have beehives in a small pasture which has been a great experience, but she would love to have goats. Being in coyote country, can the goats defend themselves, or does the electric fence keep predators out? Btw, you are a natural in front of the camera!

[@cylonrollingacres]

That's awesome! You're kind of a neighbor. The electric fence helps with predators, but we run our livestock guardian dogs with our herd, especially in the woods to keep predators at bay. We have coyotes too, as well as wolves, bear, fox, eagles, hawks...

[@silvernblackr35]

this looks like a great place to raise hogs as well

[@amasworld7126]

This is what I want to do :)