Ideal Bite

You won't be able to enjoy having a goat if you live in any city limit, even if you have space. Darn!

Mowing the lawn with a reel mower is OK if you have a lawn that's only the size of the proverbial postage stamp, but I have about an acre or two to mow, so a reel mower isn't practical for me, even though I do have one. Also, reel mowers are good only if you have the time and/or the inclination to mow often because they don't work well if the grass is more than, say, a couple of inches high. As for using goats for lawn mowing, goats, like deer, are foragers, so they're better at eating twigs and shrubbery, as deer are. As Niki said, sheep are the better lawn mowers, but they do need protection from dogs. (Historical Note: During the Wilson Administration, Mrs. Wilson kept a flock of sheep on the White House lawn for wool production and manpower conservation.)

A few words from an ol' goat herder and always a goat aficionado. 1 lone goat is trouble. Goats are herd animals and need buddies. This is why they sometimes keep them with race horses as companions. A lonely goat IS noisy, because it spends time calling for its missing friends. Goat poo is wonderful! Like deer, they have little round, hard "goat berries" that are no problem on the ground and is one of the very best manures for your garden. Goats are browsers. This means they PREFER roses, fruit tress, and many ornamentals to grass, so as a landscape lawn mower... I am not so sure. But if you have poison oak/ivy or berry brambles to clear they are the best method there is. To clean up a vacant lot or area - they are amazing. Sheep are same as goats in many ways, except they prefer grass and mow like angels - except for the occasional rose bush. Both will happily eat your poisonous ornamentals - so will your children. Know your plants. Rhodies, Castor Bean, these are poisonous and so are some others. Some houseplants as well.

This is the dumbest bite you've come up with so far. First, renting goats requires the goats to be transported to the lawn which will likely use more fuel and create more CO2 than a typical lawnmower. Secondly, all of this transport is going to be extremely stressful on these poor animals. What is wrong with using a push mower and leaving your clippings on the lawn. We have used a push mower for three years and our lawn is as green as our neighbor's who pour chemicals all over the lawn and uses a power mower. Plus, mowing with a push mower is quieter and more enjoyable than a power mower and maintenance is a breeze.

They don't rent goats where I live but my minature horse does an awesome job. I have even loaned him to neighbors to do their lawns. Minis have small poo also so just one chicken to scratch it and you yard is perfect with no outside help. I think this is a great tip anyone who had a "worry free" yard for a few weeks would be hooked.

Seriously? I appreciate the lighthearted approach you try to take with what can otherwise be a very DRY subject matter but this suggestion is just nonsense. It seriously undermines any credibility that you have and is leading me to unsubscribe. Glad you are spreading the word and hope the majority of your readers don't find this as moronic as I do.

We bought goats to clean up our 50 acre farm in the KY hills. After eating all the bark off of our heirloom apple trees (which killed the trees) they decided that our fences would not keep them from feasting in our neighbor's hay fields. We finally had to sell them.

Goats won't merely graze the grass, they'll eventually eat it all, leaving you with no lawn to worry about. They'll also eat your vegetable and flower gardens. They're mighty cute, but no very practical.

With all of the unwanted animals today I cannot believe that you are saying to go out and get an animal that can be sometimes (very) difficult to care for, keep inside an enclosure, and can sometimes be aggressive to small children. I love my animals and I have had goats my entire life and would not recommend that someone get an animal for the purpose of WEEDING YOUR YARD! Animals deserve to be loved, cared for and respected! So if it doesn't work out just drop it off at the Humane Society? I recommend getting a "knee saver" pad and doing the job yourself! Be your own goat!

I had to laugh when I read about Jen's mother at the Halloween party with the goat.... I was at that party! It was at my sister's house. I'll never forget that.