Five Reasons You Should Introduce Goats to Your Native Prairie and Timber Stands in Iowa

There has been a lot of buzz about goats in Iowa the last several years. We wanted to find out if goats were actually helping the landscape, and after some deep diving into the topic, we came out with a resounding YES!

So, without further ado, here are five reasons you should introduce goats to your native prairies and timber stands in Iowa.

1.        Natural Land Management (a stomach that even Joey Chestnut couldn’t keep up with)

Goats have many benefits, but the big one is controlling invasive species. The most common invasive we hear people discuss when it comes to the benefits of goats is honey suckle and white mulberry trees. But there are several others that can be very harmful to the Iowa native landscape, such as Tree of Heaven, Autumn Olive, Multiflora Rose, and more. Any guesses as to what goats love to eat? You know it! All of these and more. Goats are preferred browsers. They will eat native prairie, but they will start with the woody plants, such as trees and shrubs. We talk about this extensively with Adam Ledvina, founder of Kiko Goats of Iowa, on episode 183 on The Prairie Farm Podcast. He has made a living bringing his goats from landscape to landscape to help eliminate invasive species.

Not only do they eradicate invasives, but they also create healthy disturbance to the native plants. For instance, if there are no woody calories left, they may turn their attention to the grassland in the area. When they do this, they will eat the woody/stemmy species first, such as White Wild Indigo and Round Headed Bush Clover. When these plant become complacent they can start to dominate their area, but when the goats knock them back a few levels, then they start to panic which causes them to produce more seed and not put as much energy into growing to a size that crowds everything else out.

It is important to note that adding goats to a prairie will not replace introducing grazers to that same prairie, but they are very beneficial nonetheless.

(To find out more about keeping trees out of your prairie, check out this blog)

2.        Soil Health Improvement (butt holes and hooves)

Poop and pee. Let’s all say it together. Poop… and pee. Goats, as most fauna (including humans… if humans are considered fauna), create feces that is great for the soil. There’s nothing quite like adding nitrogen back into the soil without having to use synthetic anhydrous ammonia… yuck!

The poop is important, but so are the hooves. The hooves lightly tear at the ground creating pockets for new seed to germinate when they otherwise would be blocked out. Their hooves also create aeration in the soil which helps improve water infiltration and root penetration. Whether the hooves are on a goat or a bison or a zebra, it’s imperative for long term prairie health to introduce hooves to a native prairie.

3.        Adaptability to Prairies (Tough Sons-of-…..)

Goats are sturdy… They are not like sheep. Sheep will die if you hurt their feelings. You could cook a goat for breakfast, and they would walk away afterwards to eat some invasive plant.

All jokes aside, goats are very impressive creatures that can handle both hot summers and freezing winters in Iowa. Evapotranspiration, aka corn sweet, is no joke for larger fauna with coats of fur or hair, and goats seem to be just fine.

As we discussed earlier, they also will eat anything, so you can leave them on almost any landscape, and they will be just fine.

4.        Low Maintenance and Cost-Effective (the kid you can leave at home)

Compared to other livestock, goats generally require less upkeep. They are more independent, so they are clingy like distant relatives once you’ve won the lottery. And due to their calloused lifestyle, they don’t need to be tended to or feed nearly as often. You can tell, because you can own 100 goats, but you could never own 100 horses by yourself.

They are also cost effective for anyone looking to have some livestock without breaking the bank. If you have good habitat, some goat farmers claim to be able to put 4 – 6 goats per acre sustainably. You can put many more on an acre for a short period of time, especially if you are using them to eliminate invasive species.

5.        Productive Benefits (fooooood)

Some goats are good for milk. Some goats are good for meat. Some goats are good at goat yoga (It’s real. Look it up.) All goats are good for helping your prairie. So while you’re maintaining great habitat, get some milk out of the deal. Big fans.

As I mentioned before, we dive into goats with our friend, Adam Ledvina, on Ep. 183 of The Prairie Farm podcast. We also talk with Kevin Griggs about goats on Ep. 210.

Give those a listen if you want to learn more.

Looking for prairie for your goat pasture? Check out our native pasture mixes!

Best of luck!

Nicolas and the Hoksey Team