Herd of goats for hire in Parker County clear land, help prevent wildfires
PARKER COUNTY – A company in Paker County is renting out goats — not for leisure, but for hard work. The herd of goats clears land and helps prevent wildfires, all while ridding properties of invasive species like poison ivy.
Nathan Alford, who owns Parker County Goat Rental, rents out his herd of 1,200 goats to land-clearing projects of all sizes.
"If you ever need any clearing, eco-friendly, and you don't have any issues with hearing a 'nay' or a 'baa' or a dog bark every once in a while, then this is a pretty easy way to clear out some land," Alford said.
On each job site, the goats only have one job: eat as much of the plants and vegetation as they can stomach.
Alford jokes that after owning and operating multiple businesses, the goats are some of his best employees.
"They never call in [sick] to work. They'll work Thanksgiving day, Christmas Day, and don't ask for a raise," Alford said.
Recently, 65 of the goats from Parker County Goat Rental were hired to clear an overgrown piece of land that photographer Dixie Dixon wants to use for future photo shoots.
"Basically, we will put a pond down here that, when [clients] have music videos and shoots and things like that, they can shoot around a pond," Dixon said.
Dixon is a Nikon Ambassador who shoots for western brands and clients that are often looking for unique locations to film or conduct photo shoots.
"And we had all this property, but it was so built up by brush and everything like that," Dixon said. "And I thought, 'How do we go about clearing all this land but without destroying the cool beauty of the property."
So she hired the goats to clear away the thick brush, open up the area, and even help prevent wildfires and invasive species like poison ivy and poison oak.
"That's the beauty of it," Dixon said. "The goats just eat it right up. They're not allergic to it or anything like that. So they're going to clear all that out, and then we can create some trails along the property."
"The goats (also) eat the seeds," Alford said. "So therefore it helps with weed abatement and reproduction of weeds too, whereas if you mow it conventionally, then you're just spreading seeds at that point."
The goats' droppings also serve a purpose.
The herd is currently rented out on 12 different job sites where Alford and his team prep the area for the goats by installing temporary fencing and signage to keep the goats safe.
Each group of goats always works alongside at least two Great Pyrenees Dogs that are friendly to people but not to coyotes, the goats' biggest predators.
"[The dogs] do an extremely good job of keeping these goats protected," Alford said. "And you're going to know if there's something around or nearby. They're going to make sure to, you know, scare it off or they're going to go get it, either one."
Allowing the goats to eat worry-free while transforming properties.
"We've been really blown away by the process, and it's been such a fun adventure to see the goats at work doing their thing," Dixon said.