HOW DURANGOATS WORKS

Step 1: Schedule a Site Visit

So you think you may be in need of some goat services? Think no further! Reach out to us to schedule a free site visit.

Jonathan or Adrian will work with you to coordinate a time to stop by and assess your property. During this time we will:

  • Identify target species

  • Specify target locations and priorities of landowner

  • Take “before” pics

  • Create grazing plan

  • Estimate length of project

  • Recommend other/additional services if appropriate

Our intent with the site visit is to help identify the goals for your land and to advise you on how to achieve them. Whether the goal is reducing the fire risk on your land, curbing the spread of weeds, or just mowing down overgrowth with the company of fuzzy friends, our goats can usually contribute in some way!

We didn’t think to take action shots of ourselves conducting site visits last year. But it will look something like this - minus the goats.

Step 2: Approve our Proposal

After the site visit is complete, we will email you a project proposal specific to your property. This document will include:

  • Goals of project

  • Estimated length of project

  • Pricing, broken down by category

  • Legal agreements

Due to the fact that goats are animals and not machines, the length of the project could vary from our estimate, but we usually get it within a day on either side. Project pricing is based on carrying cost of goats, the transport costs, and our time and labor. We also ask you to agree to such terms as allowing us to use any photographs we take in our marketing and not letting our goats out of their fencing.

The cover page of your proposal document.

Step 3: Schedule the Goats

Once you sign the proposal contract, we will schedule you into our calendar. At this point we will ask for a deposit - scheduling our goats to move around the Durango area is complicated, as we need to hit certain plant species at certain times, while minimizing the fuel we burn hauling our goats and fencing from site to site. Our goats live on the job - we need to be sure you are committed to hosting our boys at the agreed upon time.

How this part looks on our end.

Step 4: Lights, Camera, Bah-ah-action!

We will be in contact with you to let you know exactly when we’ll show up to your property with our trailer full of mouths-on-legs. Sometimes we will set up metal paneling, sometimes we will set up electric fencing (which may require additional brush trimming first) - each site is different. But once our fencing is set, we will release the goats from their trailer into their pen. Rest assured they will hit the job with a voracious intensity. No quiet quitting here.

Jonathan or Adrian will stay on site for a bit to monitor the progress, and check the security of the fencing. If agreed upon before, we’ll have our guardian dog Holden in the pen with the goats. We can’t be on site 24/7, but Holden ensures that the goats will be kept safe. If your site is incompatible with him hosting the guard dog, we can work something out! This may involve us camping on site.

Our goats are passionate about their work.

Final and Future Steps

So the goats have eaten their way through your problems. What comes next?

This depends on your goals! For now, the goats have reduced your immediate fire risk, reduced your weed load and weed seed-bank, and left behind fertilized soil and fond memories.

In areas heavily wooded with oak and other woody brush, this is the ideal time for clearing branches or sprouts with a saw. These are additional services we offer, which we can perform while our goats are still on site or afterwards. We’ll work it out ahead of time.

Weeded areas may need additional trimming for aesthetics, as sometimes the goats leave behind the woodier stalks. The science shows that rehabilitating heavily weeded areas is a multi-year process. This study points to a marked increase in plant diversity after 5 years of goat grazing. In especially weeded areas (more than 80% weeds), we can accelerate the process of restoring perennial grassland by reseeding and mulching - a project in itself! We’re gauging interest in this service so let us know if you’re interested!