# Best animal to eat up pasture...?



## secuono (Aug 11, 2012)

There is no general animal section, so posting here.

I have 2 horses, mare and a pony, but they are now both in a smaller section of pasture. That's mainly because the pony is a hippo and the mare has turned into a chicken when alone in the big pasture. I would say, 3/4 of an acre. Still not grazed down. 
I also have 5 mini sheep, slowly growing, hoping for many ewe lambs next year! They run free, doesn't seem like they make much of a dent in the 4.5 acres total to the critters. 
The weeds are Thistle, Horseweed and some others. We cannot easily and regularly mow it all, so the weeds take over fast. I am wondering if there was an animal group I could buy and pen up on a section of weeds and have them eat it up? 
I have 3 PB pigs, I want to pen them on weeds to kill it off as they do some rooting. But they will never be able to be let free like my other animals, so their life here really cannot continue over Winter, other than the 2 breeders.


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## SheepGirl (Aug 11, 2012)

Goats are weed eaters.


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## BrownSheep (Aug 11, 2012)

Just wait for the lambs. Sheep , mine at least , are great mowers. Historically they actually were lawn mowers. Goats apparently will eat weeds,.


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## Symphony (Aug 12, 2012)

I rented Weeder Goats so they exist.  A few Goats would do nicely and then you could eat them.


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## boykin2010 (Aug 12, 2012)

Water Buffalo I think are pretty good at cleaning up weedy pastures


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## CochinBrahmaLover=) (Aug 12, 2012)

boykin2010 said:
			
		

> Water Buffalo I think are pretty good at cleaning up weedy pastures


Excuse to get a water buffalo..... 

Seems like if you get large sized sheep they could do better mowing then mini sheep (same number of each, large eats more = less weeds ). Either that or goats, but our goats only eat the *best* stuff so if you get some I'd suggest from an area that they eat the same  

Good luck !


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## Blackhereford boy (Aug 14, 2012)

Camel


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## secuono (Aug 14, 2012)

Hm...all the crazy animal ideas...maybe I should try an elephant, too?  
Or just borrow something to till it all away for now...or win the lotto and pay someone to dig out each weed in sections...seems like that would technically work the best...
Most of these weeds aren't edible to my rabbits, so I have even less use for them...


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## CochinBrahmaLover=) (Aug 14, 2012)

Best. Thing. Ever. 







I guess they'll eat a pasture.  But their a adorable!!!!


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## secuono (Aug 14, 2012)

Omg, so freaking cute!!!


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## CochinBrahmaLover=) (Aug 14, 2012)

secuono said:
			
		

> Omg, so freaking cute!!!









Get one, get one I tell you!


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## boykin2010 (Aug 14, 2012)

I didnt think of water buffalo as being that "exotic." You don't realize how many people around you have them until you start looking.  A lot of people keep goats and the buffalo together.  They co-exist well.  Even American buffalo which are also good pasture cleaners can be kept with goats.  I think the Americans are a little crazier though.  Plus buffalo is delicious! 

Do a search on Craigslist for buffalo.  Prices range a lot.  Around here a good mature buffalo will sell for $900-1000. They could be profitable if you Breed them I think.  Just have good fences.


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## secuono (Aug 14, 2012)

Real Buffalo are crazy hard to keep, even the best of fences will not contain them if they choose to stray. At least, that is always what people have told me, even other Buffalo people. Plus, for such a wild animal, I would want to live on the range where they can roam.


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## greybeard (Aug 25, 2012)

Crazy hard doesn't begin to describe the fencing needed for Bison. 
Water buffalo is evidently way different tho. I've seen kids no bigger than a button leadin them down the road all over Asia. 
I'm not a goat person, but it's always been my understanding that some goats types will eat brush and weeds--others will not. 
Weeds and thistle--2,4-d and Remedy.


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