Get ready for Goats on the Go

Linda Trest, Staff Writer
Posted 8/21/19

Rhonda Davault,and her herd of goats at Tickerridge Farms LLC, are the newest Missouri affiliate with Goats on the Go.  

The group’s corporate website states: “Goats go where …

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Get ready for Goats on the Go

Posted

Rhonda Davault,and her herd of goats at Tickerridge Farms LLC, are the newest Missouri affiliate with Goats on the Go. 

The group’s corporate website states: “Goats go where people can’t, eat what most animals won’t, and leave behind nothing but fertilizer.” With proper management, goats can eat problem vegetation, like poison ivy or multiflora rose, with little damage to desirable plants. They can work in rough terrain with little risk or erosion. And perhaps best of all, seeds are not typically viable after being eaten by goats. 

Davault, who was recently granted a business license to work in Gerald, She will be doing a demonstration project in the city in the next few weeks to show what her herd is capable of clearing.

Davault moved her goats to their current home in 2015. In a short time, the goats had completely cleared on pasture of multiflora rose. She says the herd doesn’t eat the stems of the invasive shrub, but by keeping the leaves eaten away, the plant is unable to function and dies. 

Sericea lespedeza was introduced to Missouri last century and has since naturalized in most of the state. It can be tough to control. The Missouri Department of Conservation notes that “grazing infested sites with sheep and goats will provide effective control.”
The invasive plant is also one of a few natural dewormers for goats. 

The herd of 16 goats that Davault maintains also love thistle and sticker bushes. She says the only thing they pass up is young ironweed plants, although they will eat them in the fall. 

When a potential client calls for help with a vegetation problem, they will need to answer a few simple questions. How large is the area? What type is vegetation it there? Is drinking water accessible for the goats? How close can a vehicle get to the area? 

Once these questions are answered, Davault can give you an estimate on the cost of her service. 

Compared to the cost of hiring someone to perform the same service, it may be a real bargain. 

With Goats on the Go, the goats are brought in, contained to the area with portable fencing, and loaded up again at the end of the day. 

There is nothing for the customer to do other than watch the show. 

You may contact Davault through the Goats on the Go website, goatsonthego.com. Or you can call her at 573-308-8421.