Caprine Chronicles

My brother actually runs a golf club where llamas are caddies. But this course in North Dakota has gone a step farther. They use goats as lawn mowers.

Hawktree Golf course in Bismark, North Dakota has employed five goats to keep the course weed free (they are joined in this task by a human crew of seventeen) and so far, the response to the goats has been quite positive. "I think they will help us be better stewards of the environment by helping us reduce our carbon footprint and dependence on herbacides," notes Eric Stromstad, course superintendent.

According to Stromstad, the goats can eat about three percent of their body weight in weeds, each day. That's a lot of crunching because the goats weigh, on average, fifty pounds.

To keep the goats safe, they are contained in a 1,000 square foot movable pen, that is moved every few days to an area that is filled with weeds. The goats seem to have an insatiable appetite for weeds, according to Stromstad. "Outside a handful of crushed corn, they'd rather eat weeds than anything," said Stromstad.

One side effect: many members are bringing their grandchildren to the course to see the goats, not to play golf!