Goat Orgy!

@TheHorse (238268)

Walnut Creek, California

September 26, 2019 12:31pm CST

I finally got my poor ol' truck to the mechanic today to get my oil leak fixed. As is my usual practice, I cycled home, partially on a bike path that runs parallel to a canal. Next to that canal is a lot of tall grass, now brown, that would perfect for catching on fire with a carelessly tossed cigarette butt or a broken beer bottle (common there, alas) focusing the sunlight on a particular spot. Every Fall, close to the end of September, I see large herds of goats munching away at this spot, and in certain fire-prone spots of the Oakland and Berkeley Hills. Goats amuse me, so I generally stop and chat with them. Goat and Horse is kind of like Croatian and Polish--you can have a broken conversation, even if expressing more nuanced ideas would be difficult. I have no idea about the economics of these goat herds. Where do they import them from? Who pays them? What do they do for a living during the rainy season? But I enjoy watching them munch away.

16 people like this

15 responses

• Pueblo, Colorado

26 Sep 19

I don't think they have to import the goats, they're native. People have weed clearing business' and rent their goat herds out to anybody with a need who can pay. Aside from the methane put out by any living thing one way or another, it's environmentally sound, it rejuvinates the ground, and is non-toxic.

4 people like this

@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

26 Sep 19

Thanks for the info. I wonder how far away these guys come from.

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@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

27 Sep 19

@jprtist My five acres are in Montana, not here in CA.

3 people like this

• Pueblo, Colorado

27 Sep 19

@TheHorse I'd ask around at a feed store, or ranch supply store, they'll know of somebody nearby with goats for rent. There have to be quite a few folks in California. If you're interested in trying it for your property.

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@wolfgirl569 (135583)

• Marion, Ohio

26 Sep 19

I have seen on the news that the owners get paid good for letting the goats graze those areas down. It cuts the fire risk a lot.

3 people like this

@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

28 Sep 19

It would be fun to know the numbers. Maybe there's a career for me after I retire from teaching.

2 people like this

@wolfgirl569 (135583)

• Marion, Ohio

28 Sep 19

@TheHorse You have to think about the fact that you get paid, you feed the goats for free, and most have the meat type goats for that. So except for the breeding stock you sell off for butcher and then new babies are born in the spring ready to grow up for free again.

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@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

28 Sep 19

@wolfgirl569 Are some of these cute little guys ultimately going to wind up next to mint sauce and rice?

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@BarBaraPrz (51811)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

26 Sep 19

In the rainy season, they put their hoofs up and binge watch reruns of Mr Ed and Green Acres.

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@BarBaraPrz (51811)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

26 Sep 19

@TheHorse You know it.

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@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

26 Sep 19

That sounds like a good life!

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@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

28 Sep 19

@BarBaraPrz They might miss the nuances of Breaking Bad, though.

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@WorDazza (15826)

• Manchester, England

26 Sep 19

That's a lot of goats. In fact I'd say there's more goats in that field than I've seen in total in my entire life!!

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@WorDazza (15826)

• Manchester, England

26 Sep 19

@TheHorse Is satisfying goats something your accustomed to? I knew you were only pretending not to know about rodent bothering!

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@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

26 Sep 19

@WorDazza Well, I do like goats. But I try to restrict myself to picking leaves that they can't reach and giving it to them.

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@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

26 Sep 19

I've never seen that many goats looking happy and satisfied all at once.

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@JudyEv (381744)

• Rockingham, Australia

27 Sep 19

That's a lot of goats. Even my nephew doesn't have that many.

2 people like this

@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

27 Sep 19

I said "hi" to them again on the way back to the mechanic. They're doing a great job. The brown grass is only 2" tall where they've had their fill. I'd better do a post about my tragic oil leak.

1 person likes this

@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

30 Sep 19

@JudyEv My tragic oil leak turned out to be a loose oil filter. I had intuited that two weeks before, but could not FIND the oil filter in the complicated engine of my 2008 Nissan Xterra.

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@JudyEv (381744)

• Rockingham, Australia

29 Sep 19

@TheHorse Oh no. Not a tragic oil leak.

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@JohnRoberts (109841)

• Los Angeles, California

26 Sep 19

So now we know where old goats are pastured.

3 people like this

@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

26 Sep 19

They looked pretty happy munching on that dry grass. But what do they do during the off season? Provide powdered goat milk?

2 people like this

@LadyDuck (502148)

• Italy

27 Sep 19

The goats here are used to clear fields, the farmers rent the goats to do the job. Be sure that after a few days they are in a field nothing is left.

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@LadyDuck (502148)

• Italy

28 Sep 19

@TheHorse They do, if you do not care to let them eat everything. In my garden they will munch also all the vegetables and flowers and no matter what they can find.

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@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

28 Sep 19

As I cycled back to pick up my car yesterday, I noticed that the goats were doing an excellent job.

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@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

28 Sep 19

Glad to hear they do it there as well.

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crazyhorseladycx

@crazyhorseladycx (39503)

• United States

26 Sep 19

i'm glad they're bein' utilized fer such. here'n new mexico 'n i believe colorado?? there'd be herds to rent fer such 's well 's land reparations. they'll eat the willows'n other undesirable weeds to give the native grasses a chance to recover from drought/'r o'ergrazin'. not fer certain where all they go? perhaps they get the winter spent 'hind bars. er, i mean corrals.

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crazyhorseladycx

@crazyhorseladycx (39503)

• United States

27 Sep 19

@TheHorse yes sir, fer those that've finally opened their eyes that poisonin' all 'twas not the solution.

@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

26 Sep 19

Ah, interesting to know that the same advanced technology is used in other states.

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@DianneN (254949)

• United States

26 Sep 19

I’ve never seen so many goats at once. Very cool!

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@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

26 Sep 19

It's a common sight here in the early Fall. I wonder if they do the same in other states.

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@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

26 Sep 19

@DianneN Crazyhorselady says she's seen it in Colorado and New Mexico as well.

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@DianneN (254949)

• United States

26 Sep 19

@TheHorse I’ve never seen this before anywhere, not even when I was in California.

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@andriaperry (118793)

• Anniston, Alabama

27 Sep 19

I need to buy my lady goat a friend, then raise and dell them.

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@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

28 Sep 19

Are you going to do it?

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@andriaperry (118793)

• Anniston, Alabama

28 Sep 19

@TheHorse Probably, next year.

@Hannihar (130150)

• Israel

27 Sep 19

@TheHorse It sounds like you and the goat had a nice chat.

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@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

28 Sep 19

Yes, but they were less concerned with my wit and wisdom than they were with the grass.

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@Hannihar (130150)

• Israel

29 Sep 19

@TheHorse So did you feel bad that they ignored you and preferred the grass to you?

@thislittlepennyearns (68159)

• Defuniak Springs, Florida

26 Sep 19

All the goats!

2 people like this

@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

26 Sep 19

They looked quite happy.

@thislittlepennyearns (68159)

• Defuniak Springs, Florida

27 Sep 19

@TheHorse Now you jus need to find cows. I keep trying to convince the boyfriend that we need a goat.

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@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

28 Sep 19

@thislittlepennyearns I'm sorry to be scatological, but compare goat poop with cow poop. I'd opt for goats.

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@Janet357 (75638)

•

27 Sep 19

that is a lot of goats!

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@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

28 Sep 19

They seemed quite happy.

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@CarolDM (203396)

• Nashville, Tennessee

26 Sep 19

How cool to see so many goats. They are cool animals. Who knows your answers, not me.

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@BarBaraPrz (51811)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

26 Sep 19

@CarolDM Of course goats don't like to go out in the rain. They're not stupid.

2 people like this

@TheHorse (238268)

• Walnut Creek, California

26 Sep 19

@CarolDM Oh, I'll have to read up!

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@CarolDM (203396)

• Nashville, Tennessee

26 Sep 19

@TheHorse Found some interesting reading material about goats. And did you know the study of goats is called Goatology! Who knew. You have me reading about goats now. Source:Hubpages Goats don't like to go out in the rain, but who does? Veterinarians have not identified any physical reasons, such as already mentioned sensitive skin or hide/oils compositions, and so far no "goat whisperers" have come forward with an explanation.

14 things you didn't know about goats

We know they're cute and even dog-like, but here are a lot more cool facts about goats.

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@FourWalls (86568)

• United States

29 Sep 19

They’ll soon banned because of their flatulence causing air pollution. Truthfully, a pretty smart idea.