Goat-renting business could be first of its kind
A WELSH family has started a unique business thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.
Dawn Hart and Richard White, from Clynderwen, started Bio Goats 2 Rent three years ago.
Marketed as an “eco-friendly weed and brush control company”, the family has a herd of 200 goats for hire to clear out brambles, weeds and rough patches of ground. The “gardeners” are each able to munch up to 8lb a day.
Their iron stomachs make goats the perfect animal for the job. The animals are able to feast on harmful species like poison ivy, poison oak, blackberry, rose bush and thistle without spreading the weed through their droppings.
“We have over 200 goats now and I know all of them by name,” Mrs Hart said. She says her favourite goats are called Felicity, Tiffany, Joy, Cwtch, Princess, Ivy and Foxy.
The entrepreneurial pair started the business three years ago after they looked into purchasing goats for their own farm.
Luckily a friend of theirs had some goats he wanted to begin renting but he was moving to South Africa, so Mrs Hart and Mr White bought the goats and expanded his plans.
Now, Mrs Hart and Mr White are looking at franchising across the UK as they receive inquiries from across the country, although fuel prices mean most of them aren’t viable.
Bio Goats 2 Rent is usually hired by members of the public and the agricultural sector, but Pembrokeshire Council also employ the business to keep on top of weeds on council land.
Not only are goats effective at their job, they also bring smiles to the local community.
Mrs Hart said: “My kids absolutely loved having them on the farm. Some ladies who hired the goats liked having them in their garden for the company. The goats like human company.”
The herd is mostly made up of Boer goats, but there are also a few Anglonubian and Bagot goats.
The cost of renting a herd of goats depends on your plot size, how many goats you require, the goats’ welfare and security, and whether you need a herdsperson.
Mrs Hart said: “Big jobs normally require 30 goats. On small jobs we like them to go out in threes as they don’t like being alone, so we always make sure they have some company.”
If fencing is not practical, the goats can be fitted with a GPS collar.
Mrs Hart explained: “The GPS collar works on a frequency system which gives the goat a little shock if they go outside the boundary. The goats tend to be very well-behaved.”
Bournemouth Council has been using goats to target undesirable species such as holm oak, Japanese knotweed and bamboo, and help restore the cliffs along the Dorset coast.
Goat-renting is already an established and lucrative business in some countries.
Founded in 2010, Rent A Goat is a California-based business that has enjoyed national coverage for its successful business.
In the Australian outback, goat herds are used to keep the pastures under control, preventing bush fires.