Frequently Asked Questions
Targeted Grazing is using a specific species of livestock to control the spread of unwanted vegetation such as noxious weeds or excessive shrub growth. The goal is to reduce the competitive advantage of the targeted plant species. Other words to describe targeted grazing are controlled grazing, flash grazing, or pulse grazing. The livestock grazes at a high intensity for a short time, often covering the same area multiple times per season. The term target grazing is also used to refer to the reduction of plant cover to reduce fire risk (Launchbaugh and Walker, 2006).
The focus of targeted grazing is to achieve defined vegetation or landscape goals. It offers an alternative, regenerative way of weed control to replace or enhance contemporary weed management tools. While the sheep and goats are removing biomass, nature hits its natural ‘reset’ button. By removing biomass and clearing out unwanted vegetation, the desired vegetation can reclaim space and access the natural available resources. The emphasis with Targeted Grazing lies on the selective and controlled use of livestock, for a specific time and a specific area or plant species, where its purpose is to improve and maintain the selected area.
Targeted grazing offers an opportunity to implement non-herbicide and non-intrusive weed management. Sheep and goats can be put to work to help the natural foliage grow while also implementing a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. They can have access to areas that are not suitable for mechanical solutions or when chemical solutions are not desired or not efficient. It plays a part when landscape conversion, restoring native habitat, reducing excessive vegetation growth, redistributing nutrients, or when establishing and maintaining fire breaks are desired.
If you're interested in targeted grazing, we will first plan a site assessment to get a good idea of the scope of work and the goals you want to see achieved. On our side, we make an assessment of the size of the area, the accessibility, safety measurements that need to be taken, and how much goat and sheep power is needed to meet the goals. This involves looking at the terrain, vegetation, and any potential hazards to ensure that the grazing is conducted in a safe and effective manner. This personalized approach ensures that our targeted grazing services are tailored to your specific needs, and achieves effective vegetation management and sustainable land stewardship.
The pricing for The Big Crunch's Targeted Grazing Services is determined based on a variety of factors specific to each grazing project. No two sites are the same, and no two grazing plans are the same. Grazing is a delicate but effective tool when done properly. Therefore, the cost depends on the scope of work, area size and location, accessibility of the grazing area, vegetation density, safety measures, number of goats, and grazing days. By considering these unique aspects of each project, we ensure that our pricing is fair and tailored to the specific needs of our clients.
Goats and sheep can eat all kinds of unwanted vegetation, even those that might be considered toxic. Plants, grasses and shrubs suitable for targeted grazing include but are not limited to:
Absinthe, Alfalfa, Cattail, Buckthorn, Garlic Mustard, Giant Hogweed, Goatgrass, Goutweed (goatweed), Gumweed, Japanese Knotweed, Kentucky Grass, Knapweed, Kudzu, Phragmites, Purple Loosestrife, Sow-thistle, Cypress Spurge, Leafy Spurge, Bull Thistle, Canada Thistle, Tussock, White Sweet Clover, Wild Parsnip, Yellow Sweet Clover.
