Offering goat rental services in Tuolumne County and Calaveras County.
209 217 1577
Call today to schedule your herd!
Why Goats?
Goats are useful for maintaining cleared land. Once a masticator, land clearing crew or dozer are finished, land is bare but roots and seeds are still present in the soil. In the coming years, regrowth is inevitable. Goats are good at keeping that new growth down year after year so you can continue reaping the benefits of your investment.
Goats are browsers which means that as they graze, they consume more than just grass. Goats like eating toyon, blackberry bushes, poison oak, star thistle, fiddleneck and many of the other varieties of low growing vegetation in our local environment. This activity results in a lifting of the general vegetation line five to six feet off of the ground. This can be beneficial for defensible space, maintaining fuel breaks and improving opportunities for wildlife viewing as well as improving access for humans. Goats also eat dry leaves, and their activity mulches and crushes dry leaves and branches. A well-grazed property is more resilient and easier to manage.
Many individual landowners and municipalities have moved towards using goats for vegetation management because they represent a natural and harmless alternative to herbicides.
Goats may be used for vegetation management in archeologically or culturally sensitive areas because they do not cause as much damage to the terrain as heavy equipment does.
Goats offer psychological benefits. Goats are active, friendly, interesting companions who will captivate your attention while they maintain your land. It is not uncommon for children to invent creative names for individual goats. Many people find it hard to say goodbye once a rental agreement is completed.
Information for Landowners
Are goats a good choice for you?
As livestock go, goats are relatively easy to care for, but they have some needs that are important to consider.
Fencing requirements:
We can provide polymer electric fence to contain goats on properties that are unfenced, but there must be a cleared fence line on which to roll out the fence. We can clear fence line for lots with relatively light vegetation like grass or light brush, but fence lines through heavy brush must be cleared by the landowner before we can start. Rental prices are higher for properties that do not have their own secure fencing in place.
Daily Checks:
The landowner must be present or have a designated attendant on the property each night. They must count the goats each morning and evening and ensure the goats have access to clean water and feed if supplemental feeding is required.
Predators:
We utilize protector dogs for our larger herds and steel shelters for our small herds. It is generally the responsibility of the property owner or attendant to feed the dogs or to let the goats in and out of the shelter, if needed we can come do these chores for an added fee.
What to Expect
So, what can you expect when you call Motherlode Goats LLC?
First we will communicate via email or phone gathering information and answering specific questions you may have.
Then we will schedule an initial site visit during which we will meet and look over the property.
We will supply you with a detailed cost estimate for your rental. We charge 5.00 per goat per day for unfenced properties and 4.00 per goat per day for fenced properties.
We will go over liability paperwork and our grazing agreement.
After an agreement is signed, we will schedule a date for fence setup. We set up our fences a day or two before the herd move.
After fences are in place, we will move our goat herd onto your property and begin our agreed-upon rental period.
During the rental period, we will make regular site visits to ensure all systems are working well and goats are healthy and productive.
Payment is due upon termination of the rental period. We will keep track of how many goats you have and give you a detailed billing statement when your rental is completed. If the agreement exceeds one month, we will bill monthly.
When your rental period is up, we will load up our goats, pack up our fences and leave you to enjoy the rewards of a sustainably grazed property.
About Us
Motherlode Goats LLC is excited to announce our opening for business in Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties! Owner Alec Zachreson has been working in the land management realm since he was six years old. He began working with goats and running goat rental operations in 2020 during the height of the COVID pandemic. He is an experienced arborist and back country trail worker. When he is not caring for goats he can be found in the high country of the Sierra Nevada scouting for rare wildlife, scrounging around in the brush thickets of the low country looking for tracks, tanning deer hides in his back yard or spending a quality day with his wife and son.
Contact Us
If you think goats might be a good choice for your needs, give us a call or an email.
209 217 1577
motherlodegoats@gmail.com
Serving the communities of Sonora, Jamestown, Groveland, Angels Camp, Twain Harte, San Andreas, Murphys, Arnold, Copperopolis and unincorporated areas of Tuolumne County and Calaveras County.
Motherlode Goats LLC 