Research has shown that very few seeds ingested by goats remain viable. Using goats for weed control saves on the cost of chemicals and machinery and increases the output from the affected area. Blackberry Dock Wattles Doublegee Gums Paddy Melon and Afghan Melon Paterson's curse Grasses - Annual ryegrass, Brome grass. Goats play a positive role in slowly changing the existing pasture composition. While goats prefer to browse, they also adapt to grazing grass and clovers and can scratch the ground for clover burr.
Goats are very selective feeders and choose some parts of a plant and leave the rest.
Their preference to avoid green subterranean clover during winter and early spring makes a paddock rotation system an ideal method to reduce grasses and other weeds from a clover area. Remember to assess seedhead removal and pasture availability, and to adjust stock numbers accordingly. In heavily infested areas that would require more goats to control than needed in the long term, reduce weeds to a manageable level before goats are introduced. In regrowth areas, constantly monitor the available browse, and remove goats immediately after juvenile leaves and young fresh shoots are consumed. Otherwise, without supplementary feeding and with only the unpalatable old stems that are indigestible, the animals will lose condition rapidly or attempt to escape to more favourable food sources.