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Goats, Sheep Help Manage Weeds on Western Rangeland
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A growing number of Western land managers are finding that goats and sheep
can manage weeds on rangeland more effectively than just cattle. A SARE-funded
study in Washington State – run by Cooperative State Research, Education and
Extension Service (CSREES) Extension and the Big Bend Resource Conservation &
Development (RC&D), among other agencies is backing up those findings with solid
research.
In East Richland, Wash., on one of two eastern Washington ranches being
evaluated as part of a multi-species grazing study, scientists are monitoring
impacts of sending 80 goats and 40 hair sheep to graze on Russian olive,
bulrush, perennial pepperweed and other weedy forbs. Data from the first season
has found that following cattle with goats was effective in managing Russian
olive and that a cattle-goats-cattle rotation could control bulrush.
The project – a partnership between farmers, landowners, Extension, NRCS range
conservationists, and the RC&D – takes place on two ranches solicited by Andrea
Mann, coordinator of the Big Bend Resource Conservation and Development Council.
After attending multi-species grazing workshops as part of a
SARE professional development
project, Mann became excited by the potential of sheep and goats to manage
weeds and rejuvenate the Western range – both uplands and wetlands. With a
Washington State University Extension specialist and USDA-Agricultural Research
Service scientist, Mann applied for a
SARE research &
education grant to test the ability of diverse herds and flocks to control
unwanted range vegetation in the Big Bend area.
“One of the objectives of the SARE professional development project was to
initiate a project on the ground,” Mann said. “There were a few properties in
Washington I thought would benefit greatly from weed control.”
Beyond determining the most appropriate livestock species to be used at
different stages of growth for each noxious weed, the study also will research
forage quality and animal nutrition needs; livestock management including
treatment of foot ailments; and rangeland management.
Researchers identified a grazing strategy with strong potential to rejuvenate
wetlands. They sent a herd of goats and flock of sheep after cattle to manage
bulrush and create more open-water habitat in the wetlands area. NRCS staff
conducted vegetation inventories and developed grazing plans.
The researchers found timing to be crucial, as bulrush palatability drops when
it turns brown in late summer. Yet, early grazing proved effective. The sheep
and goats grazed six- to eight-feet tall bulrush down to one or two feet. At
that size, the cattle that followed more readily grazed the bulrush. The area
then became dry enough for tractor-mowing, which researchers expect will
stimulate better, more palatable forages in the spring.
“The manager feels that cattle and goats will really like those fresh sprigs
coming up and they will be able to keep that more open,” Mann said. Completing
the cycle, the improved wetlands quality will draw wildlife.
The project has an unexpected public impact. The owner of the second property in
the study – Hercules Ranch on Sprague Lake near Spokane – sold an easement to
the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), which opened the
area to the public. Prior to the study, the WDFW in partnership with RC&D and
others had blazed wildlife observation trails and built a public boat launch.
The 575-acre study area was then “placed where people can see what’s going on,”
Mann said. “It’s a great place for the public to come and see the trials and
talk to the shepherd.”
About SARE
Since 1988, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program
has helped advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound
and good for communities through a nationwide grants program. The program,
administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service, USDA, funds projects and conducts outreach designed to improve
agricultural systems and natural resources.
NRCS field office professionals frequently collaborate on SARE-funded projects
and are valuable partners to the SARE program. NRCS staff serve on SARE’s
national Operations Committee, on regional Administrative Councils, on State
committees and are actively engaged as technical advisers and collaborators on
SARE-funded research grants around the U.S.
For more information, visit
the SARE website or for more information about the regional SARE programs, click on the region
area of the map below.
Your contact is Diana Friedman, SARE research associate, at 301-504-6422, or
dfriedman@sare.org.
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