The “Flerd”
The Goats and Sheep at Brush Bust’n Boers
I began my agribusiness adventure with the intention of only keeping a herd of meat goats. Then I began breeding both registered animals and project goats for my nieces in 4-H. We had great success, winning numerous championships locally with our stock. But the goats were also highly effective at consuming the brushy, noxious vegetation that has overwhelmed most of Nevada County.
Because of my Boer goats' highly reproductive nature, the herd expanded quickly and outgrew my five acres of family land in Rough and Ready. To keep the goats healthy, I started targeted grazing. The constant movement from one fresh grazing site to the next duplicates the natural movement herbivores prefer. When the Mega Fires began to appear a few years ago in California, the demand for targeted grazing increased.
I was originally resistant to the idea of keeping sheep because in my youth I kept sheep, learned to shear them, and built a flock of about a hundred head. After ten years of raising and shearing sheep, I came to hate the smell, detested shearing, and never wanted to have one around me again.
My negativity toward sheep changed when I began to learn how to train herding dogs. Sheep just stick together better than goats, which makes teaching a young stock dog how to work livestock a whole lot easier.
The second contributing factor in my attitude adjustment was the changing environment of my targeted grazing areas. After two or three years of clearing the same areas, a funny thing happened: All the brushy, thorn-laden vegetation was disappearing and was replaced by grasses and forbs, which sheep find very appealing.
(Goats are natural browsers. They prefer eating fibrous, woody plants growing above the waist. Sheep are natural grazers. They prefer grasses and soft forbs growing below the waist. Both species will eventually resort to eating almost any vegetation, but at a reduced speed.)
The third and final factor in my conversion was the availability of hair sheep that naturally shed their odd hair/wool coats in the spring — no shearing!
With the evidence piling up in favor of adding some sheep, I bought a few Katahdins in 2023 and some Dorpers in 2024. The dogs love to herd them, I don't have to shear them, and they have reduced the number of days spent on a grazing set by 15-20%! The jobs look cleaner as all vegetation has been reduced evenly.
My goat herd has now evolved. With the introduction of sheep, I have improved the targeted grazing operation and have a "flerd".