Tag Archives: goats

The RFS saved our farm from bushfires and friends & family saved our sanity

February 9, 2020 Big Angry Trev 1 Comment

Despite, thankfully, not losing our home like so many other poor souls, our family was affected by the unprecedented bushfires this summer. We had to evacuate our home for an extended period – twice, with the flames getting to within 500m off our back fence and 200m off our side fence. These were scary times for us, like many others across the state. If it wasn’t for the RFS fighting the fires tooth and nail for months on end, I have zero doubt our property would have been consumed and they have our families eternal thanks.

Image taken from the cab of a fire truck on our road the night we had to evacuate. (Photo Credit: R. Oldfield – NSW RFS)

These fires affected our entire family unit. We had to cancel our sons birthday party and all my wifes family coming for Christmas. We had to spend Xmas itself at relatives homes instead of in our own. We had to tear our farm apart to try and make it as fireproof as possible, and we are still now trying to put it back together. We had all our most treasured personal belonging stashed in three other people’s homes and likewise for our animals three more. We stressed and fretted and on one night drove for our lives as the police came down our road on their loudspeaker ordering people to evacuate, our animals and children in tow. We sat up until 1am at my mother-in-laws house watching the reports come in about a house destroyed on our road, wondering if it was ours and if we would have a home to return to. We consider ourselves fortunate that all we lost in the end was a few fridges and a deep freezer full of food (a waste of good ducks though).

So yes, we were much luckier than many, but the NSW fire season was truly a horrible month for our family.

So the RFS saved our home, but what saved our sanity? Easy to answer – community, friends and family. Without these people my wife and I would have descended into madness long ago, and ours is a tale of how people pulling together made what was a terrible experience so much less worse than it could have been.

Here are some of the examples of how we were helped by truly wonderful people:

Community & Emergency Workers

*The Grader Drivers that came to our property on two separate occasions and put in fire break lines everywhere they could, in an effort to stop any grassfires that might make it in onto our land.

*The local branch of the RFS, who provided constant updates and were always able to answer any questions we sent to them, even at 2am while our road burned.

*The local member who posted constant updates and videos about what the fires were doing in our area for weeks on end and was an excellent source of information. I may have been a Greens voter all my life, but there is a National’s member who has earned my vote!

*My sister-in-laws friend taking in our chook and 8 of our ducks for a full month and caring for them, despite never even having met us before.

*Our neighbours across the road and next to us keeping an eye on our property in case there were spotfires while we were evacuated.

Grader driver putting in containment lines in our back paddock

Friends

*My friend Jordan driving over a hundred kilometres and spending 3 hours in 40 degree heat evacuating all goods from the Transformatorium shed into the main house (we thought that the firey’s might be able to save the house but would probably let the shed burn if they had to). Then in the hot sun helped me clean out gutters, that had never been cleaned before, of dead leaves and other flammable material.

*My boss and friend Toni from work storing my 3000+ Transformer action figure collection in her loungeroom for an entire month, despite it meaning she could hardly move in that part of the house.

*Our friends Lisa and Scott taking our pet goats for extended periods on two separate occasions and feeding and watering them every day despite the heat.

*Our new friends and neighbours down the road, Bill and Lynne, feeding the poultry we couldn’t evacuate, even though it meant a daily drive closer to the fire front.

*So many of our close friends messaging us with comforting words and emotional support, yet allowing us the space to breathe when we had to.

Family

*My brother-in-law Matt driving over a hundred kilometres with his chainsaw to cut down every tree within a 5m radius of our farmhouse, then staying the night so the next day he could seal breaks in our guttering so they could hold water in case of ember attack.

*My sister-in-law Jo storing so much of our personal belongings, taking our fish for several weeks, and making us Christmas dinner

*My mother-in-law Noelene putting us up for long periods – twice – while we were evacuated, looking after our dog and storing even more of our belongings (my wife’s family rules!).

*Our children, so young and yet so brave. Being evacuated twice, missing out on birthday parties, missing out on spending Christmas in their own home. That’s a lot for a 4 and 7 year old to cope with and they both took it in their stride.

*And more than anyone, my beautiful wife. By my side we spent so much of our summer trying to fireproof a farm that had never before been threatened by flames and was a tinderbox ready to ignite.

Ours is just one example of how families and entire communities came together to support each other during this horrible time for our state and indeed for our country. If ever there was evidence that the spirit of empathy and generosity is still well alive in this land, it’s been well and truly presented this summer.

So to all our friends, all our family, all the community and all the members of the RFS, on behalf of our family

Thank you!

Related Articles:

Retrofitting a ute to become a spotfire fighting vehicle

Bushfire Danger: Packing your emergency bags

Fires SE Rylstone & Kandos

Fan Interviews & Art, Hobby Farming

Permaculture: Using Goats to clear Blackberry Patches

April 23, 2019 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

On our farm here in NSW, like many other farms in the region, we have a problem with Blackberry Bushes.

For anyone from the city who isn’t acquainted with them, Blackberry Bushes aren’t cute little shrubs that give you some delightful fruit. No, they are a noxious weed that grows out of control. There is virtually no limit to the size they grow, and they are covered in thorns ready to ensnare human and animal alike with even the slightest contact.

We’ve got some whoppers of Blackberry Bushes on our land, some almost bigger than our house! They have been very hard to get rid of for two reasons:

A: We don’t like to use poisons on our property

B: Even if we did use poisons, most of the bushes are located in the middle of our shallow creek, meaning that any use of herbicides could result in them entering the water, causing major damage to other plants and the ecosystem in general.

So what were we to do?

Well, we kinda lucked out. Mick, who I buy nearly all my second-hand pots from in order to propagate plants for our Organic Plants & Produce business, runs a family business of his own. He and his wife Billie run Dry Creek Farm, and they specialize in bringing out herds of goats in order to decimate Blackberry Patches, leaving nothing but stems and fertilizer in their wake. After being impressed with the job they did on our farm, I couldn’t help but ask them for an interview and they kindly obliged:

What first gave you the idea to use goats to clear huge blackberry patches?

Huge Blackberry patches on our own place and a strong desire not to spray. We have done a permaculture course and heard of people using goats for weed control. We were getting a fair bit of pressure from the weed inspectors to do something about our Blackberry so we decided we’d have to give it a go.

What made you decide that using goats to clear blackberry was a viable business?

Mostly the fact that it worked so well on our place. We knew other people were also looking to an alternative to spraying. Also, we had the goats and were running out of feed for them!

How much blackberry can a mob of your goats clear in a day?

We usually say a single car garage per day but we’ve recently experimented with using larger mobs and knocking them over a bit faster. We have found that it depends on the goats and what they’re used to eating, we’ve recently bought some goats and found they weren’t as keen on blackberry as our initial mob. Nothing a bit of competition and on the job training won’t fix. (after the goats moved from your place to join with the others they have started churning through the patches like there’s no tomorrow)

How is using goats to clear blackberry more sustainable and ecologically friendly than using traditional methods?

Spraying is very detrimental in the long run, it kills soil life and does not allow the weed to add fertility to the soil. The production and transportation of agricultural chemicals is a huge contributer to greenhouse gases and creates a cycle of chemical dependence on farms. Goats help to increase fertility by turning weeds into manure which makes it easier to break down. Treating weeds in this way also allows the plant to continue filling it’s niche in the ecosystem. For example, blackberry helps prevent erosion and having the goats treat a patch still leaves the canes and the roots to fulfill this function.

I understand something rather odd (and amusing) happened when your goats were at our place. Can you describe what happened?

We’ve well and truly learnt that not everything goes to plan when working with animals. We decided to swing via your place for an unscheduled check on the goats because we happened to be in the area. Lucky we did. When we arrived we noticed there were nine feral and stinky billygoats showing an interest in our girls. One was in the paddock with our goats and another had his horns completely tangled in the mobile fencing and was being humped from behind by another of the billies! It was not his lucky day. Mike had to get amongst it and wrestle him free of the fence then we had to draft them out of the paddock and chase them away to discourage them returning. It was all a bit dramatic but didn’t cause too much drama in the end and gives us something to have a laugh about. We were quite surprised as we had the goats working on our place for twelve months with feral goats always around and we have also done other jobs and seen billies about but never had this situation!

I’d like to thank both Michael and Billie for both their time doing this interview and the wonderful job their goats did getting rid of our blackberries. You can find the website for Dry Creek Farm HERE.

Got any questions for Mick and Billie? Pop it in the comments section below and I’m sure they will be happy to answer it.

Related Articles:

*Capturing Wild Animals: Feral Goats

*Interview: Greens Member – Natalie Abboud

*Raising Goats as Pets

*Permaculture: Building a No-Dig Garden

Hobby Farming

Capturing Wild Animals: Feral Goats

February 15, 2019 Big Angry Trev Leave a comment

Feral Goats. Bane of natural forests.

Here in Australia they are classed as an Invasive Animal Species and official pest. Responsible for financial losses totaling $225 million per year, they cause land degradation and compete with native species for both food and rock shelter.

We’ve had a big pack of feral goats that turn up periodically on our farm from the forest it backs onto. Except for the odd bit of damage to a boundary fence, it hasn’t been not too much of a nuisance in the past as we currently have no herds of grazing animals.

But now they have discovered our two pet does – twin-sisters Milly and Molly.

Because the Billy’s in particular have such an interest in our two nannies, and indeed twice we have had to go find our goats (who are free range) because they have taken off with the pack, we decided to do something about it.

Not owning a gun, capture was the next best option. And, especially during a drought, it’s surprisingly easy! Here is how:

Billy Goats are like 18 year old boys

*Its truer than you think. They smell bad, they’re constantly hungry and they are constantly horny (pun partially intended). So if you think like a teenage boy then you can lure them in.

*My does are both on heat and have been putting their scent out on the wind. So we have had all the local feral Billy’s showing up, making it easy to capture one. First I left the back gate to the does pen open (which I do most days as they free range and come back themselves of an evening).

*Then I made sure there was a salt-lick in their yard and their water trough was full. During drought goats, like most creatures, are in constant search of water sources.

*I made sure there was some fresh Lucerne in their yard.

*Now think like a teenage boy and think what the scents on the wind are telling the Billy Goat. They are saying ‘Hey! You know what? I know this place we can go! There is tons to eat! There is tons to drink! And there are twin-sisters that are hot to trot big time!’

*So with the promise of free food, free drink and a couple of hotties who are gagging for it, like the 18 year old human male, the Billy Goat cannot resist. They turn up and quite quickly make their way into the pen. I’ve caught two 100+kg Billy Goats with this technique this month alone!

Capture is easy – containment is hard.

The trouble containing feral goats is that they will throw themselves at the fences, charging full pelt with horns down, trying to escape. I have enough fencing skill that I’ve put up a few around the farm, but they are certainly not of a professional standard. The one I built around my goat pen is strong enough to contain our does and proved strong enough to withstand the punishment of a Feral Billy until it gives up and accept its lot in life. However we encountered a problem…

… a competing Billy Goat.

According to my mother-in-law (I was at work at the time) a white Billy turned up and had a big fight through the fence with the one I had captured. With two 100+kg Billy’s throwing themselves full force head first at the same part of the fence, it wasn’t long until it gave and the Billy escaped.

However that afternoon he was quickly replaced. A 3^rd Billy (a black one this time) turned up and I was able to catch him using the aforementioned technique. However as I had only had time to do a slapdash repair on the fence, it was not strong enough and with enough full-force attacks he was able to batter over the damaged fence and escape.

So, hopefully I can get the fence repaired properly before my does go out of heat and try and capture some more. All I have to do…

…is think like an 18 year old boy.

Got any goat-trapping tips yourself? Pop them in the comments section below!

Related Article:

Raising Goats as Pets

Hobby Farming, Tales of the Trev

A letter of thanks to my former farm

July 22, 2017 Big Angry Trev 1 Comment

My dear former farm,

Though I have left you, I want to thank you for all you did for me over the past 6 years.

You taught me many things about caring for the land. How to put back more than I took out. The art of growing a tree in the right kind of dirt, the ways of composting and mulching to improve and protect the soil. The planting of windbreaks, of nut trees, of fruit and vegetables for my family.

The necessity of you made me do something that my family had tried in vain to get me to do when I was a younger man – learn to properly use tools. When you need to constantly build fences and animal enclosures, pirate ships and cubby houses, scarecrows and fire pits it forces you to finally learn how to use drills and circular saws and everything in between. As for farm equipment, everything from the use of a humble shovel to mastering the subtleties of tractor usage became a daily activity.

You provided me the true experience of food. Just how incredible so many things taste when they are straight out of your garden and grown by your own hand, rather than having been grown on another continent and then shipped thousands of miles, put in cold storage, handled by dozens of people etc etc. I never knew just how intense simple things like watermelon or mandarins could taste when it’s so fresh and been grown right!

You brought back to me the pride of properly caring for livestock. To see the ducks growing, the chooks laying and the goats frolicking in their field in their thick winter coats – all given plenty of food, water, space and shelter to keep them at the peak of happiness and health!

You reminded me of simple pleasures that I had forgotten from living in the big city for so long. Things like there is a night sky absolutely full of stars, the joy of swimming in a dam on a hot day or climbing a tall gum tree, the relaxed freedom of rambling around a paddock in a clapped-out ute.

You were the first farm that was truly mine. When standing upon your ground everything felt right, I felt truly at home. I felt a connection to the land that fellow farmers and country folk can relate to but rarely speak of, something almost spiritual. Something sadly that your average gardener of city-dweller can never truly understand. Just like someone cannot truly grasp the feeling of parenthood until they become one, nobody cannot truly grasp what it feels like to stand on the ground of your own farm, feeling the earth beneath your boots and surveying how you have shaped and changed and molded the land around you for the better.

Thank you for everything you taught me and gave me. And most importantly thank you for giving my two children a safe place to spend their first few years of life – no matter how far away we may go there will always be some Mallee dust in their veins.

It broke my heart to leave you, but I know we leave each other better than we found one another and I never forget the life lessons you taught me. You will always have my thanks and my love.

Hobby Farming

Raising Goats as Pets

February 3, 2017 Big Angry Trev 1 Comment

Goats. Sheep with brains. Reputations for being grumpy, smelly, eating tin cans and destroying any plants they get near. Why would anyone want a goat as a pet?

Because, if raised correctly, they are intelligent, loving, playful and can become wonderful members of your family, that’s why!

We have two female Boer Goats – Milly and Molly – twin sisters. And they are the nicest animals you could ever hope to meet! They follow us around like dogs, eat from our hand, give little kisses and licks and love to climb trees with the kids. In fact they are wonderful with the children as whenever we go for a walk they tend to pick a child each and shadow them, walking three or four feet behind, just like they are their hairy protectors.

Of course, goats can be a lot of work and you need to have the right space set up for them. So here are some excellent tips for keeping goats as pets.

What Goats to Pick

*Hand-raised goats are a must. We’ve had friends who had goats as pets which were part of tamed flocks and while mostly docile were not above giving the odd butt or bite if in a bad mood. You want goats that have been bottle fed and have spent lots of time around children.

*If you have not raised the goats yourself, make sure you take ownership of them at around 6 months of age. Any later and they will not imprint on you to the extent that you want.

Habitat

*Have a tall fence. We have a 5 foot tall fence running around our little goat paddock. And even then twice Milly has decided she is going to jump it! Thankfully she seems to have forgotten she has that ability and has not done it since. A 6-foot fence is to be preferred but make sure it is at the least not lower than 5.

*Have adequate shelter. People laughed at me when I built my goats a little house. But here in the Mallee we get 45 degree days in the middle of summer and during the winter we even get the odd hail storm. And goats are smart, they are not going to stay out in horrible weather if they don’t have to. I made my goat house out of wood and painted it with a solar-reflecting paint in order to minimize the heat inside. Build it with corrugated iron and all you have done is make an oven for them.

Food and Drink

*Have adequate water. We have a big dam in our goat paddock so ours are fine but you may want a trough at the least and keep it topped up.

*Goats will not eat just anything. They will eat most things, and not all those things are good for them. We feed our goats the following (ration down when still young):

-Lamb pellets. Calf pellets will work as well. 2 cups per goat every second day.

-Lucerne. A small butt every second day (alternate with the pellets).

-Weeds. This is where your goats are useful! Anything you don’t wanna throw on the compost heap throw to your goats and the majority of the time they will love it! They love roses and rose trimmings in particular. They won’t eat all plants and if fed enough will happily shun what their instincts tell them is no good for them.

*Provide a salt lick. Not a major necessity if they have a good diet but I find having one in there gives me piece of mind, knowing the goats can go have some if anything in their diet is lacking.

Exercise

*Not what is usually meant by ‘kids playground’*

*Have materials for the goats to climb on and to wear their hooves down. Goats are smart and smart creatures need stuff to do. I propped up a fallen tree as well as built a tower out of old wooden palettes. These serve several functions. One is that goats love to jump and climb and it gives them exercises and lets them indulge their climbing instincts. The other is that if goats do not have hard surfaces to wear their hooves down on the hooves keep growing. This means they can in-grow and you need to clip them yourself which can be a real hassle.

*Take your goats for walks. As mentioned, our goats will follow us around like dogs and taking them for a walk means it breaks up their routine and you get some extra bonding time with them.

Other Tips & Troubleshooting

*Car theft by Goat: One of the lesser known crimes*

*Goats will ruin trees and plants. I had a few low trees around my dam, they are well and truly gone now. If the goats get into your garden they will try and eat everything.

*These goats will be your pets. This means you need to pat them and talk to them daily just like you would any other pet.

*Do not overfeed your goats. They will graze and you then supplement that with things like lucerne and pellets. If you give them a ton of pellets every day they will develop stomach issues.

*Be careful with little (human) kids. Be careful with your own eyes too. Unless you dehorn your goats it means they have two long big prongs sticking out of their forehead. If your goats are affectionate they will like to rub up against you. This means if your kids are small or you are bending over, there is a danger of a horn in the eye – not a pleasant experience.

*Be careful with other animals. Once goats are a certain size, unless it’s a pack of wild dogs nothing is going to bother them. Goats are more than capable of seeing off a fox or solitary dog. Sadly this can mean that your pet dog (we have a Shetland Sheepdog who is very submissive by nature) might end up on the wrong end a butting goat if it gets too close and is perceived as a threat.

*Goats really love to climb. Combine this with being naturally inquisitive and I’ve had to shoo them off the bonnet of my ute more times than I can count and even had them all over my kids play equipment and our patio table!

And that’s pretty much it. Goats can make beautiful, loving, well-natured pets and can be lots of fun! Just make sure you have enough space for them and know what you are getting in to before you bring those cute little kids home – they sure do grow!

*Love between man and goat – a lot more innocent than it sounds*

Got any comments or extra tips to add to the above? Would love to read them in the comments section below!

Big Angry Trev!