Anybody in PHX Got Lawnmower Goats to Rent??

OutdoorWriter · Sep 15, 2021

If so, I need a couple to do some trimming in my backyard that has gone to pot since the heavy rains we've had here.

I tried to hire someone for a couple weeks, but no one seemed to have time. Monday, I finally got someone to come out & give me an estimate to clean up the jungle, but I nearly fell over when he told me $300.

I didn't have much choice since he's the only one that has had time to even give an estimate. Slated to do it manana.

I took the photos this a.m. for a before & after look. The bush in the 1st one is an overgrown bouganvillea. Note the arrow in the one that is pointing to a tree I never planted. There are also a couple smaller ones of the same species.

stinky · Sep 15, 2021

I thought that you meant for a pack animal. They are the perfect pack animal.

Buy one, then eat it.

OutdoorWriter · Sep 15, 2021

stinky said:
I thought that you meant for a pack animal. They are the perfect pack animal.

Buy one, then eat it.

Nope, as a lawnmower. I fixed the title.

I killed a Catalina goat many years ago. It was the stinkiest critter I ever shot.

Tasted some of the meat & vowed never to eat any more goat meat.

eelgrass · Sep 15, 2021

$300????? Heck, I'd eat it for $250. Too bad we're so far apart.

OutdoorWriter · Sep 16, 2021

eelgrass said:
$300????? Heck, I'd eat it for $250. Too bad we're so far apart.

Someone did tell me you'd eat anything.

eelgrass · Sep 16, 2021

OutdoorWriter said:
Someone did tell me you'd eat anything.

If the money is right.....

eelgrass · Sep 16, 2021

Even lamb....

OutdoorWriter · Sep 16, 2021

So...with a crew of 3 goats, two hours & $300 later....voila...

Before

After

Before

After

OutdoorWriter · Sep 16, 2021

And....tho I didn't take part, my life was in grave danger.

I hadn't been into my workshop for more than a year, but I wanted to go out the side door to see how the goats were doing on that side of the yard.

So I walk into the shop & over to the double doors with O2 tank in one hand & grab the door knob with my other hand. As soon as I did I felt the sticky web around it & quickly pulled my hand away. As I did, a fat, juicy black widow dropped down from behind the knob.

I can't believe it didn't nail me because I had to be within a centimeter of it. I just happened to have a can of roach killer out there. It made short work of the beastie. A stick then got rid of the web.

I hate those SOBs.

Focoelkman · Sep 16, 2021

That’s unreal -

Bluehair · Sep 17, 2021

I hated the bugs in Phx. Especially where they still had flood irrigation. I had B&C scorpions out in New River.

OutdoorWriter · Sep 17, 2021

Don't like scorpions either. Until a coupe months ago, I had NEVER seen one in our well-established Mayvale neighborhood. We're no where remotely near any desert country. Nonetheless, one night my bride walked into the kitchen to find a 2" scorpion on the tile floor. She dispatched it with her shoe but left it for me to get rid of the next day. I suspect it got there via some grocery item she brought into the house.

I had an exterminator spraying the yard every 3 months before I went into the hospital in early 2020. I haven't called him since then, but now that the 'goats' have cleaned up the backyard. I should do just that.

feddoc · Sep 17, 2021

Im sure there are some goats from Afghanistan who would like a break.

feddoc · Sep 17, 2021

We had a couple goats in our yard for the same reason. Miniature goats, George and Beavis.
One day our large male Fila Brasileiro decided George needed relocated, so Jughead grabbed him by the neck and brought him to me.

I thought Jughead had killed him as George was limp. Nope. He just passed out, I guess from fear of a 175lb dog dragging him. George got his respect a couple weeks later when he head butted Jughead. They were best buds after that.

eelgrass · Sep 17, 2021

In a moment of weakness, we moved down to the lovely town of Stevenson, CA, west of Modesto, back about 1974. We rented a place out in the country.

The entire front of the house was cedar shakes and was covered in cob webs. I sprayed Chlordane (now highly illegal) all around. The next morning I counted 27 dead black widows around the front porch. That was such a lovely place.

It was the only place where I shot ducks out our bedroom window though. The whole area had a very high water table so when it rained we had a duck pond in the back yard. Throw out a few decoys and shoot from the bedroom.

OutdoorWriter · Sep 17, 2021

feddoc said:
We had a couple goats in our yard for the same reason. Miniature goats, George and Beavis.
One day our large male Fila Brasileiro decided George needed relocated, so Jughead grabbed him by the neck and brought him to me.

I thought Jughead had killed him as George was limp. Nope. He just passed out, I guess from fear of a 175lb dog dragging him. George got his respect a couple weeks later when he head butted Jughead. They were best buds after that.

I had heard that about goats actually passing out. Weird

OutdoorWriter · Sep 17, 2021

eelgrass said:
In a moment of weakness, we moved down to the lovely town of Stevenson, CA, west of Modesto, back about 1974. We rented a place out in the country.

The entire front of the house was cedar shakes and was covered in cob webs. I sprayed Chlordane (now highly illegal) all around. The next morning I counted 27 dead black widows around the front porch. That was such a lovely place.

It was the only place where I shot ducks out our bedroom window though. The whole area had a very high water table so when it rained we had a duck pond in the back yard. Throw out a few decoys and shoot from the bedroom.

Most of the widows we get here seem to like setting up house under the side of a vehicle. Then at night, they suspend in their webs near ground level to nail some dinner. So when I see a web, I go outside at night with a can of roach spray & do a number on any in view.

The one I killed in the shop yesterday looked like she was filled with eggs. So it's a good thing I got her when I did or they would have invaded every little nook & corner in the shop. And there are oodles of them! I would have been killing them forever.