Hundreds of goats eat their way through brush, weeds at Pflugerville parks

Goats return to manage park vegetation

Hundreds of goats are now calling Pflugerville parks home in an effort to assist with vegetation management

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas - Hundreds of goats are now calling Pflugerville parks home in an effort to assist with vegetation management.

The goats are hard at work, eating their way through brush and weeds while stealing a lot of hearts along the way.

The backstory:

If you frequent Pflugerville parks, you may spot some cute four-legged landscapers. More than 400 goats are moving in for the next few weeks.

"We've got over 450 goats here this time around, and we got about 130 acres that they're going to be goat scaping throughout our park system," said Shane Mize, director of Parks and Recreation with the city of Pflugerville.

The goats work by grazing on weeds, grass, and even poison ivy. They help keep parks clean in a natural, sustainable way.

The city and "GoatScaping LLC" are teaming up to bring the goats to parks across Pflugerville.

"It's a really easy agricultural way to clean up the park system. In some areas we actually get fire prevention out of them as well in some of our spaces," said Mize.

And it's a cost cutter for the city, too.

"It would cost us about three times as much to have humans do this, and the public love it. You know, everyone comes out, they keep bringing their kids, and they come out to see the goats, and it's just a win-win," said Mize. 

The herd tackles about an acre a day, reducing the need for chemicals or machinery. And they’re not alone.

Areas across Central Texas, from Steiner Ranch to the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail, have turned to goats to clear brush and reduce wildfire risk.

Goats Help Reduce Wildfire Risk in Steiner Ranch

In an innovative partnership, the Steiner Ranch Residential Owners Association (SRROA) and Lake Travis Fire Rescue (LTFR) are working with Rent-A-Ruminant Texas to address wildfire risks using an eco-friendly and effective solution: goats.

Last summer, residents even voted to name two baby goats, "Flora" and "Fauna."

"Come out, enjoy, see the goats in their natural environment. Don't touch the fence. Don't try to pet the dog, the sheep herder dog that's out here. But definitely enjoy the experience. Watch these goats do a little work and enjoy our trail system," said Mize. 

The goats will be in town for eight weeks.