Goats 'lawnmovers' hired out by farm to cut grass

Brian the goat is one of the 200 goats owned by the family

If the lawn is getting too long most people will reach for a lawn mower to give it a trim, but in South Wales one farm is renting out goats to do the job.

Dawn Hart and Richard White keep more than 200 goats which they hire out to businesses and individuals for grass cutting with a difference.

The couple who live in Carmarthenshire, in south-west Wales, first started to use goats to clear the land on their farm but started to hire them out when they realised how useful they were.

Now the goats are used by a local council and people in the community to keep green spaces tidy.

Why goats?

The goats hard at work

Dawn, who runs Bio Goats 2 Rent with her partner Richard, says using goats is more environmentally friendly than using a petrol-powered lawnmower.

Unlike machinery goats will eat plants without uprooting them or eroding the soil - and they can easily climb onto steep areas - unlike lawnmowers.

Weed seeds don't usually survive the grinding of their teeth or their multi-chambered stomachs, so this means when they poo the weeds are unlikely to come back.

And their poo is also good for the soil!

As well as grass and weeds they can even munch on brambles and hedges.

"They can mix with the wildlife instead of harming it," says Dawn.

The goats also like company and are very sociable.

The goats can be used in woodland areas as well

"If they're in somebody's garden they're giving companionship as well." Dawn said.

She says the goats don't need a lot of training and learn how to listen to warnings for when they are getting too near a boundary - or precious plant!

And the goats are a big hit with the couple's three children as well. Dawn says Matthew (14), Marley (12) and Paige (8) love the goats and help out with caring for them.