GOT GOATS? The Lavaca River sure did!

If you were traveling across the Lavaca River Bridge in Hallettsville this past week and looked to the north, you likely saw what looked to be a large herd of goats grazing along the sloped river bank.

That wasn’t just an illusion, and no, our editor’s pet flock didn’t somehow get loose. Rather, these goats are part of a project known as Rent-A-Ruminant of Texas, which about 150 of the critters, most of them from the Brownwood area, to do what they do best, eat up the foliage along the riverside just north of the bridge, to provide a chemical-free way of battling undergrowth along the river.

According to co-owner Kyle Carr, the Lavaca River Flood Control (LRFC) district board of directors expressed the interest in livestock being an effective and environmentally friendly vegetation clearing option for the riverbank.

The vegetation reportedly had grown to as tall as six feet in some areas of the test plot. The goats were brought in to trim it down.

Originally, the goats were scheduled to come late last year, but because conditions has been so dry for so long, Carr said the grass was unsuitable for grazing. In fact, they decided to hold off until now.

“When we inspected the area last year, it was determined that the recent drought rendered the predominant Johnson Grass test plot dormant and potentially harmful for the goats,” Carr said. “That particular grass is a good forage in the summertime, but there are three times where it is not. In the early spring, when it’s going dormant in the fall and wintertime, and also it goes dormant because of drought conditions, which is really what happened.”

As a result, it was decided, the goats would be unable to safely clear the excess vegetation until later and the LRFC decided to bring them in at a more suitable grazing time.

"We want to put the goats down there for their safety because we want our goats to be healthy, of course. We also want them to do a great job. This is a pilot program, so we want to ensure it’s successful,” Carr said. “It’s a great place and a good application to use the goats right along the waterway where you really can’t get traditional machinery in there to maintain the area.”

The owners of Rent-A-Ruminant Texas, Kyle and Carolyn Carr, bring more than 20 years of experience in agriculture

“We use the goats to clear overgrown vegetation across the state. For the past seven years we have worked with cities, businesses and private properties to meet their goals on many different terrains and problem areas,” Kyle said. “The goats are best used in locations that are difficult to maintain such as the banks of the Lavaca River and that is why the Lavaca County Flood Control has hired us as part of a pilot program.”

Carr said project on the Lavaca River covers two acres and will take their 150 goats about 6-8 days to complete.

He said the goats are contained inside temporary electrified fencing, and one of their staff members is onsite day and night to ensure the goats stay safe and focused on job at hand.

The Rent-A-Ruminant website says the herd of goats specializes in reducing brush overgrowth, green briars, poison ivy, ragweed and many other unwanted or undesirable plant species

They provide an eco-friendly vegetation management solution for corporations, governments and private property owners.

Should the goats still be grazing the banks of the river when this article is printed, the public is invited to stop by, ask questions, and watch the goats as they traverse the banks munching away. In addition, the bridge also provides a great viewing experience from above.

“We do ask that any visitors please do not touch or attempt to feed our goats for safety reasons,” Carr said

Hans Lammeman, former staff writer with the Lavaca County newspapers, contributed to this report with interviews he completed late last year, when the group was first scheduled to come to Hallettsville. Jimmy Appelt held on to his work until they did and then worked to update the story