Greg Kalldin, owner of the 'Goats on the Go' Weatherford affiliate, takes his herd out every morning to do their job - and their job is to eat. Kalldin's herd of around 40 goats consume dry brush, dead weeds and anything that could be fuel for a brush fire. See how these goats provide an environmental friendly solution to brush clearance.
Wynonna is not your typical firefighter.
While firefighters use water to put out fires, she uses her appetite and her four-chamber stomach to get the job done.
Wynonna is one of about 40 goats being tasked with eating dead weeds and grass for the Weatherford affiliate of Goats on the Go, a company made up of local, independently-owned goat grazing businesses that provide weed and brush control.
Wynonna eats portion of dead grass and weeds on a patch of land in Jacksboro on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023.
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, there were around 20 brush fires near Fort Worth and surrounding counties resulting in over 2,700 acres burned in 2023.
With February being the start of fire season in Texas, goat grazing can play a role in wildfire fuel management in rural areas.
Greg Kalldin, the owner of the Goats on the Go Weatherford affiliate, watches over the goats as they work on clearing a new patch of land in Jacksboro on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023.
Every morning starting around 7 a.m. and throughout most of the day, the goats chomp at yellowed grasses, prickly bushes and dead vegetation — all which serve as fuel for brush fires.
“Their job is to eat,” said Greg Kalldin, the owner and operator of Goats on the Go Weatherford. “It’s pretty amazing what they will eat. They will eat just about anything that is out there on the ground for them.”
According to Kalldin, goats eat the weeds and clear the underbrush to prevent wildfires from spreading over hundreds and thousands of acres.
Along with eating the vegetation, Kalldin said goats could also get to locations where humans and machines can’t.
A goat eats portion of dead grass and weeds on a patch of land in Jacksboro on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023.
