Renting out goats -- a great green business idea
Filed under: Make Money Fast, Green
Looking for a job in the great outdoors? Love animals? Like money? Then you might take a look at a growing new business in the U.S. -- renting out animals to clear troublesome brush.
The goat herd of Rent-A-Ruminant LLC is over 100 strong and voracious, cleaning up parks, construction sites, school grounds and private business greenery in the Seattle area.
The company erects an electric fence around the land to be cleared of unwanted botany such as blackberry bushes, ivy, morning glories (my personal torment), nettles, thistles and the like. The goats can work steep slopes where machines can't, precluding the necessity of using herbicides. They also fertilize the ground as they work. And they're way cuter than a tractor or a brush hog.
The goats don't work for peanuts,though. Owner Tammy Dunakin told me via e-mail that their average job requires a herd of 60 or 120, which costs $750 a day, usually with a three-day minimum and a setup and transportation charge of $350 to $500. They also offer a 15-head herd for $250 a day.
Goats have also been used successfully in the southeast to fight the widespread plant pestilence, kudzu.
Yes, this could be a cool business opportunity, but you know who has an even better job than the goat-herder? The goats; they eat for a living!.
The goat herd of Rent-A-Ruminant LLC is over 100 strong and voracious, cleaning up parks, construction sites, school grounds and private business greenery in the Seattle area.
The company erects an electric fence around the land to be cleared of unwanted botany such as blackberry bushes, ivy, morning glories (my personal torment), nettles, thistles and the like. The goats can work steep slopes where machines can't, precluding the necessity of using herbicides. They also fertilize the ground as they work. And they're way cuter than a tractor or a brush hog.
The goats don't work for peanuts,though. Owner Tammy Dunakin told me via e-mail that their average job requires a herd of 60 or 120, which costs $750 a day, usually with a three-day minimum and a setup and transportation charge of $350 to $500. They also offer a 15-head herd for $250 a day.
Goats have also been used successfully in the southeast to fight the widespread plant pestilence, kudzu.
Yes, this could be a cool business opportunity, but you know who has an even better job than the goat-herder? The goats; they eat for a living!.
Money Clips
- HILARIOUS: Warren Buffet Plays Axl Rose in New Commercial - Huffington Post
- ON THE PLUS SIDE: Where Home Prices Are Rising - CNNMoney
- FRICTION: Could China Trade War Put Walmart Out of Business? - 24/7 Wall St.
- PROFILE: Opinionated Auto Industry Insider Dies - FORTUNE
- DON'T LAUGH: More Homeowners Turning to Fake Grass - SmartMoney
- HIT HARDEST: States Hurt Most From Rising Gas Prices - CNBC
- GET YOUR MONEY'S WORTH: Best Cars to Buy Used - CBS MoneyWatch
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-24-2009 @ 9:50AM
rufus levin said...
And if business drops off, you can barbeque the lawn mower, eat well, and reduce overhead expense.
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 5:15PM
what said...
IS THAT A DUDE OR A BAD LOOKING WOMEN???
SHE NEEDS TO GO INTO HIDING.. AND ALL YOU READING THAT LOOK LIKE THAT DO TOO. AINT THERE A HOME FOR YOU PEOPLE?
12-24-2009 @ 2:18PM
twoshoes4u said...
Hooray for this guy and his herd. Everyone profits and the Environmental Freakos can't complain...well maybe they'll find nothing to complain about.
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 2:27PM
Ron said...
a new use for the minnesota/missouri lawnmower. they do eat the weeds first!
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 2:30PM
bernie said...
What's this a muslim lawnmower?
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 3:02PM
Yon said...
There is also a future application for goats: disposing of the paperwork resulting from the new health care laws. Recycle your shredder into drugs and feel great.
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 3:20PM
mahafakir said...
I think the man is an idiot. He could better utilize his capital by having his goats bred and use them to milk them and sell the milk of his goats. He is making about $3 to $3.50 per goat per day. He could make at least fifty dollars per goat per day by keeping only the goats whose udders of full of milk. If he was going to rent the goats that give milk then he will have to guard them since people will steal their milk.
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 7:14PM
dan22601 said...
He is making money off his idea and you think he is the idiot and you are smarter............LOL Too funny.
12-24-2009 @ 3:53PM
jb said...
Serious question....do they eat garlic mustard and burdock? That would be a godsend.
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 3:55PM
vlddanny said...
Cool. Take about 10,0000 goats to Detroit to clean up all the vacant lots and yards. Working for the government, payment is guaranteed by us taxpayers. Even better, the government may just want to buy your goats. They're willing to use our tax money to pay $25 for a $3 dollar screwdriver, so guessing you should get about $50,000 per goat. Drug companies will lobby with and for you because they want to sell Uncle Sam over priced drugs for governement goats, and bug spray at about $50/ounce.
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 4:00PM
ginger said...
I raised goats and they r actually very smart. Mine knew their names and came when called. I loved raising them until I had to sell some and found out the buyer intended to Kill and eat them. I got out of the goat business.
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 4:14PM
lakearcher said...
In over 2,000 years of scientific inquiry and discovery - - - science has not found god, because - - - THERE IS NO GOD !
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 5:17PM
kacy said...
wouldn't it be better to live life believing in God and finding out theres not one than living life not believing and finding out that there is
12-24-2009 @ 6:08PM
PirateJohn said...
In a word: "cabrito" Yum.
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 5:00PM
el buitre said...
i'm tired of the single air force guy(wsmnsi)and his ad.he must be paying somebody because the instant i click his ad shows up, followed by the other ad.
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 5:16PM
WHO said...
YOU PEOPLE LOOK LIKE A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY.
Y'ALL ARE HILLBILLIES.
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 6:58PM
Doug said...
THANK YOU????
12-24-2009 @ 5:46PM
TreeHouseForRent said...
What a great business idea with the goats! I hope it grows.
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 6:34PM
scharabo said...
Once again AOL proves their headline writers don't read the article they title. A fortune? Yes, if he averages $350 a day, which I highly doubt, that's about $127,000 a year. But, what are his expenses (including his time putting up and taking down electric fencing) against that.
As sill as someone above saying you make make $50 a day off of a milk goat. $5.00 a day may be more like it.
Reply
12-24-2009 @ 8:21PM
Keith said...
Mahafakir is an idiot who has never raised goats and knows nothing about the economy of goat raising. If two gallons of goats milk would bring $50 dollars I would quit my job and buy goats. You also can't do math, which may have contributed to your first stupid statement. They are making just over $16 dollars a day per goat for brush clearing. I doubt many folks now days could milk a goat so why exactly do they need to be guarded?
But since I have actually raised goats and know you can't make $50 dollars a day from one goat, I guess I will just keep going to work.
Tammy in Seattle is already making more with her goats than most folks can with goats. Congratulations on her innovative thinking.
Reply