The Goats...

The Goats...

As you may guess, it's really all about the goats. 

FlockWorks started with a rag-tag group of (mostly) rejected, rescue goats. At that time we knew next-to-nothing about goats and in some ways we just lucked into most things going OK. 

Things have progressed a quite a bit! While always learning, we have gotten to the point where we believe our techniques and processes are extremely effective and efficient. This lets our goats function the way we believe that they were made to live, at least as closely as possible within a populated society and on a different continent. 

We no longer take in random goats that need a new home.  We have decided to focus any rescue/rehab energies on not simply protecting individual goats, but goat breeds that are in jeopardy.  More about endangered goats here.

Most of the year, and all of the grazing season, our goats are foraging for their food. Even in the off season, we keep the goats in the electric net fencing and move them, either to new forage or to new areas for herd-health purposes.

What this means is that our goats know nothing but life and sustenance within their fencing and are completely acclimated and trained to it. They AND their digestive system* have adapted to changing conditions and variations in the available food supplies.

(*when you feed a goat, you are really feeding a colony of millions of beneficial bacteria that work symbiotically with the goat) 

You cannot take any random herd of goats and have them do anything like what our goats can do!  Even with herds that their owners believe "live on pasture" and would do great for vegetation managment, mostly they are misunderstanding the roll of grain and feed and what a high percentage of the goats calories are coming from that input.   

So, are our goats special?  

In many ways, no.  Not special at all.  
And in many other ways, yes!  Very, very special!  

Home How It Works

FlockWorks Goats

Natural BrushCutters

FlockWorks is goat-centric for many good reasons! We started off managing land with goats. They are amazingly effective at weed, brush and invasive vegetation removal. They eat plants that most other herbivores can’t (or won't) touch and they can be managed very well with the proper training, guidance, and gear.

Here are some goats basics: They eat and are not allergic to poison ivy. Their multi-chambered digestive system works round the clock fermenting what they eat and that amazing process is part of what destroys weed seeds! They are herd animals and think and move as a group. More can be found in our frequently asked questions section.

While we started with a rag-tag group of rescue goats, we have managed and bred them to form a formidable vegetation clearing force to be reckoned with.

These goats and their offspring are our co-workers, friends, and the source of relief and joy to many people throughout the Cumberland Valley area. People look forward to seeing them do their work on job-sites.

How It Works

Heritage and Critically Endangered Goats

Taking in a goat from someone with a different managment style is challenging.  Sometimes, 6 to 9 months challenging.  Sometimes, not fully possible, challenging. 

We have rescued goats that have had NO IDEA that vegetation was food!!!  They only had been given feed/grain (not healthy) and would just stand in the midst of shoulder-height brush (real goat food!) and scream for food... for months!  To transition these animals was very, very hard!  And, to be honest, hard on each of those goats.  

We now only take in/rescue goats if we are helping, not simply an individual animal, but a breed of goats that needs assistance.  Amongst our goats are Oberhasli, (Wikipedia), San Clemente Island Goats (Wiki) and we are watching for opportunities to help preserve the Arapawa goat (Wiki) breed. 

The San Clemente and Arapawa goats are known for their rugged hardiness and self-sufficiency. 

More details to come about these genetically special goats!  

How It Works

Goats: Good for your soul

Recently research was published that indicated how much healthier a person is is they are able to spend time in the woods or the forest.  We are fully expecting a similar report about time spent with goats! 

Goats offer psychological benefits. Goats are curious, friendly, surprising and interesting workers who will draw you in while they munch on and ruminate your unwanted vegetation.  At times they are incredibly active and playful.  At others you'll see deep, settled rest and feel how at peace they are. 

It's not uncommon for children (OK, adults also) to come up with names and nicknames for "their" favorite goats. People sometimes find it difficult to say goodbye once their job is complete, but are always excited if the same herd can return for the next round! 

The FlockWorks Goats

Photos, names and overviews will be coming in the future. 

This page will always be a work in progress. We don't take near as many photos as we probably should and one unique thing about working with goats is that when they trust you, they are often facing away from you. 
Manthy
Manthy

Sweet fainting goat... supposedly. 

Goat
Sebastian 

Each season we generally kid in Mid-April to Mid-May. 

Goat
Mildred 

Our goats are conditioned and adapted to eat brush and weeds.  As they go, the vegetation decreases, the soil improves and the process begins.  

Kia
Kia

Gentle.  Sweet.  Heritage breed. 

Most goats, as prey animals, are not especially fond of you approaching them.  This is doubly true with Kia.  She leaves anytime you try to give her a scratch, but when you turn around, she is often right next to you. 

Mailing Address:

PO Box 207
Roxbury, PA 17251


Physical Address: 
11777 Forge Hill Road
Orrstown, PA 17244


Contact:

Email: info@FlockWorks.us 
Phone: (717) 417-8683
(You can also text us.) 

Links:
Site Map (90+% Rebuilt)
  • Hire Goats (Goat Rental Directory: Find other Goat Rental Companies.)
  • GoatWorks (Learn to manage your own goats similarly.) 
  • Historical FlockWorks Website

Feedback:

Please send us your ideas, bug reports, suggestions! Any feedback would be appreciated.

© Copyright 2013-2024    FlockWorks - Guided Goat Grazing
A Division of FlameWorks, LLC - All Rights Reserved
Serving the Cumberland Valley of South Central, PA

More about goat Acclimation. 

You cannot just take a goat from a feed-lot (or similar) setting and drop them into a grazing or browsing herd and expect good results. In fact, you can expect very, very poor outcomes unless there is extensive oversight and conditioning over a long period of time. 

When it comes down to it, we are more managing fence to manage goats than most people realize. Our average job has many sections (paddocks) and how we size those sections, and how we move the goats through them, is what lets the goats do their job so effectively. 

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