Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/997127
37 farm406 www.gendco.com 3rd generation Montana family business incorporated in 1948 HELENA 800 Florence 406.442.7737 800.544.9353 BUTTE 701 South Warren 406.723.5491 800.622.9353 GREAT FALLS (Corporate Office) 430 17th Ave N.E. 406.454.1351 800.332.9936 GLENDIVE 720 N. Sargent 406.359.6114 877.453.9544 BOZEMAN 103 Bridger Center Drive 406.586.5927 800.332.9353 BILLINGS 1327 South 29th Street W. 406.259.5023 866.259.5023 • Welding Equipment & Supplies • Safety Equipment • Service & Repair • Industrial Equipment • Industrial & Welding Gases - Oxygen, Acetylene - Nitrogen, Argon - CO2, Argon/CO2 Mixes - Liquid Nitrogen In addition to selling for meat, goats can be used as tools to manage weeds, according to Jane Mangold, Extension Invasive Plant Specialist of Bozeman, Mont. "A 'targeted' grazing program is the use of livestock for timely and careful grazing of a specific plant community," Mangold explains. "In Montana, there are 35 species of noxious weeds. Several of them, such as spotted knapweed, thistle and leafy spurge are good candidates for targeted grazing." While there has been more research using sheep for targeted grazing systems, Mangold says there hasn't been as much development using goats. She cautions that goats graze differently than sheep and results may differ. "You want to use different weed management tools to stress the unwanted plants, so the desirable plants have the advantage," explains Mangold. "I have seen places where goats have been used and they grazed everything. You have to be very careful – you don't want them grazing everything because the weeds will be the first plants to come back." Targeted grazing is one of many weed management tools. "Ideally, you want to integrate different ways