If you’re looking for a sustainable, eco-friendly way to keep your grass neatly trimmed and free of weeds, then animal mowers could be the answer.
Machine mowers, either the ride-on or the push variety, are noisy, require regular maintenance and emit carbon monoxide and dioxide into the atmosphere. They also cut into your valuable time and energy.
Here are five of the best animals to consider as a natural mowing alternative to maintain your grass.
1. Goats
Goats have superior weed whacking capabilities and are a classic choice for lawn maintenance. These extreme omnivores will eat brush, twigs and leaves as well as grass. Independent, inquisitive and lovable, goats have personality plus when it comes to being natural lawn mowers.
Downsides of goats are their unpredictable browsing habits which can lead to uneven grass lengths. They can also climb, so you need to provide a secure enclosure.
2. Sheep
Sheep are a traditional choice for lawn maintenance, and they can also be used for wool and milk. They have good grazing ability and will do a great job with a large area of grass. As sheep are docile creatures, they don’t usually cause trouble, but they’re social animals so you’ll need at least two.
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3. Cows
Cows are voracious munchers of grass so are ideal for large plots of land. They are easy to look after and won’t try to escape. You could also consider using them for milk. An issue with keeping cows is what to do with the manure, and they’re less eco-friendly than other animals as they produce methane emissions.
4. Chickens
You can kill several birds with one stone so to speak with chickens. These friendly birds not only eat grass, but they can also be kept as egg layers or used for meat. In fact, the more grass there is for them to eat, the better quality of the eggs they produce. To keep chickens concentrated on a patch of grass, you can set up A-frame coops with an open floor for grazing, and move it when they’re finished in one area.
5. Guinea Pigs
Although they’re little, get a group of guinea pigs together, and they can make a serious dent in your grass. A single guinea pig can eat five times its bodyweight of grass a day. Not only are they small and portable, guinea pigs have sharp little teeth ideal for neat grass trimming. Perfect for keeping the lawn in your house yard under control! However, as they don’t just eat grass, they will need other food to supplement their diet.
