Forget lawnmowers: Why ‘adorable’ goat herds are Australia’s new garden clean-up crew

Forget the roar of petrol mowers and the endless bags of green waste.

A revolutionary, and frankly adorable, trend is sweeping through Sydney’s suburbs as homeowners turn to an unlikely solution for their overgrown backyards: goats.

These hoofed heroes, long employed by councils and the NSW Rural Fire Service for hazard reduction, are now making their mark on residential properties, offering an eco-friendly and incredibly efficient way to reclaim neglected gardens.

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The trend gained recent attention after Tim the Lawnmower Man hired a herd of goats to clear a 700-square-metre block in Western Sydney.

He has been documenting their progress in a series of videos posted to his social media.

“(There was) quite a lot of wild overgrowth there,” Tim said.

The property, neglected for four years, was deemed too dense with “wild overgrowth” and “brush and weed” for conventional machinery.

Tim the Lawnmower Man with his 35 goats in western Sydney. Source: Facebook

The property before the goat invasion. Source: Facebook

Another before shot of the once weed infested property. Source: Facebook

He told Yahoo News that he previously used goats to clear long grass at a home earlier this year, and was curious as to how they would enjoy eating the “completely wild” landscape.

“From the couple of jobs that I’ve done, they do knock over a lot in that first period,” he said.

“They just absolutely demolish everything and just leave, basically sticks.”

Goats are the new suburban yard clean-up crew

A team of 35 miniature goats, supplied by Denny Woods of Central Coast Goats Fire Hazard Reduction Services, cleared the property in just three days.

Footage documented the rapid transformation, with the yard “stripped bare” of vegetation.

Tim highlighted the efficiency and waste reduction benefits.

“They seem to be having a ball,” Tim told Yahoo News.

“They’ve taken care of a lot of the bulk of the green waste that we would have had to deal with otherwise.

“That’s one of the biggest issues when you’re doing these sorts of clean-ups… (it) takes up a lot of space and can be multiple trips to the tip.”

Central Coast Goats Fire Hazard Reduction Services hires out goats and sheep across NSW. Source:Facebook

Denny Woods confirmed the increasing demand from homeowners.

His business also supplies sheep and larger goats, who consume up to 10kg of vegetation daily, offering a “green, sustainable way” to manage yards without chemical sprays.

“It’s a green, sustainable way to keep their yards down,” he told Yahoo.

“People like having wildlife in the yard, like frogs and that, but if you use sprays, it kills them. So better off using the goats.”

Large goats eat up to 10kg vegetation a day. Source: Central Coast Goats Fire Hazard Reduction Services/Facebook

Woods also mentioned the ability to spread coated grass seeds, promoting new growth post-clearing.

Woods’ services, available across New South Wales, represent a growing shift towards eco-friendly and efficient land management in suburban settings.

Meanwhile, Tim’s followers appear to be keen on Sydney goat invasion.

“Absolutely loving the goats – what a great job they did! I’d love the goats to be a more regular thing,” one person commented on social media.

“Wow! How do the Lawnmower not get a belly ache. But what goes in must come out,” another stated.

A third commented: “What a difference! Goats are the Greatest Of All Time!!!”