Our Vision

Vision: Regenerating our Australian Landscapes with Livestock, Wildlife and People

We specialise in mustering wild rangeland (feral) goats across North West New South Wales and South West Queensland areas. We partner with landowners and land managers such as farmers, National Parks and Indigenous communities. Stakeholder proportion of goat muster is negotiated prior to commencement. This allows all stakeholders to work together and share success. Percentage rate is predetermined and based on volume of goats.

Our Strategies and Tactics

Precision Application Mustering

Our style of mustering is carried out in a strategic manner as part of a coordinated program designed to achieve sustained effective control. The type of country, landowner or land manager's requirements determine our manner of mustering, tools and technology we use.

Options available for mustering include horseback, motorbikes or on foot. We utilize Natural Stockmanship philosophy and walk Rangeland Goats as a family group quietly and calmly into our portable yards. No stress.

Working dogs

Precision Application Mustering

Trained and skilled Australian working dogs are the keystone factor in our calm efficient mustering of rangeland goats. Rangeland goats quickly learn that they are herding dogs – not predators and earn their trust and respect. The Rangeland Goats quickly allow the herding dogs to form part of their leadership group. Trust and respect are earned by always providing the rangeland goats fresh nutritious food, water, shelter and protection from predators. The photos below demonstrate our working dogs working as a team, (Spice & Mutdapilly, other 6 members on other side of photo are camera shy) to calmly gather small isolated groups of goats into large family herd.

Judas Goat Tactic

Another tactic we can utilize is the use of radio-collared Judas goats to locate feral herds and increase the effectiveness of mustering control operations, particularly when eradication is the aim of the program.A light collar/transmitter is used. The collar is properly fitted for the comfort and safety of the lead animals. Usually a matriarch female. This system ensures time and place of mustering, capture and handling is done with the greatest efficiency and least stress to the goats. This concept allows us to develop a good knowledge of goat behavior, including their movement patterns.

Drone Technology Tactic

Another tactic we can utilize is drone technology, if approved by all stakeholders. The drone system gathers vital intelligence in the field allowing precision surveillance and monitoring. The drone technology gives us intelligence to understand numbers of goats in an area, behaviour and grazing patterns to enable planning of the best mustering strategy. Also, drone technology is helpful before and during muster to enable efficient deployment of our time and resources while enabling goats to be herded in an efficient calm manner back to strategically placed portable yards. We don’t use drones for mustering or moving goats. We find that the working dog team is still the best method, due to predator prey relationship the goats and dogs have with each other. This relationship delivers all vital factors such as: economics - animal welfare – goats and humans health and wellbeing – environmental and cultural. We only utilize helicopter/planes if landholder wants to use them. We personally find our Natural Stockmanship style integrating working dogs – drone is the most efficient concept.

Management of captured or mustered goats tactics

Mustering capture and handling can increase stress in Rangeland Goats as they are not used to confinement or close contact with humans. Consequently, these procedures can result in mis-mothering, feeding disruption, social disruption, heat stress and also abortion in heavily pregnant females. Metabolic, nutritional and parasitic diseases and also changes in environmental conditions can cause mortality and morbidity in confined Rangeland Goats, especially when confined for long periods.

Our strategy is to only have goats in well-designed yards for short periods and utilize infrared camera system to monitor health and behaviour.

Animal Welfare

Care for Natural Capital and Assets, Aboriginal Objects, Pastoral Heritage and Biosecurity

We ensure the Harvest Activities are carried out in accordance with the following Animal Welfare Codes of Practice and Standard Operating Procedures

Humane Control of Feral Goats – NSW DPI, September 2014
GOA003 Mustering of Feral Goats – NSW DPI
GOA004 Trapping of Feral Goats – NSW DPI
GEN002 The Care and Management of Dogs Used in the Control of Pest Animals – NSW DPI
Use of Judas goats (GOA005)

Care for Natural Capital and Assets, Aboriginal Objects, Pastoral Heritage and Biosecurity

All vehicles are used in a manner that does not cause damage to Aboriginal Objects, Pastoral Heritage or the environment.

All vehicles are washed to remove soil and vegetation before entering the farm, National Park or Reserve.

The Natural Stockmanship style of mustering is very calm and steady, goats are herded at walking pace as a family group, thus we do not damage or disturb any Natural Capital and Assets, Aboriginal Objects and Pastoral Heritage.

Our Vision

Vision: Regenerating our Australian Landscapes with Livestock, Wildlife and People

Our Strategies and Tactics

Precision Application Mustering

Precision Application Mustering

Precision Application Mustering

Working dogs

Precision Application Mustering

Precision Application Mustering

Judas Goat Tactic

Drone Technology Tactic

Management of captured or mustered goats tactics

Animal Welfare

Care for Natural Capital and Assets, Aboriginal Objects, Pastoral Heritage and Biosecurity

Care for Natural Capital and Assets, Aboriginal Objects, Pastoral Heritage and Biosecurity

Care for Natural Capital and Assets, Aboriginal Objects, Pastoral Heritage and Biosecurity

Care for Natural Capital and Assets, Aboriginal Objects, Pastoral Heritage and Biosecurity

Care for Natural Capital and Assets, Aboriginal Objects, Pastoral Heritage and Biosecurity

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