West Seattle double take: Garden goats, out for a walk

Thanks to Suzanne Krom for catching the photo of George Capestany (right) and son Brannden Nokes, as they walked through her neighborhood with goats Bama (with Brannden) and JJ. She learned, “George keeps them as pets and they earn their keep by eating blackberry vines and other invasive vegetation. It turns out that George uses them instead of using pesticides. He’s considering renting them out to others for this purpose. The goats are super-friendly and easy to walk. Very dog-like.”

29 Replies to "West Seattle double take: Garden goats, out for a walk"

  • Veteran Wisdom June 7, 2012 (11:04 pm)

    I’d be very interested in renting them out. I was just discussing this last weekend.

  • Sonoma June 7, 2012 (11:35 pm)

    How cute! Thank you, Suzanne, for the charming photo. P.S. Suzanne has done a lot to protect heron habit – a true advocate for animals.

  • pigeonmom June 8, 2012 (12:14 am)

    !!! WANT !!!

  • Service Dog Academy June 8, 2012 (1:08 am)

    Service Goat Academy. Clicker train your goat to fetch you a beer from the fridge!

  • Westseattleperson June 8, 2012 (4:48 am)

    Ooooh I love little goats! I’d rent them too!

  • LivesInWS June 8, 2012 (6:23 am)

    Are those pygmy goats? They look smaller than regular goats.

  • Velo_nut June 8, 2012 (7:06 am)

    Hopefully he has them tagged and licensed. Its a huge ticket.

    Trust me!

  • A June 8, 2012 (7:15 am)

    AWESOME!
    Question: how does one ensure they eat only the invasive stuff?

  • DD June 8, 2012 (8:08 am)

    Awesome! Please offer up their services – I would love to have them help clean up my backyard! Goats rock!

  • Kelly June 8, 2012 (8:14 am)

    Pretty sure you have to goat-sit (consider yourself a hip, modern goat herder). My grandfather used to tie the goat’s rope to a cinder block and put the block in the center of a patch of weeds so the goat couldn’t eat beyond that radius.

  • HelperMonkey June 8, 2012 (8:30 am)

    I would totally rent those goats! :D

  • petert June 8, 2012 (8:33 am)

    I’m curious – do they eat horsetails as well as blackberry brambles ? If so, I’m interested…

  • squareeyes June 8, 2012 (8:37 am)

    I’d be on board to rent one or two for a few days. This rain has my weed-occupied backyard growing like, well, weeds.

  • Suzanne June 8, 2012 (8:42 am)

    I looked into renting goats in the past, but it seemed like the company I looked at was geared towards commercial businesses and was too expensive for residential homeowners. I’d be curious what George might charge if he decided to rent them out.

  • Good for you June 8, 2012 (8:45 am)

    I too would be interested in having some of those nasty blackberry bushes gone. If they decide to offer them for rent, I would love to talk to them.

  • westcoastdeb June 8, 2012 (8:58 am)

    Who’d have thought it – looks like west seattle could have a thriving goat rental business! Is there still a goat down at Nickelsville? Could be an awesome way for a camper to bring in more money!

  • Christina June 8, 2012 (9:21 am)

    Same, I’d be interested in renting them out as well!

  • 35this35mph June 8, 2012 (9:22 am)

    My understanding is that goats eat the foliage from blackberries, but you are still left with the canes. And of course the real culprit with blackberries are the roots.

  • MJB June 8, 2012 (9:38 am)

    we’d be interested in renting them too–blackberries and ivy!

  • Liz June 8, 2012 (12:22 pm)

    Do they eat buttercup and clover? I’d love to rent them for a day or two!!

  • B-squared June 8, 2012 (2:45 pm)

    Do little goats eat ivy? i know little lambs do.

  • pampire June 8, 2012 (4:08 pm)

    I’d rent them! I’ve also thought about renting the NV goats if they’re available.

  • squareeyes June 8, 2012 (4:46 pm)

    A kid’ll eat ivy too, wouldn’t you?

  • ILoveWestSeattle June 8, 2012 (9:21 pm)

    No desire to rent these wee creatures, but would love to pet them and scratch them behind their ears and between their eyes…cute, cute, cute!

  • WSMom June 8, 2012 (10:14 pm)

    I would rent them. Tomorrow. Can WSB pass on interested email addresses to the goat herders?

    • WSB June 8, 2012 (10:25 pm)

      I don’t have any contact for them. Hope they are aware by now of the enthusiastic comments inspired by the photo! If they are out there somewhere and do want to make contact information known, they are welcome to post it here or (if it’s not till after the three-week comment window elapses) e-mail us at editor@westseattleblog.com for a followup … TR

  • westseattledood June 9, 2012 (6:33 pm)

    Eating the leaves off the blackberry is good though, I’d say. The plant can’t photosynthesize without them so it is weakened, right? Then you go at the roots with the shovels and boiling water. That’s my own lame theory anyway.

    I think that might be “little” George Capistany from the neighborhood I grew up in the Northend of Tacoma. It’s a small world. I’d possibly consider renting as well…

  • ws suzanne June 10, 2012 (11:12 am)

    I’m the one who noticed them and snapped this photo. Since they haven’t responded,

    I’m wondering if they even know about the WSB. They moved here recently. I emailed George with a link to this thread several days ago and haven’t heard back. If I see him again, I’ll let him know that he can be in touch with the WSB so all of you can help keep his goats happily well fed.

  • G June 12, 2012 (12:38 am)

    I looked into goat rental a few years back and it was WAY too expensive for an average person…and more geared towards a LARGE area needing MANY goats…not just a homeowner with a patch of brush to clear. Hiring day laborers would have been cheaper. I’m sure there would be a great market for smaller scale goat rentals. I have heard they do eat blackberry roots and all..hope it’s true!

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