Many Goats Destroyed In Parakao District

Northern Advocate, 6 August 1949, Page 4

Many Goats Destroyed In Parakao District

WORKING their way through heavily-bushed hill country in the Parakao area, men of the pest control division of the Department of Internal Affairs have been responsible for the destruction of many hundreds of goats during the past fortnight. The district where the marksmen have been operating is even more heavily infested with goats than the Pipiwai-Purua-Motatau block where, on the properties of Messrs T. and M. Worsp and A. McKay, they accounted for 1800 goats as they worked

through to th<? Parakao disrict. From the Twin Bridges down to the Parakao mill, the back country bush is literally swarming with goats, but their numbers are steadily being reduced.

In this block of some 10,000 acres they are mainly to be found at the back of the properties, but when no (mastering or other activities arc talking place, they move down on to the pastures in the front portions of the holdings. Parakao farmers, it is believed, are not unanimous in their desire to have the goats cleaned but properly, and some of them have not granted permission to the pest-control men to operate on their properties. EAT POINSONOUS SHOOTS Some of them consider that at this time of the year the goats serve a useful purpose by eating the young green shoots of the tutu bush, which is poisonous to cattle and can cause heavy mortality. They claim that the goats find the young tutu shoots very palatable and, as a consequence, they remove the danger to cattle. The only other use which the goats appear to have is for dog feed. Many farmers in the goat-infested area depend on their rifles for dog feed, and the goats have some value in this respect. On the other side of the ledger, the goats have a heavy debit, according to the majority of farmers.

One run-holder, who has 700 acres of goat-infested bush on bis property, has stated that it would be possible to winter up to 200 head of cattle in the bush if the goats were not present. As it is literally full of goats, there is not enough feed to winter any cattle at all. DEPREDATIONS IN BUSH The ability of goats to eat practically anything has completely stopped the regeneration of the bush and has been an important factor in providing conditions for erosion in the high country. Perhaps the worst feature of all is the damage the goats cause to fences. Where a sheep farmer might put all his boundary fences into sheep-proof conditions, the goats can undo everything a few hours later. It is impossible to fence the goats in. Powerful old billies get their heads under the wires and force their way through fences, leaving them in a bad state.

The Parakao farmers have a problem on their and the postcontrol division is doing a good job in helping to solve it.