City of Davis

In a unique cooperative arrangement, the Parks & General Services Department and a local farming family recently released a small herd of sheep and goats into the Mace Ranch Community Park Habitat Preserve. In a no cost trade of services, the livestock get feed and the City controls unwanted weeds with minimal mowing or spraying. As part of the management of the habitat area, the grazing livestock keep down weeds and tall grasses that benefits the burrowing owl colony for which the habitat was preserved. The City's biological consultant has cleared the use of grazing in the habitat area.

The sheep and goats come from a small farm in Dixon, and allow the City to save resources and money by using livestock as an alternative to the use of herbicides and labor intensive mowing. We ask that visitors please respect the livestock as they help to promote a healthy living environment for the burrowing owls.

Please do not feed the animals. The livestock are in the park to eat the weeds; feeding them other foods will reduce their appetite and can make them sick. Also, these are not domestic animals, so please keep fingers and toes away from the livestock to avoid possible injury.

City staff and the livestock owners regularly monitor the area. However, if you notice any unusual activity, or to report problems with the livestock please contact Robert Snyder with the Parks & General Services department, (530) 757-5656, during regular business hours. After business hours, activity should be reported to the Davis Police Department’s non-emergency line, (530) 747-5400.

Located at 3141 Fifth Street, within the Mace Ranch Development in east Davis, the Mace Ranch Community Park site features a mixture of open turf and naturalized grassland; providing areas within the park for active organized sports and wildlife habitat-based outdoor recreational activities.

For further information, please contact the Parks & General Services Department at (530) 757-5656