[Penninehillbilly]

Goats would be happy with an open shelter, they will just shelter if it rains heavy, then off out again, light rain they seem happy with.
I don't think just cutting docks would kill them, it would take many cuts to weaken them,  digging them would be your best option, a small area at a time, making sure the others don't seed.
My thoughts when digging hundreds (maybe thousands) on thistle is 'divide and conquer ', small areas so I don't feel overwhelmed.

[chrismahon]

I cut the roots of our docks as suggested on some internet site (can't remember which) with a narrow and sharpened spade, aiming to take the top 6" of root off. Surprised me, but it killed them. There is a 'however' though- we had a long dry spell a few months afterwards and that may have been a factor?

[arobwk]

.... However, if the bracken develops spores, these are carcinogenic if breathed in - so do look this up and learn to recognise this.

Agree with YorkshireLass, but, apparently, bracken rarely (if ever?) produces spores on the UK.  Not sure why, but thought I'd add that bit of gleaned information.

[SallyintNorth]

I think that’s unlikely to be right, I’m afraid, arowbk.

This

“In experiments I have done," says Dr Alan Heyworth, a botanist and one of the four BAC commissioners, "A 10-minute walk through a bracken bed resulted in my inhaling 50,000 spores.”

from a report in the Independent linky

And there are pictures of spores on bracken (in Macclesfield, in England, in 2014) on this website.  He says they spore only once every 10 years or so.

[Scotsdumpy]

I seem to remember John Seymour waxing lyrical about bracken and how good it is for potash. Off the top of my head I can't remember exactly what he said, how it was used, how it was prepared etc but I think he advocated it as his go to plant to cure all deficiencies and farmland problems. I shall now google this and hope I wasn't dreaming!

[Briggsy from Gower]

Hi,
I would not worry too much about a bit of variety.
Things are only really a problem if they decide they want to take over, if you have a balance then you have good biodiversity.
When we moved in 7 years ago, large areas had been taken over by bracken and they were definately preventing other species from having their turn.
Cutting has just about removed them. So long as you do it at least once before they start to die back for the winter they seem to be hit quite hard. There are strays along the hedges of course, but again, room for everyone!
Nettles make great fertaliser so if they are starting to take over in a given area, harvest and use as mulch. Don't forget to eat some, fantastic superfood.
Good luck.
Briggsy

[arobwk]

I think that’s unlikely to be right, I’m afraid, arowbk.

Well that answers the "if ever ?" question.  Clearly though, bracken does not produce spores routinely. 

[landroverroy]

I seem to remember John Seymour waxing lyrical about bracken and how good it is for potash. Off the top of my head I can't remember exactly what he said, how it was used, how it was prepared etc but I think he advocated it as his go to plant to cure all deficiencies and farmland problems. I shall now google this and hope I wasn't dreaming!

If you cut it and bale it, or pile it up, it breaks down readily to form a lovely friable compost that is apparently full of nutrients.

[tommytink]

I don’t know how virulent it is but we fancy we can see it trying to get over the fence! It is a pretty dense area, and the fence marks the barrier between that a field the previous owner apparently reclaimed. Think we’ll be getting up there with the brush cutter and hacking into it a bit. I read they recommend three cuts a year, but says if you can only do one do it late July (I think) which would tie in with what Briggsy has said.