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wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Thu Mar 22, 18 6:08 pm Post subject:

Fee wrote:

No idea! Womble?

50-70 kilos liveweight. But the fibre is to die for, and you can sell that. Sheep were originally bred for wool, and were too valuable to eat.

Also, if you are thinking of chickens, they really do chase off foxes. I know, because I still have some chickens.

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 18 5:45 am Post subject:

Nicky Colour it green wrote:

whatever you choose be clear with all concerned if they are pets or not....

Absolutely. Arthur says he wants goats, we've talked about them being 'table goats' as he understands that concept, we've talked about having table birds plenty, but he gave me a look when I told him the specifics, that they would be going to the abattoir to be killed and come back as chunks of meat for us to eat. He needs to know that from the start with any of the animals we keep that will be meat. I'll make sure there are plenty of pets alongside

NorthernMonkeyGirl

Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4630
Location: Peeping over your shoulder

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 18 1:19 pm Post subject:
Geese graze....

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 18 2:06 pm Post subject:
We have cute pet chickens, and table chickens. Basically, any j likes or can distinguish (reliably) can be pets if she wants. Other disappear at regular intervals. She hasn’t really noticed.

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 18 4:08 pm Post subject:

I have 5.5 acres, of which I let 1.5 acres for summer grazing for 2 horses-a big grey, Paddy. and a Shetland, Nutter for £10 a week (the pair), the wife feeds me and husband does digger work for me! The other 3 acres I "sell" to a friend for hay; he does the work and I get some help with other things-house maintenance usually-his son goes up ladders! This is good if you want the ground but don't want to work it.
But, if you want the ground for you to do the work then get the animals you like and go on a "How to keep course for beginners" if you have no experience of that livestock. Some folks do "suck it and see",-this can lead to disasters and livestock dying through lack of knowledge. I gave up thoughts of keeping livestock-age-although an agricultural graduate, and ex-college pig man. Whatever you decide enjoy it, but do it slowly and methodically. I put up a building once only to take it down because I had not thought it through. The other advice is if you don't know, ask!

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 18 9:23 pm Post subject:
Quite right! Hence coming back on here Lots will be slow work. Arthur is home educated so we're going to learn a lot together, too.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9881
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 18 9:39 pm Post subject:
one thing to be wary of... In my experience, as soon as people find out you have some land, they start making suggestions that they keep their horse on it....

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 18 9:51 pm Post subject:
Not if you have already made your feeling on horses very, very clear....

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9881
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Fri Mar 23, 18 10:22 pm Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

Not if you have already made your feeling on horses very, very clear....

true.... it just gets tiresome, and found I had to re assert my feelings all over again when my situation changed.

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 18 10:04 am Post subject:
Oh, good tip off!

gregotyn

Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 2201
Location: Llanfyllin area

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 18 11:18 am Post subject:

Horse folk usually have the money to pay the rent even if they don't like parting with it. I started charging 50% up front and the rest at 3 months on and only have them for 6months anyway They are made to collect the manure into a place I designate and then I use on my garden when I decide to garden, getting a bit long in the tooth for the amount of bending down to weed now! Potatoes in dustbins and old tyres are the way to go-upwards!

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 18 1:35 pm Post subject:
Rabbits are what you need. They keep the grass nice and short, with the added bonus that they come free (at least they do in our garden). Only drawback is that you will need to fence off things you don't want eaten. Henry

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 18 3:20 pm Post subject:
I think we might get rabbits whether we want them or not

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46211
Location: yes

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 18 8:13 pm Post subject:

considering the areas involved and the unsuitability of several types of grazer

moos are not a starter animal and there is not space for enough of them to make a proper herd, GPs are not ideal on that scale, geese are well messy and often antisocial etc etc

sheep have "maintenance" and personality issues but some folk like em ( i get on very well with them once they are dead )

if you already have rabbits you will need to protect veg anyway but a managed warren might make a good edible mower.

for the meadow stuff 2 well timed cuts or grazes seems to work on most land.
are there any nomadic pastoralists near by who could deliver and collect a grazing herd of something suitable at suitable times?
are there any micro harvesters (old fergie fans etc ) or scything folk?

horses are usually a lot more bother than expected.

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 18 8:22 pm Post subject:

dpack wrote:

sheep have "maintenance" and personality issues but some folk like em ( i get on very well with them once they are dead )

I do too.

dpack wrote:

are there any nomadic pastoralists near by who could deliver and collect a grazing herd of something suitable at suitable times?
are there any micro harvesters (old fergie fans etc ) or scything folk?

I'm sure there will be, it'll be a case of getting to know folk, I need to make contact with the Cheshire smallholding group. Might do that now.

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