The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: Possum on March 29, 2012, 07:10:03 pm
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After years of reading the TAS diary, and recently joining the forum, we have at last bought a smallholding. It is VERY small, only one and a half acres, but it's a start. It's in a lovely spot, on a small ridge above the Somerset levels and the land seems to be in very good heart.
We have kept laying hens for a couple of years, but now plan to rear some chickens for the table so will have to get used to dispatching them. Also planning to have a couple of OSB weaners, once we have got the fencing sorted out. The grass is already growing rapidly so will probably need a couple of sheep, sooner rather than later. Will they cope with long grass to begin with? I think we may just grow on a couple of orphan lambs this year and then start breeding next year.
So much to do! The house needs lots of work as well so it's going to be a hectic year. Expect to see lots of posts asking for advice. It's one thing reading books and planning, quite another doing it for real. Really looking forward to it though.
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That's great news possum, soooooo happy for you. Good luck and look forward to hearing your stories.
:thumbsup:
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FANTASTIC! :thumbsup:
It sounds as though you have some exciting plans already.
I hope it brings you much happiness - I'm sure it will.
The grass needs to be around 5cm for sheep. If it is too long they will struggle to cope and may well get scald.
If it is too long you should think about getting it topped before you put the sheep on.
You may be better off getting a few shearlings or some store lambs. Pet lambs can sometimes be hard work and have an even greater ambition to die than the average sheep.
Looking forward to hearing all about your adventures. :wave:
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Brilliant :thumbsup: Look forward to sharing your adventures
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Congratulations! We had a field with too long grass (and not possible to get a tractor on) I started scything, but then found a neighbour with a horse and they mowed it pretty well in a week! ;D
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Gud Day Possum :wave:, wonderful to follow your dream, I have no smallholding but understand the hard work bit!!! Look forward to your progress!!!
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Hi Possum :wave:
One and a half is larger than ours,we only have the one acre!But like you say,it is a start and a wonderful life with lots of hard work :farmer: We wish you good luck from Northants!
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Good for you :wave:
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Splendid.
A warm welcome from Powys.
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That's great, so pleased for you. :thumbsup:
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:wave: Hi and welcome from sunny Shropshire. You have about one and three eights acre more than me. Ok mine's a back garden where my goats live and I grow fruit and veg. What an adventure you are embarking on. Look forward to hearing more as it progresses.
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Hi! :wave:
Big welcome from very windy Aberdeenshire :thumbsup:
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Hi and welcome, hope all your plans work out :wave:
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Hi from the Isle of Mull :wave: I'm very envious ;D Well do
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Hi from germany...and agree with horse-mower before sheep. I follow my horse around the plot with the sheep. I know it can cause parasite problems but Ive been OK so far...maybe the very, very cold winters here help.
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Hi from Staffordshire Possum. You have an acre more than us so you could have hundreds of chickens -we had 76 and two lambs for the freezer. Get some apple trees -chickens like them and so do sheep. We use them as a Winter treat. Trouble is the sheep eat the trees as well so they need to be in a chicken only zone or well fenced.
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Hi from France - Congratulations 1
Maybe keep a diary if you can so that you can look back at what will be a fantastic but sometimes exhausting time. We are all so lucky having the chance to live TAS life.
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Thanks everyone, for such a warm welcome. Good to know that there are so many helpful people out there, even if some of you are far away. Isn't the internet great at overcoming the difficulties of distance?
The advice about horses and ponies bringing the grass down to the right height was really useful. There seem to be a lot of Shetland ponies grazing around here. Hopefully one of the owners would like to lend me a couple for or month or so until I can get the fencing/ hedges ready for sheep.
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hi from cornwall :thumbsup:
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Hello from down the road (near wincanton). Feel free to pop down if you're local and have a look around!
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Good evening Captain
Would love to come and visit. The more advice I can get, the better. We are doing our move in 2 stages. First bit will be this weekend and the main move will be 17th/18th April. Perhaps we can come to see you after that? Do you want to e-mail some details?
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Possum,
check your PM's
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It was costing me £80 a time to get our grass topped (just over 4 acres) and often I had to rake the grass into "hay" fit only for pig bedding by hand----that was hard work :o. Then some lovely folk bought some adjoining land for rescue horses. The horses follow the sheep in the grazing rotation. If you let the grass grow up a bit when the sheep have left the worm larvae climbs the grass stems and are eaten by the horses who are immune to sheeps worms and vice verce. Saves us both money, no nasty chemical wormers needed except on the odd occasion and a firm friendship into the bargain :)
Good luck with your adventure, try not to wear yourselves out ;D
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jesus - £80 a time for a top on four acres, that's a bit steep!!! Was your farmer dripping in gold?
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Hi and welcome, my local farmer tops my paddocks but no money charged. I buy my straw from him every year and he takes away my muck heap which he sees as gold dust. :thumbsup:
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Hi and welcome, my local farmer tops my paddocks but no money charged. I buy my straw from him every year and he takes away my muck heap which he sees as gold dust. :thumbsup:
Next door were charged £120 to have their muck heap taken away. :o
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I advertise goat manure on Freecycle and get rid of loads that way.