The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: Blair512 on September 26, 2019, 05:51:51 pm
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Hello all!
New here, I've come looking for answers as we've just bought a house that comes with a 3 acre paddock. Hoping to get some veggies in and maybe some chickens to start with but it's a daunting project taking on so much land!
Hopefully you guys can help out as I fire a whole bunch of noob smallholding questions at you!
Thnaks in advance
Blair
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Hello and welcome from :sunshine: Carnoustie (for the moment anyway) :wave: :wave:
If you get the bug, in a few years you'll be looking for more land. Been there, done it ;D
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Welcome to the forum - sounds so similar.
Started with just over three acres, chickens & veg.......then turkeys......then pigs........then geese........all just because it tasted sooooooooo good.
Still have a few geese but have bought more land & now have a pedigree flock (albeit a small flock) of Hampshire Downs - oh and lots of bees.
Almost out of pork so pigs to return in spring & as soon as fox proof hen housing is sorted chickens will be back.
Enjoy the forum & your new venture. Search out any local smallholder groups, these can be an excellent source of info.
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Hi Blair512 and welcome. We have a little less land which was a total mess but is improving gradually, after a lot of hard work and still needs a lot more before livestock. Biggest problem at the moment is keeping the grass down, because once it gets too long our mower can't cope and it's a lot to strim or scythe. So I guess control of that needs to be a top priority, before it overtakes you.
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Hello and Welcome Blair
You will soon find 3 acres is not very much land at all :) .
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Hello and welcome to the forum. You'll work something out in time - it'll come :)
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I would agree with Chris Mahon - think about how you are going to control the grass. It gets really depressing when it grows away from you in the spring and you know you will have a big job to get it back to the lovely green sward that you have at the moment. Is there anyone locally who would like to graze sheep or ponies for a season? That will give you time to think about how you are going to use it.
I would recommend reading Rosemary's diaries on this website. Right from the beginning. It gives so much useful information about setting up a smallholding. I couldn't have done without it. :)
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Thanks for all the replies everyone!
I'll have a think over how to control the grass, perhaps a compact tractor with a mower attachment? I guess a ride on mower will be a little to small for 3 acres?
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Hi Blair512 and welcome. We have a little less land which was a total mess but is improving gradually, after a lot of hard work and still needs a lot more before livestock. Biggest problem at the moment is keeping the grass down, because once it gets too long our mower can't cope and it's a lot to strim or scythe. So I guess control of that needs to be a top priority, before it overtakes you.
a Sheep is a great mower