The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: Antz on May 19, 2011, 08:23:24 pm
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Hi all.
I have used this great site as a source of information for a while and thought it was time to return the favour, sign up and try and give some of my (limited) knowledge to others.
A bit about us, my partner has always kept horses (currently has 4 stabled down the road) my only previous animal experience was the family dogs while I was growing up.
Three years ago we bought a pub on the outskirts of a town, houses one side and unspoilt farmland and fields (for now) on the other. With the pub came 3 overgrown former paddocks and an area of woodland.
We started with a couple of pygmy goats to deal with the sprawling mass of brambles etc and somehow we now have three pygmy goats, a cashmere X pygmy, four Alpacas, a shetland pony, a suffolk X sheep and two shetland ewes.
Originally the lambs were used for the restaurant but the current ones are purely pets. I also grow a few herbs for the kitchen and hope to add a few simple veggies soon.
Keep up the good work.
Many thanks
Antz.
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Hi Antz, welcome to the forum. A long time ago my late partner and I almost bought a hotel on Skye. We didn't think we could do the catering oursleves so asked his brother to come in with us - he was all for it but his girlfriend at the time put the kaibosh on it - 'I'm not moving to that cold wet godforsaken place' said she. I often wonder where we would be now if he had ditched her then instead of 4 years later. ;D ;D Ah well. life goes on - what part of the country are you in, or are you outside the UK?
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Hi and welcome from Carnoustie :wave:
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hel on welcome from fife :wave:
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Thanks for the welcome.
I'm originally from North Yorkshire but now living in Gloucestershire.
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And hello from Northumberland, it is a good little forum isnt it? where did you get the Alpacas from? my wife absolutely adores them and I have been thinking of trying to get a breeding pair.
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Hi Antz, welcome to the forum. A long time ago my late partner and I almost bought a hotel on Skye. We didn't think we could do the catering oursleves so asked his brother to come in with us - he was all for it but his girlfriend at the time put the kaibosh on it - 'I'm not moving to that cold wet godforsaken place' said she. I often wonder where we would be now if he had ditched her then instead of 4 years later. ;D ;D Ah well. life goes on - what part of the country are you in, or are you outside the UK?
Skye is a lovely place, my favourite part of Scotland, do you know the Edinbane hotel, used to be famous for lock ins and music
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Hi Antz and welcome from wet central scotland :wave:
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Hi and welcome from North Yorkshire. :wave:
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Welcome from a sunny and dry (too dry) Brittany. Have you thought of pigs?
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Hi Cole,
We bought the Alpacas from a breeder outside of bristol, they are all wethers so were cheap, about 2-300 each I think. I think rather than a breeding pair you might be better with just females and take them to stud as and when. Entire males need to be kept separately.
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Studs for Alpacas may be hard to find around here :)
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You'd be surprised how many they are, we found ours on here.
http://www.alpacaseller.com/AnimalSearchSimple.php?Amend=0&PHPSESSID=5tjalmsnpm11jb0jjrlj0vt8p4 (http://www.alpacaseller.com/AnimalSearchSimple.php?Amend=0&PHPSESSID=5tjalmsnpm11jb0jjrlj0vt8p4)
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Hi and welcome from South Yorks :wave:
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Err, didnt realise that Alpacas are the rolls royces of the cloven hoofed brigade ;D I think Im will ask SWMBOd if she fancies a rabbit :)
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Hi Hilarysmum. I have been very tempted with a couple of pigs, we have a paddock on a hill that gets covered in nettles which none of the present animals will touch, rendering the field useless over the summer. I think a couple of pigs would sort it out nicely and then when they are done I could put them on the menu.
It's 90% fenced and even has its own shelter (a WWII sunken pill box) The only issue is It's right next to the pubs beer garden. Would there be any issues with noise or smell.
Thanks
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only if they were being fed on the beer ;)
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Hi Antz
I'm not far from you, nr Evesham, worcestershire :) welcome to TAS :wave:
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Yes, not far at all, I was in Pershore on Wednesday.
Robert you just gave me an idea 'kobe style' pork, must be able to charge a bit more for that.
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Would there be any issues with noise or smell.
Thanks
If there is, complain to the landlord :)
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Hi and welcome :wave: from Sue in Worcestershire, also not too far from you I guess. If you strim some of the nettles and leave them on the ground normally the animals enjoy eating them when they have wilted a bit, and nettles are very good for almost anything. (except bare legs and arms ::) )
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Hello from me in Lanarkshire :wave:
To answer the noise/smell question re. the pigs - if you're field isn't tiny they shouldn't smell badly. Pigs do have an 'aroma' about them (not an offensive one though;)), but normally only if they are in small, muddy areas - around third of an acre as a minimum for 2 should mean they are as smell free as possible. The only time your pigs will get really noisy is if you're taking too long to feed them ;) The only issue I can possibly see would be if the folks in the beer garden had one too many and decided to feed your pigs some 'pub grub' - there's the potential for disease problems with that, but if the beer garden is fenced/walled and you put up some signs saying 'DON'T FEED THE PIGS' :pig: it should be fine.
I would say, for the sake of avoiding problems and showing good manners, to pop in and mention to the landlord before you go ahead and get them - you never know, they might want to go halves on 2 weaners and have a hog roast bonfire party later in the year ;) ;D
Look forward to updates :wave:
Karen :pig: :love: :pig: